Amy's Getting Real About Gun Control

Last month, Amy Schumer accidentally found herself in the middle of a major political issue when something horrifying happened. On July 23, a shooter opened fire in a Lafayette, Louisiana movie theater and killed two women while they were seeing Schumer's movie, Trainwreck. It's a terrifying situation to even think about, and Schumer wasted no time in responding to the tragedy on Twitter. However, gun control activists wanted something more from her — and that's where Schumer's secret plan comes into play. Schumer alluded to having something planned in response to the shooting, and now, we know what it is. On Monday, Schumer is joining her cousin, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, in calling for stricter gun laws, and considering her political past, it's not surprising that she's ready to use her fame for the greater good.

According to USA Today, the Schumers will be working together on legislation that involves more thorough background checks for potential gun owners as well as funding for mental health. But activism like this isn't new to Schumer. Because even before Schumer joined forces with her politician cousin, she's been known for calling attention to the political issues closest to her heart, especially where the sketches on her Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, is concerned. Schumer is outspoken on so many subjects, and best of all, she manages to do it in a funny and real way.

Equal Pay For Men And Women

In this sketch from her show, Schumer tackles something pretty important: The wage gap. After an ill-fated trip to the strip club after a long day at the office, Schumer and her co-workers end up burying a dead stripper — wait, no, just Schumer buries the stripper, and she makes less than the men she's working for while she does it. It's a dramatic, ridiculous example, but it got your attention, didn't it?

Reproductive Rights

It's probably not too surprising to you that Schumer has also tackled the birth control issue via a sketch that features a birth control commercial in which Schumer asks literally everyone she encounters if her new birth control is right for her, including boy scouts, mailmen, and members of the clergy. At the end of the sketch, Schumer's baffled that she has to go through all of this again when her pharmacist tells her there's no refills... and then a small child approaches the counter, asks for a gun, and the pharmacist kindly slides it across the counter to him.

Censorship

It practically goes without saying that censorship is something that Schumer's passionate about, and when Comedy Central told Schumer she could say "dick" on her show but not "pussy" (which is so ridiculous I don't even want to think about it), she and one of her executive producers wrote to the network and got them to change their minds. Progress!

Sexual Assault In The Military

In this sketch, Schumer's playing a more realistic military video game and chooses a female character, only to find out that being the female character means getting raped by her superior instead of actually getting to be a soldier. And when her character chooses to report the rape, her attacker faces no consequences. This is a serious, real thing that actually happens, and it's awesome that Schumer called attention to it like that.

Whether she decides to continue tackling these issues on her show or off of it, I can't wait to see what Schumer does next — especially where gun control is concerned. Here's hoping the new initiative is successful!

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