Most Secure Locations for LGBTQ Individuals to Reside in the USA

With Oklahoman lawmakers actively striving to curtail the rights of transgender individuals and reverse the Supreme Court's 2015 verdict that legalized same-sex marriage, Zane Eaves conveys that his self-identification as a transgender male has unfortunately made him a focal point in his home state.

Eaves, being one of approximately eighteen thousand nine hundred transgender adults residing in Oklahoma, has been subjected to death threats, a plight also shared by his spouse of a decade and their two offspring.

Eaves, aged thirty-five, expressed that "the pervasive animosity and ongoing political issues" are compelling this lifelong Oklahoman to depart from the place of his birth and upbringing. Despite having ventured across the state border merely thrice in his lifetime, he has recently undertaken the weighty choice to relocate his family to North Carolina, aiming to be in closer proximity to friends and supporters.

'Eaves commented, "My foremost aim is simply to safeguard my life and preserve my marriage.'

Oklahoma finds itself positioned at the forty-fourth spot nationwide on a compilation unveiled on June 2, delineating the most and least inclusive states for American citizens who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer.

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Increasingly, the question concerning where LGBTQ+ individuals perceive safety has transformed into a matter of blue versus red states, as articulated by the advocacy organization Out Leadership.

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LGBTQ+ parity witnessed a decline across all sectors for a third consecutive year, as indicated by Out Leadership's State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index, exclusively shared with USA TODAY. Notably, the most pronounced deteriorations occurred in states governed by Republican administrations.

While progressive strongholds actively promoted policies and protections that were supportive, conservative states elected a group of leaders who openly stood against gay and trans rights and backed an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ+ legislations, articulated Out Leadership CEO and founder Todd Sears.

According to Sears, legislation such as the "Don't Say Gay" bills, religious exemptions, and similar measures significantly diminished the rankings of nineteen red states within the Out Leadership index.

Sears stated that presently, a greater chasm exists between states extending a welcoming gesture and those regions of the nation that are less accommodating than ever before.

The Most and Least Welcoming States for LGBTQ+ Individuals

For the past seven years consecutively, Out Leadership has issued the State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index in order to evaluate the overarching atmosphere for gay and transgender individuals across each state, pinpointing the areas where they encounter the most and least amounts of discrimination and adversity.

Out Leadership's index assesses the influence of state governmental policies and widespread viewpoints pertaining to the LGBTQ+ population, encompassing factors such as backing for young individuals and families, accessibility to healthcare and safety provisions, prevailing political and religious sentiments, the professional setting and employment opportunities, alongside safeguards against discrimination.

Six of the ten states with the highest rankings were situated in the Northeast, whereas the Southeast accounted for six of those states with the lowest rankings.

Massachusetts, steered by Maura Healey, the nation's inaugural openly lesbian governor and a Democrat, and New York, which assured gender-affirming healthcare and protections for LGBTQ+ refugees, jointly secured the top spot in this year's index, closely shadowed by Connecticut and New Jersey.

Arkansas emerged as the least LGBTQ+-friendly state, securing the lowest ranking for the third successive year. Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, and South Dakota also garnered meager scores.

Kentucky and Michigan marked the most significant advancements within the index, which Out Leadership ascribed to the "pro-equality" guidance exhibited by governors Gretchen Whitmer and Andy Beshear, both affiliated with the Democratic Party. Conversely, Florida, Ohio, and Utah experienced the steepest descents, each being under the governance of Republican governors.

Which Locations are Considered the Safest to Reside In?

The Out Leadership index was initially conceived as an inclusive LGBTQ+ resource for business executives. Nevertheless, gay and transgender individuals swiftly began utilizing it to ascertain suitable locations for living and working, particularly in light of the Trump administration's rights rollbacks and the actions of red statehouses which have struck a personal chord.

Resistance to transgender rights played a pivotal role in Trump's presidential campaign, and since assuming office, he has endorsed a string of executive directives that solely acknowledge male and female genders, exclude transgender athletes from women's sports, prohibit transgender individuals from military service, and constrict federal financing for gender-affirming medical care for transgender individuals under the age of nineteen.

Even states that are perceived as safer for LGBTQ+ individuals have encountered difficulties in navigating these edicts pertaining to transgender athletes. Trump issued a warning that federal funding to California would be terminated if a trans girl participated in a state track and field competition held on May thirty-first.

AB Hernandez, a junior hailing from Jurupa Valley High School situated in Riverside County, attained a shared first-place position in the high jump and triple jump events, in addition to securing second place in the long jump competition. She graced the awards podium alongside her cisgender counterparts in accordance with a freshly formulated regulation by state athletics authorities merely days ahead of the event, intended to placate detractors.

Republican-led states have spearheaded anti-trans legislation, thereby intensifying geographic disparities and instilling apprehension among LGBTQ+ denizens, encompassing those residing within liberal metropolitan areas.

Jordan McGuire, a twenty-seven-year-old gay male residing in North Dakota, conveyed that his years spent inhabiting the Deep South imparted valuable insights into the oppressive prejudice habitually encountered by genderqueer and gay individuals.

Concurrently, he noted that socially progressive cities situated in conservative states, exemplified by Fargo and Grand Forks, no longer provide the secure havens they once did.

Now that his fiancée is currently undergoing a transition to female, the couple is contemplating a relocation to a "sanctuary" state perceived to be safer for both of them.

McGuire observed, "It feels as though trans individuals were not subjected to the same degree of scrutiny five or ten years prior, a circumstance that has undeniably influenced our choice to relocate. Admittedly, bias existed, but it did not manifest as a relentless pursuit. Individuals were not actively seeking out others in restrooms and educational institutions. Regrettably, circumstances have grown exceptionally polarized."

That escalating disquiet was encapsulated within a post-election survey conducted by UCLA's Williams Institute, which determined that nearly half of transgender individuals had already abandoned unsupportive communities, while approximately one in every four was contemplating the disruption of their established lives.

The predominant justifications cited for aspiring to relocate encompassed apprehension regarding LGBTQ+ rights, accounting for 76%; the sociopolitical climate, constituting 71%; anti-trans rhetoric and overall climate, registering at 60%; as well as anti-trans legislation and policies, representing 47%.

LGBTQ+ Americans in Motion

Nonprofit personnel who assist trans and gender-variant individuals in relocating to more progressive states that have extensive safeguards indicate that the inclination to move to more accommodating states has heightened further in the period following Trump's reelection.

According to Timothy Chan, communications director, Rainbow Railroad located in Canada has already received upwards of three thousand applications originating from LGBTQ+ persons living in the United States thus far in 2025, representing a surge of in excess of one thousand percent when compared to the equivalent period last year.

Virtually every one of those seeking support specifically requested assistance concerning international relocation. Chan clarified that, for now, Rainbow Railroad lacks the capacity to offer American citizens any resettlement assistance attributable to prevailing immigration constraints.

Michael Woodward, who is the executive director of TRACTION, a Washington state-based organization run by trans individuals, has indicated that they have registered a record number of contacts from individuals residing in states such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, among others. The majority of those individuals have revealed feeling imperiled or unsafe in their places of residence and vicinities.

Transgender and gender-diverse individuals have historically faced substantial financial hardship due to widespread discrimination and systemic oppression and are frequently in need of assistance in securing housing and employment opportunities, in addition to financial support pertaining to interstate moving expenses, which may potentially reach into tens of thousands of dollars, according to Woodward.

TRACTION typically received merely a handful of applications per week until Trump's successful reelection for a second term. Woodward noted that "in the span of the two weeks succeeding the election, the requests for assistance matched the total quantity received throughout the entire existence of the project up until that point."

Following the inauguration, TRACTION began receiving an average of three to five applications per day. Woodward admitted that his organization is finding it difficult to maintain adequate support to satisfy the increased demand given that it only employs one individual and utilizes a limited pool of volunteers.