Great advice. My daughter and GRAND daughter (in Denver), GRAND daughter in Hawaii and myself in Oregon are all purchasing Plan B. It won't be long before it is against the law to order them through the federal mail system. :( So far COSTCO seems to be least spendy option for purchasing Plan B. Still searching for a price for Plan C.
Just going to throw it out there that Texas is slated to host 9 FIFA World Cup games in 2026. If this shit goes through, we need to put pressure on organizations like FIFA to pull out of Texas and host the games elsewhere. I don’t know if Texas would be able to handle the Scottish Tartan army showing up with almost single man in a kilt.
This is definitely a good idea. Hit them where it hurts - money and publicity. As someone in the UK, who isn't a football supporter herself, but is partnered to one, this would seriously piss people off. Do it
And i love the idea of the Texans being freaked out by men in kilts. Does it not just show how ludicrous the whole men in skirts, drag, non gender conforming dress argument is. They're so ffn stupid , and so stupid because they don't see how stupid it is! Oh my word! Bring it on. Scottish football supporters should only be allowed into the US if they re wearing kilts! Haha
I grew up being told ‘real men wear kilts’. I’m from Scotland and moved to the US when I was 12 so the FIFA thing popped in my head when I went to text my dad and sister about Erin’s article and tell him not to be caught in Texas with his kilt. But it’s not just Scotland that has a national attire that would not be considered gender conforming. The whole thing is just so ridiculous. In protest, we should form a human wall around the borders of Texas and all show up wearing non gender conforming clothes. My dad has plenty of kilts he can lend out to anyone who wants to try.
I am not the first person to say this. Totalitarianism builds the authoritarian bureaucracy first upon minorities, and fringes of society. Thus perfecting their anti democratic tools before turning inward to feed on the center of a nation’s population. Each day the damage that they do to individual liberty becomes harder and harder to undo. People get used to it because it’s as yet unreal to half the population.
Hello is anybody out there? A elected representative government attacking its citizens is never the answer! It’s a living hell for those affected! Ask any Trans Person…
And even in these bills, one can see the beginnings of the turning-inward. F'ex, SB 84's '... warrant the creation of separate social, educational, athletic, or other spaces,' potentially lays groundwork for sex/gender segregation in any area of life the authoritarians deem segregation-worthy.
This makes me sick! I am so upset that my clients, friends, colleagues and anyone who is gender diverse is being targeted. Most embarrassing legislature in the country. 🤬🤬🤬
Erin, it might be time to focus on international risk assessments for trans people. A lot of us, even in blue states, can't afford to wait and see just how bad America is going to get...
Edit: To my knowledge, Spain, France, and Germany are probably the safest bets right now. France is a Nuclear state and just defeated their far right and have close ties to their neighbors. Germany is in the early stages of banning the AfD as a party for being extremist. And Spain has the best legal protections out of anywhere for trans people.
The only downside is their trans healthcare bureaucracy is antagonistic at best.
Where country do you flee to? The short answer is that nowhere is safe. In 2014, no one saw these anti-trans waves coming to the US and UK. Canada already has some restrictions in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Really, nowhere is safe. Everything is about levels of risk, pushing back if you are able to from where you are, and helping folks through who are getting the worst of it.
We won't be able to help people through anything from within one of their "Wellness Farms" where we aren't allowed to leave or have access to electronics. They're literally talking about camps and justifications for declaring martial law right now. We're at the very start of a second holocaust and we need to GET OUT NOW, even if it means being penniless in a foreign nation. Staying isn't an option anymore. It just isn't. Those who fled the first Holocaust survived. Those who stayed to "push back" were murdered. Almost all of the levers of power and all the guardrails have failed up to this point.
We have only 3 left: A recount that uncovers election fraud (highly likely there was fraud and Trump screaming about it in 2020 was to desensitize everyone and make it politically unpalatable to try to investigate in 2024), Biden declaring a state of emergency and suspending the election process to investigate and defend against obvious Russian assets, and a military coup de'tat. The opportunity for each of those is quickly slipping away. Harris has until tomorrow to ask for recounts to confirm the election was secure (there is in fact evidence that something is wrong with the results, WAY too many bullet ballots in only the swing states, more than ten times what they would be in a normal election). Biden has until Jan. 5th to declare a state of emergency, and the military has the most time but if Trump successfully purges them then it's over. That'll be it. Game over.
Nowhere is safe at this point. True. But some places are less *immediately* hostile.
@--V Can you point me towards your sources for talk of camps and martial law? It's plausible all right, but i need to investigate before i turn my life upside down. Have you set a get-out date for yourself?
“ Cell phones and other screens, he said, would be prohibited. “We’re going to re-parent people and restore connection to community,” he promised. “We have a whole generation of kids who are dispossessed, they’re alienated, their marginalized, their suicide rates are exploding; the second largest killer for young people is drug addiction.” Kennedy has suggested in the past that 5G cell phone technology could cause health problems.
The range of people receiving such treatment could potentially include wide swaths of the population, since the wellness farms wouldn’t just be for people addicted to illegal drugs, but also for people who are taking antidepressants and ADHD medications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 11 percent of Americans ages 12 and older take antidepressants, and about 4 percent of Americans between the ages of five and 64 take medication for ADHD.”
The federal government wants to “re-parent” people. That sounds like “re-education camps” to me.
There's different levels to this too, right? Like, Canada is going through its own conservative shift of its own right now...but I can't imagine them ever turning into a crazy bigoted police state that wastes its resources attacking minorities. They have some strong anti-discrimination policies for LGBT people, and abortion codified into law. For adults who have transitioned and just have to maintain their HRT...Canada still might be the easiest option.
Yep. Everywhere is seeing a rise in fascistic influence. But some places are doing better at managing it than others. Germany just put forward a proposal to ban the AfD under their anti-authoritarianism structures in their constitution. They can just ban parties that go Nazi and arrest the members once it goes through. It's very hard to ratfuck the German government post WW2. And France being a nuclear state is a big bonus. It means they can tell the world to go fuck itself if they try shit.
Yes but it is not enough to identify a “safe” country, you also need a path into it. Not everyone has the job skills and/or family connections to immigrate to Canada, and even if they do, those paths take time and money. I doubt in the current political climate, Canada is going to be very willing to offer U.S. trans people asylum.
And that is what needs to change. Trans people in other nations and their allies need to push their governments to acknowledge that the situation in the US has deteriorated to the point that people WILL be fleeing and to open their doors to some individuals from the US on asylum claims. So they need to petition their governments to change those stances. The US is no longer a "safe" country for us.
I am part of a group here in the UK who protest against detention for asylum seekers and refugees. AT our next meeting I shall introduce the fact that we may well be seeing refugees from the US once Trump takes office. This will be interesting to see how US refugees are viewed. I think I know but we shall see
Portugal is safer than Spain. In December 2023 The Madrid region rolled back previously adopted protections. Under the new regulations it is no longer against the law to discriminate against lgbt people in employment. Furthermore, it is literally legal to beat an LGBTQ person as long as you don’t leave any marks.
Portugal was the eighth country in the world to adopt same sex marriage and trans nondiscrimination is enshrined in the national law. I first started looking at leaving Texas after the 2016 election. It took five years but my wife and I have lived in Portugal since July 2022. In the entire 2 1/2 years we’ve lived here I have only had one incident in which someone made any kind of negative remark. That was in a high tourist area and was from someone with an American accent. I have never felt so safe in my life as I do here. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons I still have to travel back to Texas several times a year and of course I still have many friends and loved ones there who are not in a position to leave.
I agree, I would love for Erin to do a International/Global LGBTQIA+ Map and then if she can, a second one for International BIPOC LGBTQIA+ since for me being Black, it's hard for me to decide which identity to prioritize and I don't want to do that anymore. I want to not deal as much racism but also be protective of being LGBTQIA+ and Reproductive Rights in addition to any other rights I'm forgetting as well.
And the maps for International would be updated quarterly like every 3-4 months to give Erin some breathing room while also updating periodically for everyone to know, in addition to her US LGBTQIA+ Safety Maps still updated every 4-8 weeks which is amazing work that is being done for the community
Keep the pressure on your own county and state representatives to hold strong for LGBTQ + and especially transgender people. Be active and watch your community. Show visible support by wearing something like a lapel pin daily.
Thank you for the reminder! Sometimes it’s hard to remember the little things I can do to show up for those in my community who need the support. This reminded me I have a pin somewhere- I just have to find it!
We need to form a national “coalition” of ALL of the various trans groups, nonprofits, supporters, etc!!! Someplace where we can discuss and form strategies together and share resources and ideas.
We’re currently stuck in Texas with a trans teen. He was considering applying to UT-Austin but that just went out the window. As a mom, I’m FREAKING OUT right now. Husband is trying to find new job in New Zealand, Australia or Canada. Problem is researching all of their laws and guidelines, having the $$ to move, sell the house (would lose $ right now), etc. Would be so much easier if there was ONE place to go for good, reliable info!!
What industry is your husband in? I am in an international feminist motherhood group and there’s a lot of Australian and New Zealand mums in the group and I would be happy to post something on our FB group to see if I can get you any leads.
Also agree it would be great if we could compile the info. I’d be able to work on that project if we can get a group together and come up with a plan.
He’s in Biotech. That’s really kind of you. He’s got contacts all over the world, thankfully, it’s just that no one is hiring right now. Just not sure where we’ll go or what to do.
32 bills on the first day. If I had known how much my mere existence as a trans person would bother some people, I would’ve come out sooner. These bigots reeeeeeeereally need a new hobby.
So if a department store in the women's section has boyfriend's shirt, boyfriend sweats, boyfriend jeans, boyfriend jacket, etc... this means that any female buying those items and wearing them would then fall into that bounty and drag laws. Which if TX doesn't prosecute then it's discrimination against one group, and not all drag.
Things were pretty bleak among the trans folks I knew in Texas before my family took advatage of my wife's new job offer to leave the state. I've kind of resigned myself to the fact that this next holiday season might be the last time I feel safe enough to travel to see family.
This is horrific, and unfortunately we can take it as a sign of the direction other Republican-led states and now the new federal gov’t administration will want to go soon, of course emboldened by the election.
The only bulwark now are the “safe” blue states, and it’s anybody’s guess how long they can hold out against the expected federal onslaught.
We are truly witnessing the rise of fascism in America, with trans people being analogous to Jewish people in 1930s Germany. Erin, I concur with others that international risk assessments and escape path recommendations are probably a good idea, either now or in the near future.
I agree with everything you said., But I would like to add that while Jewish people were the primary target of Nazi genocide, the regime also persecuted other marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals. Transgender people were subjected to violence, imprisonment, and forced sterilization. Many were sent to concentration camps, where they faced horrific conditions and often met a tragic fate.
It's important to recognize the historical persecution of transgender individuals began before the word “Transgender” was used.
Erin, I don't live in TX but I'm scheduled to have gender affirming surgery in TX in June. Any idea if these bills could have an impact on providers ability to provide gender affirming care?
Okay, but how many bills did they file to limit the cost of eggs? I keep being told that’s what this most recent election was all about.
Boycott Texas. Send morning after pills to advocates. Bring Texas trans youth to nearby states for treatment.
Great advice. My daughter and GRAND daughter (in Denver), GRAND daughter in Hawaii and myself in Oregon are all purchasing Plan B. It won't be long before it is against the law to order them through the federal mail system. :( So far COSTCO seems to be least spendy option for purchasing Plan B. Still searching for a price for Plan C.
Just going to throw it out there that Texas is slated to host 9 FIFA World Cup games in 2026. If this shit goes through, we need to put pressure on organizations like FIFA to pull out of Texas and host the games elsewhere. I don’t know if Texas would be able to handle the Scottish Tartan army showing up with almost single man in a kilt.
This is definitely a good idea. Hit them where it hurts - money and publicity. As someone in the UK, who isn't a football supporter herself, but is partnered to one, this would seriously piss people off. Do it
And i love the idea of the Texans being freaked out by men in kilts. Does it not just show how ludicrous the whole men in skirts, drag, non gender conforming dress argument is. They're so ffn stupid , and so stupid because they don't see how stupid it is! Oh my word! Bring it on. Scottish football supporters should only be allowed into the US if they re wearing kilts! Haha
I grew up being told ‘real men wear kilts’. I’m from Scotland and moved to the US when I was 12 so the FIFA thing popped in my head when I went to text my dad and sister about Erin’s article and tell him not to be caught in Texas with his kilt. But it’s not just Scotland that has a national attire that would not be considered gender conforming. The whole thing is just so ridiculous. In protest, we should form a human wall around the borders of Texas and all show up wearing non gender conforming clothes. My dad has plenty of kilts he can lend out to anyone who wants to try.
I am not the first person to say this. Totalitarianism builds the authoritarian bureaucracy first upon minorities, and fringes of society. Thus perfecting their anti democratic tools before turning inward to feed on the center of a nation’s population. Each day the damage that they do to individual liberty becomes harder and harder to undo. People get used to it because it’s as yet unreal to half the population.
Hello is anybody out there? A elected representative government attacking its citizens is never the answer! It’s a living hell for those affected! Ask any Trans Person…
And even in these bills, one can see the beginnings of the turning-inward. F'ex, SB 84's '... warrant the creation of separate social, educational, athletic, or other spaces,' potentially lays groundwork for sex/gender segregation in any area of life the authoritarians deem segregation-worthy.
Yes Sunflower P it is as your comment indicates. They are getting into defining 4th grade biological and ideological aspects of sex today.
Come tomorrow they will be defining, and segregating us by “biological whites” and non whites by standards set hundreds of years ago.
Next perhaps will be the state sponsored “official religion”?
I’m 65, I watch this happing with horror, and high concern for younger generations.
This makes me sick! I am so upset that my clients, friends, colleagues and anyone who is gender diverse is being targeted. Most embarrassing legislature in the country. 🤬🤬🤬
Erin, it might be time to focus on international risk assessments for trans people. A lot of us, even in blue states, can't afford to wait and see just how bad America is going to get...
I second this. We need to know where to flee to.
Edit: To my knowledge, Spain, France, and Germany are probably the safest bets right now. France is a Nuclear state and just defeated their far right and have close ties to their neighbors. Germany is in the early stages of banning the AfD as a party for being extremist. And Spain has the best legal protections out of anywhere for trans people.
The only downside is their trans healthcare bureaucracy is antagonistic at best.
Where country do you flee to? The short answer is that nowhere is safe. In 2014, no one saw these anti-trans waves coming to the US and UK. Canada already has some restrictions in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Really, nowhere is safe. Everything is about levels of risk, pushing back if you are able to from where you are, and helping folks through who are getting the worst of it.
We won't be able to help people through anything from within one of their "Wellness Farms" where we aren't allowed to leave or have access to electronics. They're literally talking about camps and justifications for declaring martial law right now. We're at the very start of a second holocaust and we need to GET OUT NOW, even if it means being penniless in a foreign nation. Staying isn't an option anymore. It just isn't. Those who fled the first Holocaust survived. Those who stayed to "push back" were murdered. Almost all of the levers of power and all the guardrails have failed up to this point.
We have only 3 left: A recount that uncovers election fraud (highly likely there was fraud and Trump screaming about it in 2020 was to desensitize everyone and make it politically unpalatable to try to investigate in 2024), Biden declaring a state of emergency and suspending the election process to investigate and defend against obvious Russian assets, and a military coup de'tat. The opportunity for each of those is quickly slipping away. Harris has until tomorrow to ask for recounts to confirm the election was secure (there is in fact evidence that something is wrong with the results, WAY too many bullet ballots in only the swing states, more than ten times what they would be in a normal election). Biden has until Jan. 5th to declare a state of emergency, and the military has the most time but if Trump successfully purges them then it's over. That'll be it. Game over.
Nowhere is safe at this point. True. But some places are less *immediately* hostile.
@--V Can you point me towards your sources for talk of camps and martial law? It's plausible all right, but i need to investigate before i turn my life upside down. Have you set a get-out date for yourself?
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-confirms-plan-declare-national-emergency-military-mass/story?id=115963448
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/07/rfk-jr-wants-to-send-people-on-antidepressants-to-government-wellness-farms/
It'll be "voluntary" until it isn't.
From the link provided above we find this:
“ Cell phones and other screens, he said, would be prohibited. “We’re going to re-parent people and restore connection to community,” he promised. “We have a whole generation of kids who are dispossessed, they’re alienated, their marginalized, their suicide rates are exploding; the second largest killer for young people is drug addiction.” Kennedy has suggested in the past that 5G cell phone technology could cause health problems.
The range of people receiving such treatment could potentially include wide swaths of the population, since the wellness farms wouldn’t just be for people addicted to illegal drugs, but also for people who are taking antidepressants and ADHD medications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 11 percent of Americans ages 12 and older take antidepressants, and about 4 percent of Americans between the ages of five and 64 take medication for ADHD.”
The federal government wants to “re-parent” people. That sounds like “re-education camps” to me.
There's different levels to this too, right? Like, Canada is going through its own conservative shift of its own right now...but I can't imagine them ever turning into a crazy bigoted police state that wastes its resources attacking minorities. They have some strong anti-discrimination policies for LGBT people, and abortion codified into law. For adults who have transitioned and just have to maintain their HRT...Canada still might be the easiest option.
Yep. Everywhere is seeing a rise in fascistic influence. But some places are doing better at managing it than others. Germany just put forward a proposal to ban the AfD under their anti-authoritarianism structures in their constitution. They can just ban parties that go Nazi and arrest the members once it goes through. It's very hard to ratfuck the German government post WW2. And France being a nuclear state is a big bonus. It means they can tell the world to go fuck itself if they try shit.
Yes but it is not enough to identify a “safe” country, you also need a path into it. Not everyone has the job skills and/or family connections to immigrate to Canada, and even if they do, those paths take time and money. I doubt in the current political climate, Canada is going to be very willing to offer U.S. trans people asylum.
And that is what needs to change. Trans people in other nations and their allies need to push their governments to acknowledge that the situation in the US has deteriorated to the point that people WILL be fleeing and to open their doors to some individuals from the US on asylum claims. So they need to petition their governments to change those stances. The US is no longer a "safe" country for us.
I am part of a group here in the UK who protest against detention for asylum seekers and refugees. AT our next meeting I shall introduce the fact that we may well be seeing refugees from the US once Trump takes office. This will be interesting to see how US refugees are viewed. I think I know but we shall see
To be fair, the UK is fucked for trans people right now.
Norway is good for LGBT+ rights
Youth also?
What about for lgbt youth?
But not trans healthcare.
Portugal is safer than Spain. In December 2023 The Madrid region rolled back previously adopted protections. Under the new regulations it is no longer against the law to discriminate against lgbt people in employment. Furthermore, it is literally legal to beat an LGBTQ person as long as you don’t leave any marks.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spains-madrid-region-partially-revokes-trans-lgbtq-rights-laws-2023-12-22/
Wow. Just wow. That’s insane!!!
I did not know that. Thank you.
Portugal was the eighth country in the world to adopt same sex marriage and trans nondiscrimination is enshrined in the national law. I first started looking at leaving Texas after the 2016 election. It took five years but my wife and I have lived in Portugal since July 2022. In the entire 2 1/2 years we’ve lived here I have only had one incident in which someone made any kind of negative remark. That was in a high tourist area and was from someone with an American accent. I have never felt so safe in my life as I do here. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons I still have to travel back to Texas several times a year and of course I still have many friends and loved ones there who are not in a position to leave.
I agree, I would love for Erin to do a International/Global LGBTQIA+ Map and then if she can, a second one for International BIPOC LGBTQIA+ since for me being Black, it's hard for me to decide which identity to prioritize and I don't want to do that anymore. I want to not deal as much racism but also be protective of being LGBTQIA+ and Reproductive Rights in addition to any other rights I'm forgetting as well.
And the maps for International would be updated quarterly like every 3-4 months to give Erin some breathing room while also updating periodically for everyone to know, in addition to her US LGBTQIA+ Safety Maps still updated every 4-8 weeks which is amazing work that is being done for the community
Sounds like we need Erin to hire an entire staff to help her!
I’m at a loss for words. I wish I knew how to help. I’m just so so sorry for everyone in Texas.
Keep the pressure on your own county and state representatives to hold strong for LGBTQ + and especially transgender people. Be active and watch your community. Show visible support by wearing something like a lapel pin daily.
Tick, tick, tick. Build your community, know your supporters and your enemies. Keep them all close. And keep pushing back. we have no choice
Thank you for the reminder! Sometimes it’s hard to remember the little things I can do to show up for those in my community who need the support. This reminded me I have a pin somewhere- I just have to find it!
We need to form a national “coalition” of ALL of the various trans groups, nonprofits, supporters, etc!!! Someplace where we can discuss and form strategies together and share resources and ideas.
We’re currently stuck in Texas with a trans teen. He was considering applying to UT-Austin but that just went out the window. As a mom, I’m FREAKING OUT right now. Husband is trying to find new job in New Zealand, Australia or Canada. Problem is researching all of their laws and guidelines, having the $$ to move, sell the house (would lose $ right now), etc. Would be so much easier if there was ONE place to go for good, reliable info!!
What industry is your husband in? I am in an international feminist motherhood group and there’s a lot of Australian and New Zealand mums in the group and I would be happy to post something on our FB group to see if I can get you any leads.
Also agree it would be great if we could compile the info. I’d be able to work on that project if we can get a group together and come up with a plan.
He’s in Biotech. That’s really kind of you. He’s got contacts all over the world, thankfully, it’s just that no one is hiring right now. Just not sure where we’ll go or what to do.
32 bills on the first day. If I had known how much my mere existence as a trans person would bother some people, I would’ve come out sooner. These bigots reeeeeeeereally need a new hobby.
Go girl! Love your attitude. Need more of this at the minute
So if a department store in the women's section has boyfriend's shirt, boyfriend sweats, boyfriend jeans, boyfriend jacket, etc... this means that any female buying those items and wearing them would then fall into that bounty and drag laws. Which if TX doesn't prosecute then it's discrimination against one group, and not all drag.
Llet's see how these Texas morons f this up.
Or if a woman decides to wear her boyfriend's or husbands or even brother's flannel shirt or jacket then they will fall under these new drag laws.
Shakespeare & Monte Python are no longer allowed in Texas.
Erin, what do you think k is the threat of such bills and laws going national and affecting those of us even in “safe” blue states?
Everything is on the table right now. We won't know until we see to what level Trump throws out democratic norms.
Things were pretty bleak among the trans folks I knew in Texas before my family took advatage of my wife's new job offer to leave the state. I've kind of resigned myself to the fact that this next holiday season might be the last time I feel safe enough to travel to see family.
I am so sorry
Well, I was going to say that was way fewer than I thought there would be -- but you meant in only one state . . .
D--n it!
And only on the first day of pre-filing.
This is horrific, and unfortunately we can take it as a sign of the direction other Republican-led states and now the new federal gov’t administration will want to go soon, of course emboldened by the election.
The only bulwark now are the “safe” blue states, and it’s anybody’s guess how long they can hold out against the expected federal onslaught.
We are truly witnessing the rise of fascism in America, with trans people being analogous to Jewish people in 1930s Germany. Erin, I concur with others that international risk assessments and escape path recommendations are probably a good idea, either now or in the near future.
I agree with everything you said., But I would like to add that while Jewish people were the primary target of Nazi genocide, the regime also persecuted other marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals. Transgender people were subjected to violence, imprisonment, and forced sterilization. Many were sent to concentration camps, where they faced horrific conditions and often met a tragic fate.
It's important to recognize the historical persecution of transgender individuals began before the word “Transgender” was used.
This is worth a read. From a queer news outlet in the UK QueerAF
https://www.wearequeeraf.com/email/de12803e-128e-4fa6-8721-2945359dc772/?ref=early-access-paid-only-newsletter
Make Texas Mexico Again!
As a Texan, I wholeheartedly agree!!
Erin, I don't live in TX but I'm scheduled to have gender affirming surgery in TX in June. Any idea if these bills could have an impact on providers ability to provide gender affirming care?
Will they test men’s teams? Let’s see the test all the college men and quit fixating on trans women. Stupid laws.