47% of Trans Individuals Considered Moving Due to State Laws

According to a recently published survey, nearly half of transgender individuals in the United States have considered moving because of restrictive anti-trans laws, including banning access to bathrooms, healthcare, or sports. Beyond that, an estimated 5% did move out of state.

This data comes from a report published on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, by the National Center for Transgender Equality with preliminary insights into its 2022 USTransgender Survey, a collaborative effort between the center and the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, and TransLatin Coalition.

The survey included responses from over 92,000 individuals, with over 84,000 adults. All respondents were in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and US overseas military bases.

State-level policy changes restricting access to transgender care — identified by many professional healthcare organizations as a fundamental component of comprehensive healthcare — have compromised the health and well-being of many trans individuals.

Beyond structural barriers to care, the report revealed that social factors may also compromise trans healthcare. For example, 24% of survey respondents noted that in the last year, they did not see a doctor when they needed it because they feared mistreatment.

Additionally, 48% of respondents who did see a healthcare professional reported having one or more unfavorable experiences associated with their transgender identity. These experiences include being refused healthcare, misgendered, treated with harsh or abusive language, and treated in a physically rough or abusive manner.

Compromised healthcare for transgender individuals is more than just medical mistreatment in the doctor’s office. Many insurance companies make accessing and affording care difficult for transgender individuals. An estimated 26% of respondents noted difficulties with their insurance company because of their transgender identity, including denied cover for hormone therapy, surgery, gender-specific care, or routine healthcare.

Despite these negative statistics, some additional insights were provided in the report. For example, approximately 94% of respondents were more satisfied with their lives when they transitioned to the gender they identified with. 

Moreover, 98% of respondents reported increased satisfaction after receiving hormones for the appropriate gender identity.

Although the preliminary insights offer some information on the state of trans healthcare in the US, the organizations are expected to release more detailed data in the coming years.