In states where GOP leaders have passed anti-LGBTQ laws, some parents of trans kids face hard choices: leave or stay and face harassment. More than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in 2022, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Most have targeted transgender rights, particularly those of trans kids. Some families choose to flee to other states, abandoning jobs, financial stability, trusted child care and family ties. They become, as one mom put it, “political refugees.” Such decisions can be critical: A nationwide survey of nearly 35,000 LGBTQ people in 2021 found that more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth had considered suicide in the previous year, and advocates say affirmation of gender identity is an important factor in youth mental health. Meanwhile, 85% of trans and binary youth reported that ongoing debates about state laws restricting transgender rights had negatively affected their mental health. Read more about how families are navigating these decisions through our link in bio.