Note: Respondents could select more than one response. 48% chose at least one of the first four.

Our new study finds that 48% of surveyed transgender adults have either already relocated and/or are considering moving to a location in the United States that they perceive as more affirming for transgender individuals. Additionally, 45% of respondents indicated a desire to move out of the country.

The most frequently cited reasons for wanting to move focused on the increasingly hostile landscape for transgender people, including concerns about LGBTQ rights in general (76%), the sociopolitical climate (71%), the anti-transgender environment in their state (60%), and anti-transgender state laws and policies (47%).

Neal Going | Walter Fellow

Neal (they/he) is a J.D. candidate at UCLA School of Law. They previously worked at the Trevor Project, interned at the U.S. House of Representatives, and served on the Washington, D.C. Mayor's Committee for LGBTQ+ Affairs. Neal earned his B.A. in philosophy and gender studies from William & Mary and was a 2023 Rhodes Scholarship finalist.

Jen Hibberts | Haber Fellow 

Jen is a J.D. candidate at UC Irvine School of Law, where she is part of the student leadership team managing UCI’s Transgender Legal Assistance Clinic. Prior to law school, she served as the Grassroots Organizer at San Diego Pride, launching the inaugural Pride Power Summit. Jen holds a B.S. in Biosystems Engineering from Clemson University. 

Emma Idiart | Cunningham Fellow 

Emma is a J.D. candidate at Southwestern Law School. She previously worked as a research assistant to former Williams Institute fellow Luke Boso, focusing on the examination of conversion therapy bans and First Amendment claims. Emma earned a B.A. in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations, from Brigham Young University.

Thank you to Jeffrey S. Haber, Michael Cunningham, and the late Stu Walter for their support of our summer law fellows.

The evening will honor Jim Obergefell with a Lifetime Achievement Award and  will feature a panel discussion on the evolving landscape of LGBTQ law and policy with Victor Madrigal-Borloz, Jocelyn Samuels, and Reggie Greer. 

Join us for a lunchtime book talk with Candace Bond-Theriault, author of Queering Reproductive Justice: An Invitation, to discuss the intersections of reproductive justice, racial justice, and LGBTQIA+ movements. 

Join us for a webinar on the current political and legal environment regarding LGBTQ research funding and data collection and its impact on the work of independent and early-career researchers and our understanding of LGBTQ communities.

The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law is an academic research institute dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.