Trans people in the U.S. are moving out-of-state for their safety

Trans Americans are choosing to move to different, more inclusive, states in response to rising anti-LGBTQ2S+ legislation across the country.

That’s according to a new study from the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and NORC at the University of Chicago, which aims to illustrate how queer and trans people are altering their daily lives in the current political environment in the U.S.

Made up of responses from over 1,000 LGBTQ2S+ adults in the U.S., the study found that 57 percent of LGBTQ2S+ respondents—including 84 percent of trans and non-binary people—have either considered moving to a different state, changed jobs or took steps to be less visible in response to anti-LGBTQ2S+ legislation.

According to MAP, 24 percent of trans people said they have gone to another state to get medical care since Trump was elected (compared to 8 percent of all LGBTQ2S+ people surveyed), while 9 percent said they moved to a different state entirely due to the political climate. 

This shift aligns with several anti-trans policies that have taken shape since Trump’s second inauguration—from bathroom bans, to attacks on gender-affirming care and an increased targeting of trans people in many U.S. states—which has prompted some to consider leaving the U.S. entirely.

While the findings are depressing, there are some bright spots. Forty-two percent of trans people in the study said they have started becoming more active in LGBTQ2S+ organizing in their communities, and 31 percent said they have taken steps to be more visible despite the ongoing challenges.