As state legislatures across America proliferate anti-transgender legislation, a growing crisis is unveiling itself. Transgender individuals and their loved ones are increasingly criminalized by their home states and their care, banned. This is prompting a growing number to seek refuge elsewhere. The scale of this issue remained under wraps until a recent Data For Progress survey brought to light the unsettling reality: hundreds of thousands of transgender people have already left their home states, and more than a million are considering a similar course of action in the coming months. These transgender individuals, frequently accompanied by their families, often sacrifice their jobs and relinquish their stability to reach the sanctuary of states willing to facilitate their care and protect them under the law. Should this trend persist, we may witness the largest domestic migration crisis since the Dust Bowl upheaval of the 1940s.

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[–] SugarApplePie@beehaw.org 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have friends in Florida that are planning to move out of the state ASAP because of the transphobic laws being passed. DeSantis is a heartless asshole

[–] overlordror@beehaw.org 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's not just trans people fleeing either. I'm plain ole queer and left AR in 2016 when my gay roommate said he didn't see what was so bad about Trump.

[–] SugarApplePie@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah, it's gotten so bad that I have family outside of the US that were worried I was going to any pride events this month. Feels like things are gonna be a whole lot scarier before it (hopefully, eventually) gets better.

[–] AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 year ago

I'm a trans person who moved from Florida to Minnesota seven years ago, things weren't great when I left and I knew things weren't getting better - in 2008 62% of Floridians voted to ban gay marriage in the state constitution. I came out as trans in 2012 and moved several years later using college as a way to get out. I used to get asked all the time why I moved out of Florida, people generally don't ask anymore. But even when I first moved, I was a bit surprised how safe the younger queer people from the Twin Cities felt being out, the people I knew back in Orlando didn't seem to feel that safe.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 4 points 1 year ago

I don't think the south really understands how many people work there that they don't like. Coffee shops, gas stations, retail, construction, industry, office jobs, people they hate are everywhere (because they hate so many different people). Time for the retired folks to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and get back to work!

[–] mustyOrange@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago

I am so glad my state recently got rid of our batshit Republicans in office. I'm really worried about people in the south, especially Florida - it's a long ass move to anywhere remotely safe