Although pro-Second Amendment signage is not uncommon along Connecticut roadways, the signs that appeared on June 16 on I-95, just outside New Haven, were unique. These billboards were placed by “A Better Way 2A,” a gun-rights advocacy group made up of a coalition of libertarians, liberals and leftists, aimed at protecting what is often seen as an amendment favored by conservatives. 

Jordan Levine, co-founder of the organization and local of Shelton, CT, was the driving force behind the signs, of which there were four by the end of July. They read “Armed minorities are harder to oppress,” “Gun rights are trans rights,” “Gun rights are Gay Rights,” and starting in July, “Gun rights are queer rights every month.” 

Levine, himself a former infantryman, founded the framework of “A Better Way 2A,” on a few social media pages. Now, the Connecticut organization will be extending its reach through the “A Better Way 2A Foundation,” a new non-profit with a goal of spreading awareness of the Second Amendment, inclusive gun ownership advocacy, and educating citizens on gun ownership.  Levine will share leadership with James Hart and John Kraszewski, both locals of Connecticut, among other representatives of the Connecticut gun-owning community.

Though this group began in Connecticut, to spread their message Levine started the “A Better Way 2A Podcast” in June 2024, alongside a fellow firearms owner from Texas and a self-described “libertarian” known only by his first name, Andrew. Interviewing veterans of the Ukraine War, women’s safety advocates and fellow gun enthusiasts of many political persuasions, the podcast’s online publicity, along with a vibrant and irreverent merchandise store, allowed Levine to bring the large and expensive billboard signage to the forefront of “A Better Way 2A” activism by July and August 2025.

In an interview, Levine stressed that the 207 items in the online storefront are what have made their marketing projects possible. Store revenue has allowed for the podcast and billboards, and the work to set up and manage an e-commerce operation has been “worth it” to Levine. The store includes a mixed bag of fundraising merchandise collaborations, including with the Bail Project, where profit from clothes depicting Possums holding AK-47 rifles goes entirely to the prisoners’ rights non-profit, which Levine says “was really popular with our followers.” 

Though much of the merchandise is more mundane, other products, like the “I Don’t Argue With People John Brown Would’ve Shot” shirt, and “Protect the Kids, Burn a Politician” swag, show the uncouth side of their messaging.

Donations and sales, alongside the billboard campaign, have “99%” been seen as a success, according to Hart, helping drive new supporters and raise awareness. Still, their public persona has not been completely without controversy.

On Sept. 10, 2025, the rhetoric around “A Better Way 2A” changed with the assassination of Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA. In the aftermath, “A Better Way 2A” on Instagram posted, “We do not endorse or celebrate violence in any way or for any reason,” But also included criticism of Kirk for “fueling division” in modern partisan politics. The post gained traction nationally, leading to harassment and threats against A Better Way 2A team members. Posts involving the assassination were removed shortly thereafter, as the “safety of our family means more to us than anything social media could ever bring to us,” Levine summarized.

Though these events rocked the growing movement, Levine and his team say they are back on track. Despite the threats among the responses, the nonprofit’s Instagram page alone has grown by roughly 8,800 followers since Sept. 10, and their focus is now on making a national impact.

Levine shared that they have secured advertising rights for one month in Nashville, Tennessee. Roughly $3,000 raised in online donations will power a month-long run of the popular “Gun rights are trans rights” billboard in deeply conservative Central Tennessee. 

Levine asserts that A Better Way 2A’s message is unique in New England and has resonated with many across the nation. “Our mission is to promote a peaceful yet protected life for all. I live in this state and want our mission to grow here, selfish as that may be. I’ll see it here. I’d like to see it reach a point where we can see what we do in every state, but once we get off the ground, we’ll see what we can do.”

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