The Map Split in Two
27 states banned gender-affirming care for minors. 18 states and DC passed shield laws explicitly protecting it. The map is not moving in one direction. It is splitting.
The shield states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington plus DC. Washington passed data privacy protections preventing public records requests from being used to target trans residents. Montana’s supreme court ruled trans people have a right to accurate IDs.
92% of anti-LGBTQ bills are defeated every year. The shield laws are the ones that pass on the other side.
8.5 Hours From Florida
Before state restrictions, 1.4% of trans youth lived more than four hours from a gender-affirming care clinic. After the bans, that number is 25.3%.
1.4% → 25.3% of trans youth now live more than four hours from a clinic. Florida added 8.5 hours each way.
Florida added 8.5 hours of drive time each way to the nearest clinic. Texas added 6.7 hours. Utah added 5. Over half of U.S. youth under 18 now face what researchers call “sizable travel barriers” to gender-affirming care.
49% of trans patients already travel out of state for surgery. Out-of-pocket costs are roughly 50% higher for out-of-state patients. $2,645 versus $1,781. Southern patients are 36% more likely to travel out of state than patients in the West.
47% Considered Moving
The 2022 U.S. Trans Survey found that 47% of transgender adults had considered moving because of laws targeting them. 5% had already moved. Nearly one-third of 16,000 LGBTQ respondents ages 13-24 said they or their families were considering relocation.
These are not theoretical numbers. A family in Frisco, Texas whose child was on puberty blockers when SB 14 took effect had to find a provider in another state, arrange travel, coordinate with insurance that may not cover out-of-state care, and take time off work. Their neighbors were debating whether their child should exist. They were booking flights.
329,200 Trans Youth in Restrictive States
382,800 transgender youth ages 13-17 live in the 29 states with at least one anti-trans law. That is 53% of all trans youth in the country. 329,200 live in the 24 states with the most restrictive legislation.
285,300 live in the 18 shield states plus DC. The other 53% live where the law is against them.
The Trans Youth Emergency Project, run by the Campaign for Southern Equality, offers one-on-one navigation for families affected by state bans. They provide $500 renewable travel grants for families who need to cross state lines to access care their home state outlawed.
Read more on the LGBTQ Rights hub and the trans healthcare ban brief.