Brenna Spencer is a 22-year-old senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and, like most college seniors graduating this May, decided to take graduation photos to celebrate her achievements and mark the milestone. While Brenna knew one of her photos would get some attention, she didn’t expect it to go viral. Posing in a pink “Women for Trump” shirt and white jeans, Brenna is seen partially lifting her shirt to reveal her .380 handgun.

Once she posted the photo on Twitter, the picture went viral, drawing various reactions from the Twittersphere.

I don’t take normal college graduation photos… pic.twitter.com/eI1NvLFYHs

— Brenna Spencer (@BrennaSpencer) April 7, 2018

One Twitter user replied, “I’m 100% pro-gun but brandishing a firearm for a photo shoot or showing it off to try and look cool is just stupid. They are tools. Why brag about carrying a gun?”

Brenna responded, “Because I’m proud of my second amendment right and I want to empower other women! Absolutely they are tools, but I will always brag about being able to carry a gun to protect myself, my friends and my family!”

She stuck to her guns.

Of course, the Leftist trolls came out of the woodworks and were utterly nasty and close-minded, as usual. Several commenters replied saying this wasn’t empowering or that feminism just “took a step back.” It couldn’t be further from the truth.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

• 1 in 3 women…have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
• 1 in 4 women…have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• 1 in 7 women…have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
• 1 in 5 women…in the United States has been raped in their lifetime

Advocating for women to be armed is one of the most empowering things America can do for its female citizens. Of course, it’s up to every woman to decide whether she would like to carry or not, but who’s to say what’s empowering or not empowering to women? Is marching in a pink p**** hat really that empowering?

Some Twitter users questioned the legality of the photo, as the picture is of Brenna showing her gun while at the Hunter Museum of Art, which does not allow for firearms on the building’s premises. Brenna cleared up that controversy Monday evening. It appears the museum had not updated its gun policy signs on the front of the door to comply with new state laws at the time the picture was taken.

https://t.co/szPt0MYzKj

Just so everyone knows, hunter museum just now, today, updated their gun policy signs. pic.twitter.com/ipiGkNu7J2

— Brenna Spencer (@BrennaSpencer) April 10, 2018

Despite all the hate she received, Brenna received much more support from Second Amendment supporters and fellow conservatives.

This is what REAL feminism looks like. Strong, smart, confident, and armed

Well done Brenna. You are what @TPUSA is all about

Keep fighting https://t.co/1gQIdEsW4C

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 9, 2018

Nothing to argue with here pic.twitter.com/4u6SF9xQZX

— Barstool News Network (@BarstoolNewsN) April 8, 2018

One woman was spot on in her analysis of the liberal outrage.

Oh please. Liberals believe in “women’s rights” unless it’s about a women’s right to protect herself.

— Kennedy (@kpconservative) April 8, 2018

Kimberly Corban, a survivor of rape and an advocate for survivors who experienced the same horrors she did, also came to her defense.

“College senior defends”…
…herself, clearly.
Oh, and she’s educated to boot.
Good for you, @BrennaSpencer. I see you and @kpconservative enduring the trolls for this photo and respect you both for your civil dialogue and steadfast principles.💖#TheFutureIsFemale #ImWithHer https://t.co/lbThfBvq44

— Kimberly Corban (@Kimberly_Corban) April 10, 2018

Well done, Brenna.

Update (04/11/18):

After her graduation photo went viral and received coverage from several national media outlets, Brenna Spencer appeared on Fox & Friends to respond to her critics and show her support for the Second Amendment.

When asked to respond to harsh tweets sent to her by other women, Brenna replied, “Sexual assault has grabbed a lot of attention these past few years, especially on college campuses. So I think it’s important for women to be able to know they are their first line of defense. As the Campus Reform has been reporting, the Second Amendment has been under attack, especially on college campuses, so not only do they try to restrict our right to carry on campus but they are also trying to up the age to 21 to buy a gun. So I think it’s really important to empower people to show that you should be allowed to protect yourself. Your rights don’t stop at a college campus.”

Tennessee college senior defends posing for graduation photo with a gun in her waistband pic.twitter.com/esKgp0reET

— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) April 11, 2018