If you are transitioning, you may find yourself suddenly feeling unwelcome in the city and, in fact, the entire state you’ve called your home for years. If that’s the case, it may be time to find a gay or lesbian real estate agent and begin looking at moving to a state that provides more rights and protections than what you have now. Here are some of the best states to live in if you’re transgender.
Illinois
Chicago is an amazing city featuring many great places to work and things to see and do. Both the city and Illinois as a whole feature strong protections for transgender people, plus it’s one of the few states where trans employees have protections regarding health insurance and health care. These protections extend across the entire state.
Colorado
Likewise, Colorado also has a number of protections for its transgender citizens, including laws that require health insurance companies to provide transgender patients with coverage. The state has also passed a number of laws protecting trans rights, including a bill that included transgender citizens in the state’s anti-discrimination laws. These laws make it illegal for anyone to discriminate against a transgender person in the areas of employment, public accommodations, and housing.
Washington
Washington also passed a number of anti-discrimination laws that protect transgender people, but the state has gone one step further by passing a law that puts the issue of bathroom and locker room use to rest. It states that all people may use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. While many states are fighting over similar legislation, that battle is over and done with in Washington.
Oregon
Washington’s neighboring state is another great place for transgender people to live. There’s a law protecting LGBT youth from being forced into conversion therapy, plus the healthcare system provides coverage for gender reassignment surgery. Protective employment laws and regulations outlining a strict anti-bullying policy are also in effect in the state.
Vermont
It shouldn’t be any surprise that the home state of Bernie Sanders is one of the leading states for LGBT rights. For transgender people, the state has a comprehensive list of legal protections that cover just about anything. It’s actually very easy for a transgender person to change their birth certificate to reflect their current gender, and that change is shown as if it was there from the beginning—it’s not an amended certificate. Any single-stall restroom in a state building must also be gender neutral.