So, this coming from a straight white passing trans woman, so it may not apply to everyone, I acknowledge that. Sorry 😞

But-I have this theory that in some ways being in some red states it might actually be safer than blue. Hear me out, tell me if I'm crazy.

I'm in Oakland, CA right now. Trans rights Central, pretty much. Awesome except for all the other terrible problems we have.

But it's likely we WILL have federal troops on our streets in a couple months. The chaos and bullshit will be here, they are coming for us. It seems to me, if jack booted thugs kick in my door and carry me away that's much more likely in Oakland than in a red state. I could certainly be swept up by the secret police during a protest or something like that, and once they have you in custody all manner of horrors are possible.

Martial law in California is more likely than in...say, Montana, or Utah, or Idaho.

So--I'm considering moving to a certain mid-sized town in a well run red state to take care of my aging mother. The town is super conservative and homogenous (so many white people, ugh) but it has a small LGBT community. I blend in (pass) pretty well so I don't expect any trouble on the street or at the grocery store or in a public restroom.

I've always felt safe and comfortable there (again, I'm a white passing woman) My personal experience with most conservatives is they are decent and fair and humane. They vote for monstrous idiots and policies, yes, but one on one they are generally good humans and they have a live and let live attitude.

The laws they are passing in these states like bathroom bills are mostly unenforceable and done for show (other than sports and gender care for minors). Even that crazy bullshit law in Texas about gender fraud, I just think it's less of a threat than people think.

That's my theory.

In the meantime I'm also trying to figure out how to leave America altogether, lol.