The Top 5 States To Be Transgender

I often get asked by people which states are the best states to be trans in. Sometimes it comes from people looking colleges, sometimes it's from people who want to move. Here they are!

I often get asked what the best states are in the United States to be transgender. Sometimes this comes from people who are seeking to move because they wish to flee anti-trans laws. Sometimes it comes from students who are looking at which college to go to. While the experience of being transgender differs heavily not just state by state, but even within every state, there are some states that rise above all of the rest when it comes to being trans. So before I release my top 5 states to be trans in, here are the caveats:

• Every state has rural areas where being trans will be more difficult.

• The top 5 states to be trans in are often expensive to live in. You can balance out the cost to live in those states by living in more rural areas, but then you run into more transphobia.

• Even the worst states have good cities where transgender people have good levels of acceptance. That said, state-level policies can make it hell even in accepting cities.

With no further adieu, here are the top 5 states to be transgender:

5. Washington, D.C.

“But Erin, Washington, D.C. is not a state!” Tell that to people who live there. D.C. Statehood is a hot local topic, and so I will be treating the area as its own state for the purposes of this ranking. I have a good reason for putting D.C. on this list! Just this last month, they signed into law the D.C. Human Rights Sanctuary Act. This makes D.C. one of three places that explicitly protect transgender refugees fleeing persecution from other states where gender affirming care is being made illegal. It also protects abortion refugees which is a great bonus point.

Being in D.C. also affords you access to high quality transgender healthcare. D.C. is home to Whitman-Walker, an LGBTQ+ healthcare system dedicated entirely to LGBTQ+ people. Most of the basic healthcare plans offered in the D.C. region have comprehensive healthcare coverage, and outright exclusions for being trans are banned. Lastly, a stunning 1 in 34 residents are transgender as of a 2016 survey and those numbers are almost certainly much higher today. D.C. is a trans city and it shows when you live there. Consider DC as your place of choice if you want to be surrounded by trans people and given decent protections!

4. California

In previous iterations of this list, I had left California off. No longer. California has jumped into the list of top 5 states to be trans in when it passed SB107. This law is the model law for the nation when it comes to protecting transgender refugees fleeing other states. California already had a decent healthcare system for transgender people with coverage options under some plans for facial feminization surgery. It also is part of one of the most liberal court districts, the 9th circuit, protecting its residents legally from all kinds of abuses for being trans. One city, San Francisco, also has a guaranteed income for transgender residents program that has been piloted - trans people often face high degrees of homelessness and abuse so this makes sense.

California does have some problems to consider though if you are thinking of moving there as a transgender person. The state is famously expensive to live in. Prices are well above the national average for many basic goods and services, and double the national average for housing. Rural areas of the state also very much have issues with transphobia and the state has a strong contingent of Proud Boys that call it home. One member even ran for a Sacramento school board seat. Your experiences may vary depending on where you live in California, but legally, your rights will be guaranteed in almost every way.

3. Washington State

Washington State has extremely strong protections for transgender people. Changing your birth certificate and drivers license genders are done via attestation alone - self-ID is the policy there. Washington State was the first to pass comprehensive healthcare coverage for transgender people and is one of only 3 states that explicitly protect transgender people’s right to obtain hair removal, facial feminization surgery, and more completely covered by insurance policies in the state. These two facts along would put this state high up on any ranking list.

One thing that makes Washington State extra special is its high concentration of gender affirming care clinics. With 40 clinics statewide, transgender people have an extremely high degree of choice when it comes to selecting healthcare providers. This is extra helpful for trans people who are dissatisfied with their hormone therapy regimen provided by a current provider. If you move to Washington State, you’ll also be extremely pleased to hear that the environment along the coast is extremely accepting, especially in the Seattle area. That said, be careful about eastern Washington State, which has been a hot spot for right-wing extremism.

2. Hawaii

Hawaii makes a showing atop this list this year because of a recently passed comprehensive healthcare law that mandates insurers provide coverage for all transgender healthcare procedures including hair removal, vocal feminization surgery, and facial feminization surgery. Hawaii also includes all of the typical nondiscrimination protections for things like bathroom access, employment nondiscrimination, and more.

One special fact about Hawaii is that historically, the island’s indigenous population has accepted more nuanced gender roles. Many local indigenous Hawaiians view discrimination received on the island to western colonization. Because of this, I must say that even though Hawaii sits very highly on this list, you should consider the strong movement on the island for no further colonization - prices have risen on the island and those not born there should likely not move there without very good reason.

1. Colorado

Colorado sits on top of this list for so many reasons. The state offers extremely comprehensive healthcare protections. You cannot be denied healthcare for things that are “deemed cosmetic” by the company if your doctor says it is medically necessary. This has helped many trans Coloradans get the healthcare they need. This automatically places Colorado in the top 3 states as only 3 states have these kinds of protections. Colorado goes above and beyond in so many other areas as well, though.

In the face of “Don’t Say Gay” laws and laws preventing teaching LGBTQ+ history in schools, Colorado has passed a law that mandates LGBTQ+ positive curriculums in schools. The standards of the state explicitly teach that every school must teach LGBQT+ contributions to history, even the schools in the most rural reaches of the state. This will help students statewide learn about their history and will help LGBTQ+ students to love and accept themselves even in unaccepting environments.

The state is beautiful, diverse, and already tops many lists for other reasons. That said, the state can be very expensive in the major cities and rural areas of Colorado have just as much transphobia and discrimination as some of the red states. The states laws of Colorado, though, provide strong protections that you just don’t see in most other states and that is why it tops this list.

Honorable Mentions

Minnesota (cheaper, but lacks some of the best protections), Connecticut (sanctuary state law), Massachusetts (weaker sanctuary state law and good healthcare), Illinois (good healthcare and basic protections), New York (decent protections but could have better healthcare options), Vermont (trans representation in the legislature and good cultural environment).