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With what is already going on in the states, now the uk Supreme Court Nazi ruling and complains against trans close to home I’m terrified.
It seems like our rights and freedoms are being made illegal at an alarming rate.
No one chooses to be transgendered they are just born that way.
How long before we are hunted and killed just for trying to live a normal life?
How many of our brothers and sisters have already decided they were given a death sentence and have opted for other ways out?
I’m just so scared and alone sometimes I just want to lock myself in my closet at my own home where I live alone with my cat and cry.
Comments
Anywhere?
I confess, as an American, this is a horrible time, and I hate to see others going down this same stupid, bigoted path. So... are there any countries that ARE safe? There's a small voice inside me that does think it might be time to start to consider other options. Not exactly wealthy to make that happen, but it makes you wonder if there are any safe havens out there. The US is only a short time into what I know is going to ramp up exponentially before even having a chance to get better. By the time we have an election (if we do at this rate) to vote in new congress/senate we may not have a country left.
Long topic
From what I read (disclosure: I am neither trans nor American), being trans in America right now (2025-04-18) is not really a life-threatening danger if you hide well, clench teeth and take no risks. Of course, it is not a dignified life - just not deadly. Yet.
Will it become deadly? If Trump succeeds with a coup (and he will try that), it might. Yes, he and his cronies are not actually anti-trans, they just declared the trans people to be an enemy, to rally against them and use that as a pretext to take the freedoms of all others. Every dictator needs a pretend enemy, but his real enemy are the people with intelligence, conscience and love for freedom. They are the dictator's actual target. However, the pretend enemy suffers too, as a punchbag to demonstrate on it a power to destroy, and most trans people are also people of intelligence, conscience and love for freedom.
Should we be satisfied with "not deadly" and not ask for a dignified life? We might have to. A successful coup of Trump will turn America in a dictatorship, modeled after Stalin's Soviet Union. (His actions appear to follow this textbook.) And even in Stalin's times dictators realized that the very existence of a democracy somewhere gives a hope to their two-legged cattle. So, it is possible that there will be a military axis of dictatorships - USA, Russia, likely China etc - trying to destroy the democracies... Democratically minded individual people face the same danger, for the same reason. So, we might come to a situation where we fight not for a decent life, but for mere survival. And being outside America might become even more dangerous than being inside it, for both trans and merely decent people. In some countries it already is.
With this caveat, where might be safe if USA becomes too dangerous for trans people to live in:
- Canada is practically united against Trump, due to his threats against it. Even for the conservatives there anything Trumpian is a political poison, including his anti-trans policies. This doesn't make trans people heroes there, but mostly protects them from persecution - whoever is calling for that will be branded Trumpist and considered a potential traitor to Canada, in a time when nationalism runs high. Bar a military attack against Canada, trans people would be relatively safe there and might even be automatically considered bona fide refugees. Thus, it might be the safest country if you need to run. Its ability to accommodate refugees might be overloaded though: find ways to show that you will not be a burden - eg. find someone there to say that they will house and feed you. Survive first, think of everything else later.
- Great Britain learned the lesson from Brexit, when Russian intelligence manipulated successfully the Brits into leaving EU. They have some court decisions that stop transwomen for being acknowledged as women, but also a lot of other legislation that protects their rights. Not perfect, but better than being hanged because of "being a pervert". Also, GB appears to me to have an active trans community that hopefully will be helpful. (Proving that you will not be a burden applies everywhere.)
- Scandinavian countries appear relatively resistant to bigotry, despite the staggering amount of social engineering and manipulation the Russian hybrid war propaganda heaps on them. They so far didn't developed large reactionary parties, puppeteered by Moscow, unlike Germany or France. If nothing else is available, they might be a chance too, despite being exposed to a Russian military attack.
- Other countries would be poorer, but still better there than dead. In the Western hemisphere that would be Costa Rica, Uruguay and to a degree Mexico and Brazil. In Africa, you might opt for Tunisia or Botswana. In Asia - for Thailand and Singapore (but the latter will not be easy); with some caveats, India. In Oceania, Australia and New Zealand might be a decent option, at least until some big dictatorship decides to crush them.
As already mentioned, a dictatorship in USA will persecute not only trans people. Every decent person will be in danger. Helping these, even if non-trans, to escape in such a situation is not only noble and humane. It also brings with you more people that will support democracy, fight any form of aggression against their new place, etc - you benefit from it. The same applies for decent people not only from USA, but from any country they might be persecuted in: if you are attacked, the color of a helping hand and the language of words of support do not matter.
Just my 5 cc.
Thanks for the comment..
But right now, Britain doesn't feel such a good place to be Trans. The Police have been told that strip searches, should they be required, should be done by an officer of the suspect's birth gender.
That really is a Bridge Too Far. I have absolutely no desire or intention to draw the forces of Law and Order into detaining me, but I'm not going to accept being prodded by some young male copper, not without screaming assault.
The world is suddenly a bad place to be trans, doubly so post op trans. And the UK is definitely not a destination I would recommend.
Lucy xx
"Lately it occurs to me..
what a long strange trip its been."
Good place to be Trans
Yes, after that last Supreme Court decision GB is not that. However, it is still a good place to survive for a trans person, if not for much more. And if the tendency in USA reaches degrees where being trans might be deadly (this is not very probable but is in principle possible), UK might be a better choice. Being alive, even if not in a great place, beats being hanged or shot. At least I think so.
Safe countries??
Based on my experience in July 2023, I have some doubts about Canada. When I was checking in at the Air Canada counter at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the [female] agent handed me my boarding pass with the words: “Here is your boarding pass, SIR!” Yes, I was traveling on my male passport, though I was presenting on the female side of androgynous. Though two days prior, while at the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford Ontario, nobody seemed to care that I was queuing to use the female toilet. I just went into the stall, did my business, went to the sink to wash my hands and got out of the restroom. (I did feel slightly unsure about that.)
In Europe, Germany is pretty accommodating to the LGBTQ spectrum, and recognizes a non-binary gender marker in official documents. On that Canada trip I mentioned above, the return flight was operated by Lufthansa, and the cabin crew consistently and respectfully madamed me the whole time. In general, people will gender you based on how you present. So I routinely get madamed, even though I am not fully “passable”.
Unfortunately the violent and intolerant sector of the population are for the most part young males fleeing from islamic countries who try to impose on us (as a whole population) precisely those rules and laws from which the have supposedly fled.
Regarding South America, both Brazil and Argentina have passed some legislation that recognizes some transgender rights. Urban areas are more tolerant than rural areas. Though the general prejudice that trans people are sex workers is still fairly entrenched. I have no information regarding Uruguay. But Paraguay is most definitely anti-trans.
Keep in mind that in most South and Central American countries over 90% of the population is Catholic. And until recently Catholicism was the official state religion. That influences the general world view. Though in my opinion the Catholicism practiced along the Andes and the Caribbean is mostly just a vernier over the ancient tribal religions.
I can not speak to the state of acceptance in Africa, Asia or Oceania, because I have no experience there.
Urban areas are more tolerant than rural areas.
I live in what I refer to as "Liberal Oregon. I never gave it much thought as to how that worked out. When I retired, I needed to cut my housing cost considerably so just before retiring, I bought a house in a small town that had recently seen some severe flooding (I didn't buy in the flood plain) so property value were down and I got a great deal.
I had lived my whole life in the Portland megalopolis. Nearly everyone was at least tolerant. Conservatives were in the minority. But where I'm now living has a population of about 2500 people, It's a bit of a culture shock. I saw during recent election years almost entirely all Trump lawn signs. I drive school bus and out on my route, that covers about twenty-three miles of rural highway, the signs didn't come down during Biden's term of office.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann
If you have been traveling on your male passport...
... but appeared more on the female side, that agent might have been confused about what you actually are. For example, she could have been thinking that you are a F2M and trying to make you a compliment by calling you "Sir". (Just in theory - I haven't been there, you can tell better whether this is a possibility.)
And even if one person in a country is a bigot, that doesn't mean that the entire country is bad. Given the political situation in Canada - strongly anti-Trump mood that covers everything Trumpian - I would expect that country-wide serious dangers for trans people are less likely than in most countries, and will stay that in a longer perspective.
Germany is currently indeed very tolerant to trans people, but the influence of AfD is very strong there, especially in the former East Germany. I would expect that the ordinary Germans would finally start realizing that AfD is actually a Trojan for the Russian intelligence, tasked to destroy the German economy and society, much like Trump does in America. If AfD comes to power, I would expect the attitude towards trans people there to change very seriously. (Not to mention economy etc.) So, there is this risk.
I have talked in Germany with young males coming from Islamic countries, and haven't got the feeling that they are very pushy with their values, or that their values are particularly conservative. If anything, the opposite. However, this is just the people I chanced upon - they might be non-representative for the general population.
Paraguay is a country I wouldn't currently recommend to non-trans people too. However, Uruguay is a stable democracy with a good living standard and a liberal society. It is effectively the Costa Rica of Southern America. So, if you are running for your life and it is an option, that is a good option.
My personal experience
My personal experience in the Rhine/Ruhr region is that middle aged women from a muslim cultural background are among the most accepting while I have been out and about. At the other end of the spectrum of acceptance and tolerance are males in their 20s and 30s who have middle eastern ethno-cultural appearances. Next in line on the aggressive scale are male young adults in general.
Paraguay is indeed virtually saturated with corruption. It is possible, though very difficult, to avoid having to pay bribes to get things done. But that requires a lot patience and time to make frequent in-person visits to the relevant offices/agencies. So if you put a high value on ethics, then Paraguay is not really a good option for you.
Uruguay is the most “atheist” or secular country in South America. Also, the pre-colonial native culture and population, the Charrua, have been totally exterminated prior to independence. So there is no cultural baggage subverted into Catholicism. On the other hand, unless you are very rural minded, the only realistic places to settle would be Montevideo (the capital) and Punta del Este (the main vacation/tourism resort city).
Politically Uruguay seems to more stable than Argentina or Brazil, mainly due to its much smaller population.
Me too,
When I posted something similar on the site I am a moderator on, I was dismissed. It is no fun at all. Just hang in there girl, that's all we can do.
What If
Is it possible my experience, my efforts, yes, it it came to that, my life made a difference for all who are living the Boy-Girl gender blender found acceptance, a better understanding from those outside looking in? Think of Winston Churchill, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Running through the airplane yelling, "WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE" is a great exercise in futility. Maybe focusing on letting the tabloids the bloggers, those who splash the public forum understand exactly what transgender is and more important what transgender isn't. Truthfully I am totally impressed I have become the Monster Under the Bed and the downfall of humanity. Now all I need to do is figure out to use this enormous influence anointed to me by the ignorant masses. Maybe if I wore a cape and carried a scepter I'd be even more imposing?
Hugs Tels, courage girl. Most of us are too stringy to be eaten.
Barb
Research has proven transgender are usually in the Mensa class. Ladies, gentlemen, act like it, please.
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Unfortunately, as the old saying goes……..
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Or in other words, you can show a MAGA jerk the truth, but you can’t make them believe it.
In this world, there are too many people who will never acknowledge that their preconceptions and prejudices are wrong, even when they are smacked in the face with the truth. They choose to believe that what they “know” is the only “truth”, finding their own “facts” and justifications for those beliefs.
The internet and social media have only made this problem worse, but it has been a sad fact of life for generations. How many times throughout history has a charismatic individual convinced the gullible of our society to believe that they alone alone know what is true? And not just recently. For centuries, religion has been twisted for the purposes of those in power - not always, but often by the very religious leaders who are trusted by the masses.
It is an unfortunate fact of our lifetimes that their are people who will believe whatever they read on the internet, especially if it supports that which they choose or prefer to believe. No matter how many times these so-called “facts” are debunked, they will still claim them as truth. Case in point, how many times has the idea that vaccinations cause autism been disproven? How many times has it been shown that there is no link between them? How many times has it been shown that fluoridated water improves dental health without harm to the people drinking it? That it is only when the fluoride is incorrectly added in concentrations that are extremely high that it causes health problems? I could go on and on, but I believe my point has been made.
Unfortunately, Abraham Lincoln was wrong; apparently you can fool a majority of the people all of the time.
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Quite
It amuses me to follow a few people who post videos on YouTube pointing out the error of their ways to flat-earthers who deny science, the moon landings and even space itself. There was a recent so-called 'final experiment' on Antarctica to show that the sun never set in the southern hemisphere's summer and still some claim it was faked. It really is amusing how they stretch credulity in favour of conspiracy theories.
So it is with MAGAs. The USA is in a dark place just now and its former allies look on in sad amazement as Trump sucks up to Putin.
sending you huggles, hon.
and returning all your girl germs, just because.
Quit that
I don’t want any more of your girlie germs. I’ll send them all back to momma dorothy instead.
Passports are Safe For Now
Federal Judge put a hold on Trump exec order which stopped anyone changing gender from birth gender on their passport and or confiscating passports with the gender marker already changed. Even if this makes it all the way up to the Supreme Court I'm praying they will pass it by and let the judgement stand.
Hugs People, there is light at the end of this Trump Tunnel
Barb
John 15-18
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Small victories
Successful law suites are our only hope for the next four years. It's a sure bet he's not likely to look at the push back and say, "Oh the people don't like that," and quit doing it..
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann
Sorry to be glum
But I really wouldn't pin any hopes on what the Supreme Court decide.
Look what happened here in the UK. What should have been a relatively trivial case about whether a trans woman counted as part of the quota of women an organisation need to promote, turned into a bulldozer removing all our rights in Law.
I am now officially a non person.
Lucy xx
"Lately it occurs to me..
what a long strange trip its been."
It is scary
Yes, it is scary and what's really sad is that we have ourselves to blame for all of this happening.
Many of us had made great strides at getting acceptance.
I got the acceptance of my parents, my minister brother, my very religious extended family, and by my Tribe.
And then we allowed a few select individuals during the last American Administration to force their viewpoints down everyone's throat.
That one and all must OBEY their edicts.
That there are 23 or more different types of genders.
Stuff like this is what got that IDIOT re-elected as POTUS.
Miyata312
'Do or Do Not, There is no Try' - Yoda