Life for LGBTQ+ people has gotten worse since Donald Trump was elected for a second term — and they're been forced to make major changes to protect themselves.
Since the November election, the majority (57 percent) of LGBTQ+ people — including 84 percent of transgender and nonbinary people — have made significant life decisions, according to a new report from the Movement Advancement Project. This includes considering or actually moving to a different state, considering or actually finding a different job, attempting to update legal name or gender markers on identity documents, and crossing state lines to receive medical care.
While nearly half of all trans people (43 percent) and one quarter of all LGBTQ+ people (25 percent) have considered moving to a different state, only 9 percent of trans people and 5 percent of all LGBTQ+ people report they’ve actually moved since November.
Part of what is forcing their hands is the increased discrimination and violence against queer people, as 60 percent of LGBTQ+ people, including 82 percent of trans and nonbinary people, report that they or an immediate family member have had at least one negative experience related to being LGBTQ+ since the November, 2024 election.
Trans respondents reported these experiences nearly twice as often as all LGBTQ+ respondents, with 56 percent saying they or an immediate family member have been discriminated against due to being LGBTQ+, and 53 percent saying they have been harassed online.
Six in 10 LGBTQ+ people say they are worried about the impacts of Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies on them or their families. For trans people, the number is nine in 10. Trans people are also significantly more likely to say they are "very worried," with 60 percent agreeing compared to 36 percent of all LGBTQ+ people.
"As political attacks on LGBTQ people by federal, state, and local governments continue into the future, it is likely that these impacts will only accumulate," the report concludes. "While the survey illustrates some of the many ways LGBTQ people are taking action to protect not only themselves but also their broader community, it is vital that people beyond LGBTQ people join in these efforts to protect their LGBTQ neighbors, friends, and family members, and to stop the ongoing attacks on LGBTQ people."
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