The campaign for saner gun laws has been gaining more and more steam over the last six months or so. With the recent statistic that more students have died in school shootings than military members have died in combat zones this year, the issue is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. And rightly so. No matter where you stand on the Second Amendment, you have to admit that something needs to change.
Guns are too easy to get your hands on, and the regulations that surround them aren’t nearly strict enough. With millennials taking the helm on the issue, now is definitely the time for change, and politicians are taking note. But it’s not just young people speaking out about the need for gun control — plenty of celebrities have spoken out in favor of gun control, as well.
17. Amy Schumer
Back in 2015, when Amy Schumer’s first feature film Trainwreck was released, there was a tragic incident in a Louisiana theater where an armed man shot and killed two moviegoers, injured nine others and then turned the gun on himself. Ever since, Amy has been one of the strongest celebrity advocates for gun control. She’s worked on a campaign with her cousin, Senator Chuck Schumer, pushing for stronger gun control laws. She’s given half-a-dozen public speeches on the issue, and even asked for donations to Everytown for Gun Safety in lieu of donations after her recent wedding to Chris Fisher.
16. Jimmy Kimmel
After every single one of the recent school shootings, concert shootings and domestic terrorism attacks, Jimmy Kimmel has monologued about the absolute necessity of stricter gun control laws on his late night show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. After the Parkland shooting in early 2018, Kimmel implored the government to “do something” saying, “Here’s what you to do fix [this]. Tell your buddies in congress — tell Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio — all the family men that care so much about their communities, that what we need are laws. Real laws that do everything possible to keep assault rifles out of the hands of people that are going to shoot our kids.” He ended his bit by asking everyone to go to everytown.org and write to their representatives demanding a change.
15. Snoop Dogg
In 1993, Snoop Dogg was charged with the murder of a rival gang member who was shot and killed by his then-bodyguard. He was acquitted, and today he’s become a staunch advocate for stricter gun laws. In an interview with HuffPost, Snoop said, “Politicians, y’all got to pay attention, man. This world that we live in, it’s so easy to get your hands on a gun. You’ve got to put some restrictions on it. I can go outside right now and buy a gun. Easy, just like that. You all should really think about it before it hits home. Before it hits one of your family members or it hits you. If I can say this and I can mean it, then goddammit, get off your ass and make it happen.”
14. Gal Gadot
Another celebrity who used to deal in guns regularly and now wants them out of the hands of most civilians? Gal Gadot. The Wonder Woman actress was formerly a member of the Israeli army and carried a gun on the regular. After the Parkland shooting, Gal tweeted a picture of a young girl holding a banner that read “protect kids, not guns.” Many fans called her out on the apparent hypocrisy, but we’re total believers in the fact that opinions can change. We have to give Gal props for the fact that she realized her previous stance and views weren’t the best, and that she so publicly came out and admitted that.
13. Cher
Cher has long been one of the most vocal celebrities on gun control laws. She’s been tweeting for years about the need for stronger regulations and she frequently speaks out against the NRA, who seeks to protect the loose laws surrounding guns we have in place today. In 2015, she tweeted “My quandary RE Gun Control Laws. If background checks save ANY lives, save a mom’s tears, a wife’s [heart], a child’s torment, WILL THE NRA LOSE FACE?!” In 2012, she said, “’Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.’ Bullsh*t. ‘People with guns kill people.’ Don’t accept the insane rhetoric of the NRA.” She suffers no fools when it comes to gun laws in America.
12. Zendaya
Zendaya is quite the social justice warrior, and we look up to her for her fearlessness when it comes to speaking out about the hard things. The actress not only supports stronger gun laws herself (she marched at the “March for Our Lives” rally in Washington D.C. earlier this year) but also encourages other young people to use their voices and speak out in support of the laws as well. At the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, she gave a speech on stage, saying, “Everyone that I marched beside this morning and everybody out there, thank you for what you’re doing. And continue to know that your voice is a real thing and it’s a powerful thing and it’s a beautiful thing. You should never let anybody tell you that your age should limit you from actually doing whatever you think you need to do in the world.”
11. Reese Witherspoon
Every time another senseless shooting takes place you can count on Reese Witherspoon to say something about it. When 50 people died in a 2017 church shooting, Reese tweeted, “I am absolutely heartbroken over the shooting today in #SutherlandSprings #PrayForTexas #EnoughIsEnough #StopGunViolence.” After Marjory Stoneman Douglas, she tweeted “Heartbroken over the news of another school shooting. This is the 18th in the 45 days of 2018. Students & teachers shouldn’t have to fear for their safety. We must do more to prevent these senseless acts of gun violence. My heart is w/the people in Parkland, FL. Enough is enough.” She’s even tweeted several senators and congressmen asking them to speak up on gun laws.
10. Aly Raisman
Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman has spent the last year or so completely wrapped up in the sexual abuse scandal that surrounded former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. She’s called out the organizations that allowed him to thrive, stood up for women’s rights, called for more support for abuse victims and just generally devoted all of her time to making sure that something like this could never happen again. But even in the midst of all that advocacy, Raisman still had plenty of time to speak out about gun control, as well. In a very emotional tweet, the athlete said, “What are you supposed to tell your little sister when she asks ‘what do I do if a shooter comes in? Do I hide in the classroom or run for my life?’ THIS SHOULD NOT BE A CHILD’S CONCERN OR WORRY. No one should have to live in fear. Something MUST be done.” We applaud her for using her platform to drive such necessary change across the board.
9. Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show is one of the most-watched shows on TV, and the host is making sure not one bit of that platform goes to waste. She’s addressed gun control laws on her show more than once, has called for people to use their vote to ensure that the government isn’t influenced by the NRA’s money, and was an avid supporter of the March for Our Lives protests. She’s had Parkland shooting survivors on her show, signed petitions advocating for gun control measures and marched in anti-gun rallies. She’s even tweeted, “No words, no actions, no laws are enough until we end this epidemic of school shootings in our country.” You definitely can’t say that she doesn’t walk the walk when it comes to gun control.
8. Chris Rock
Comedian Chris Rock has tackled gun control in his stand up routines more than once during his long and storied career. In Tamborine, he pointed out the ridiculousness of equating guns with knives (a tactic frequently used by those in support of loose gun laws). In Bigger and Blacker, he proposed his own idea to clamp down on gun violence — making bullets cost $5,000 so that people really think twice about shooting each other. He even joked about gun control to The Wrap, saying, “The gun lobby always says, well, people need the right to protect their property. Every mass shooting is done by a guy who lives with his mother. I honestly believe you should have to have a mortgage to buy a gun. No one with a mortgage has ever gone on a killing spree… A mortgage is a real background check… And you know if you go to jail for 30 years you still have to pay your f*cking mortgage.”
7. Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano is one of those celebrities who is very politically involved. One place she’s devoted a lot of her energy? Gun control. After the 2017 Las Vegas shooting that saw 58 people killed and hundreds more injured, she posted a list to her website, Patriots NOT Partisan, which named every member of the house and senate who had ever taken money from the NRA, urging people to vote for responsible leaders who would be inclined to make a change. She also calls for gun control laws on Twitter frequently, posting things like “We can’t wait any longer #GunControlNow.”
6. Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler has never been shy about vocalizing her dislike of President Trump and the ultra-conservative Republican sect that supports him. She also has no time for the reduced-restriction gun culture supported by that political faction, saying, “It is disgusting how many times this has happened and Republicans do nothing. You all have blood on your hands.” She also once told Hollywood Reporter, “We’re way behind the times in terms of gun control in this country, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. Our voices just need to keep getting louder, and the people that make an impact need to really just step up and stick their necks out a little bit more.” And on top of all that, she frequently speaks out on her Netflix show about the need to end gun violence.
5. Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union really put her money where her mouth is. Alongside her NBA baller husband, Dwyane Wade, she donated a whopping $200,000 to the “March for Our Lives,” turned an empty warehouse into a stunning memorial and tribute to the 17 students who lost their lives in the Florida school shooting, and tweeted tirelessly to raise awareness of the loose laws that surround those who can buy and carry weapons legally. Not to be left out, Dwyane Wade dedicated his NBA season to one of the Marjory Stoneman victims, Joaquin Oliver, and wore shoes to several games that bore the young man’s name.
4. Stephen King
Prolific horror writer Stephen King is one of the top literary voices speaking out about gun control. He’s tweeted, “Until responsible gun owners support responsible gun control laws, innocent blood will continue to flow.” After the Sandy Hook shootings in 2012, he also wrote an essay simply titled “Guns,” that gave a stark look at the reality surrounding the backward gun laws in this country. All of the Kindle proceeds of the 25-page essay went straight to the James Brady Organization to Prevent Handgun Violence, and, to date, thousands of dollars have been raised for the organization through the sale of the essay alone.
3. Ariana Grande
In May of 2017, a bomb went off at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. 22 people were killed, and dozens were injured. Ever since the singer’s brush with terrorism, she’s become a staunch supporter of laws that will help reduce violence. After the Las Vegas shooting, she tweeted, “My heart is breaking for Las Vegas. We need love, unity, peace gun control & for people to look at this & call it what it is= terrorism.” She’s spoken in interviews about how necessary it is to call gun violence incidents what they really are, to not sympathize with the shooters and to make it clear that these things need to be addressed immediately after they happen.
2. John Legend
In 2016, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a series of gun control measures that would have strengthened background checks and prevented those who were suspected terrorists from buying guns. John Legend sent out a set of scathing tweets. He said, “The foolishness and heartlessness coming from our Congress re: gun control is not surprising, but still so very disappointing and shameful.” He followed that with, “You don’t get to talk ‘tough on terror’ if you’re too afraid of the NRA to do anything about guns. You’re a coward… We have to vote the GOP out of leadership of both House & Senate to get anything done on guns. Please vote in November.” He may have one of the best voices in music these days, but he’s not afraid to use it in favor of the things that really matter.
1. Millie Bobby Brown
Zendaya isn’t the only young celebrity speaking out about gun control. Millie Bobby Brown also made quite the statement about saner gun laws at the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. She wore a denim shirt printed with “Never Again” and the names of all 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which was an incredibly powerful visual and gesture of support. And while accepting an award for her portrayal of Eleven on Netflix’s Stranger Things, Millie said, “The March for Our Lives demonstrations that took place all over the world today have inspired me, and it impacted us all in one way or another. I appreciate the love and support of my fans and the opportunity that our show, Stranger Things, has created for me. But more than anything, I get to be up here, and I’m privileged to have a voice that can be heard, one that I can use to hopefully make a positive difference and help influence change.” She also dedicated her award to the victims of gun violence.