Safest is probably Scandinavian countries, but the healthcare sucks. If you're already medically transitioned, then it'll be a very safe place to go. I've heard Belgium and Germany are also safe, but not sure how healthcare is
probably canada or a central/western european country (I think spain and germany are some of the best european countries to be trans in). Can't tell you a lot about the situation in spain but german immigration law will get a reform soon so it'll be a lot easier to immigrate. The waiting times in germay are pretty good compared to most other countries and insurance covers everything if you go to therapy for a certain amount of time and get a therapist's letter.
Do you have a marketable skill those countries want? Do you have a lot of money? Do you speak another language besides English? Because unless you hit 2/3, those countries won't want you.
You're not going to like to hear this, but California is one of the safest places for trans people in the *world* right now, especially if you're passing and/or white. And it's the biggest state that would challenge the federal government if they tried to pass a law banning all trans healthcare (something that's beyond the scope of federal power and would get tied up in the courts).
I’m currently in college, and I am aware that California is one of the safest places to be right now. This is more me thinking about plans for a few years down the line if a republican gets elected in 2024. I know that it’s very unlikely that any federal bans on trans healthcare are going to happen and if they do it’s very unlikely that they can be enforced in California, but I’m Jewish, so I know just how dangerous it can be to think “but that could never happen, they could never go that far.”
My current plan is to go to grad school in California, but I just want to know if there are other countries that are also decent options and maybe look at grad schools there too as options. I’m not currently really passing—I’ve been on T for just over 3 months. And I’m half white half middle eastern, so I guess I look racially ambiguous enough that I can be somewhat white-passing when I’m not tanned, but I’ve also had people assume I’m Latino, so idk.
I’m also asking now because that potentially gives me the time to learn the language of whatever country I consider. It’s not like I’m gonna move right away at this exact moment.
All I can say then is work on getting a skill another country is looking to exploit and start saving up your money because it's going to be a good long while before we're at refugee status, precisely because they're going to point to places like California that will be safety states while things go to hell in the red states and because Cali has the power to challenge the federal government (just like they won't roll over on their back if abortion was banned at the national stage).
Definitely this. California is probably the safest place on the global stage, even in the US while things go to hell elsewhere in the country. CA holds 15% of our GDP, and that’s 5% more than Texas who has the second highest in the US. Almost 25% of our GDP is held by CA and NY alone. Stuff is going to be bumpy, and extremely bumpy for those of us in conservative states, but CA and NY hold a monumental level of economic and political power and will absolutely go head to head with the federal government.
Germany is currently doing the opposite than what America does when it comes to trans rights and even as a trans person from a rural area, I have to say that I've never experienced any discrimination. Health insurance covers everything as long as you get a therapist to tell them it's necessary and in summer there should be a self determination law that allows you to change your Name and gender without a lenghty process
You’re the third comment to mention Germany so far, so that’s sounding like a decent option. Do you know anything about how easy it is to emigrate to there?
I've never tried it so sadly no but if you have a citizenship of any european country, you can work and live here easily. So maybe try applying for a citizenship where it is the easiest and then just come here
Depends on what you see as "easy" and which resources you have. If you have the money (and skills) to study in Germany - university or language school etc., it's fairly easy.
Otherwise, you'll need to have a job to get a visa, although as a US citizen you're free to take up *any* job and not just skilled ones. Your employer will, in any case, have to prove that there is no EU citizen who wants to and can fill the role.
Germany is also getting more and more trans hatered. Last year a trans man was killed on the street … also trans healthcare does not include detrans health care and immigration is difficult (similar to Us but no green card lottery)
Immigration to Germany isn't "difficult" compared to other countries, one doesn't even need sponsorship and US citizens can literally get a work permit for any kind of work. A lottery isn't something anyone should rely on if they want to seriously emigrate, unless they have no other choice.
The homicide rate is also *much* lower than in the US, and the level of political and societal transphobia isn't anywhere near what it's like in red or even purple US states.
Well I didn’t assume
OP is US citizen, my bad. However, no you cannot get a work permit for any job, you need to be a skilled worked (most cases).
Also besides transphobia (check /germantrans subreddit) the racism is still really bad in Germany and yes it might not be like a red state but Germany is really no paradise. I am German.
For US citizens, the requirement to be a skilled worker doesn't apply.
[https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/skilled-worker-immigration/2304796?openAccordionId=item-2304814-8-panel](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/skilled-worker-immigration/2304796?openAccordionId=item-2304814-8-panel)
And nobody ever said it's a paradise, but Germany has a lower homicide rate, actual public healthcare, and it does much better than the US by many metrics. You don't need to tell me what it is like here, I know that myself. Besides having informed consent, there's absolutely nothing that would ever make me pick the US over Germany.
Oh true, that’s nice!
Jeah lower homicide rates are super. But we still have TSG and no it’s not public health care - it’s a thing that is a hybrid form
But mandates some form of healthcare for all.
(I didn’t try to explain you anything but OP and all readers.)
Not like TSG matters to someone who isn't a German citizen, though - their legal gender depends on what's on their passport.
And I feel like it's pretty fair to call it public healthcare if you're getting it through normal employment and not going private. Of course there's some stuff that's not covered, but compared to the US, it's pretty great.
That’s true, just wanted to set the scene. Sorry if it was confusing for anyone.
Well there are classifications for health care systems and I worked in this field a while back that’s why I said it’s considered a hybrid.
If you can get EU citizenship by descent it might help a lot. I'm seeking Czech citizenship bc my grandfather was Czech and I may be able to declare citizenship if I can prove everything to the Czech government
Which ones, if I may ask? Some citizenships give access to other countries too (e.g. UK citizens can freely live and work in Ireland), or it might be possible to get a working holiday visa through them.
Israel, South Africa (though I would need to renew that passport since I never use it and it is therefore expired), and the US. I think the South Africa one might be helpful for immigrating to the UK because it’s part of the commonwealth or something, but I don’t really know much about that.
If you're between 18 and 30 (though the exact age requirement depends on the country), you might be eligible for a working holiday visa in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Germany, NZ, South Korea on the basis of your Israeli citizenship.
Once you've already got a working holiday visa - you'll need to show some funds though - your access to the job market is fairly free, and you should be able to convert to a normal job visa once you have a permanent job.
Bro, as a trans Israeli, I think I can kinda vouch for solid treatment of trans folks here. If you've got any questions let me know but in general hrt is kinda easy to get, pretty cheap, name changes are easy too (but idk how they work with different citizenships) and the waitlists for top aren't too long (def depends on the hospital and or if you go with a private surgeon) and they're either free or covered by insurance... So...
I don’t really want to move back to Israel though. I’m young enough that I’d have to serve in the IDF, and I just don’t really want to move back regardless.
Every country, even ones doing really well, have their own problems. Sweden has banned puberty blockers for trans minors (based on research that actually does look concerning). In Germany, the equivalent of social security numbers are odd/even based on gender and you cannot change them. This means trans people will be outed to their employers and anyone who needs their number for their entire lives, regardless of name and gender marker changes. Places with more socialized healthcare have long waitlists, like in Canada and the UK.
California is a fantastic place to be. Federalism in the US means you have broad latitude to select states with the best laws for you. Passing a law banning transition requires going through Congress. That means 60 votes in the senate (Dems would filibuster) and a majority in the House. I doubt the GOP will get both a filibuster proof majority AND a filibuster proof majority that agrees the government should be able to ban types of medical treatment any time soon. Blue states are going to be fine for trans people long term. There are also plenty of red and purple states that are fine once you're a little older. I wouldn't be looking at moving to another country because trump *might* win in 2024 and he *might* try to pass a law that *might* have a chance of passing the house and *might* pass the senate assuming there are like 70 GOP members in there 60 of whom think banning what doctors can do is acceptable and when the Supreme Court *might* decide not to strike down such a law.
The German security numbers change when changing gender BUT it’s inter and nonbinary phobic because it’s always a binary indicator. So only partly true. Also still no Self Id law in Germany
Yeah, I’m not planning on moving anytime soon, I just want to know what places are reasonable options if years down the line California stops being a fantastic place to be. It might be great now, but it’s not as if California has always been like this, so who’s to know if things will change again in the future. I wouldn’t feasibly be able to move anytime soon regardless since I’m currently in college, it’s just good to know what countries are safe so I can keep that in mind when looking for grad schools, and after that when looking at job opportunities.
I would say Germany and Spain and I've beard about Iceland? But I don't know much about it.
Most countries here have a long wait lost ,especially in the Nordic countries (Denmark,Sweden,Norway etc etc
I've see that some can take 24 to 32 months .....
If I were you ,get a diagnosis in the US and the move. So your process will simply be easier.
Safest is probably Scandinavian countries, but the healthcare sucks. If you're already medically transitioned, then it'll be a very safe place to go. I've heard Belgium and Germany are also safe, but not sure how healthcare is
Depends on if you're white or not. Finland is probably the most racist EU country towards black people (as an example).
probably canada or a central/western european country (I think spain and germany are some of the best european countries to be trans in). Can't tell you a lot about the situation in spain but german immigration law will get a reform soon so it'll be a lot easier to immigrate. The waiting times in germay are pretty good compared to most other countries and insurance covers everything if you go to therapy for a certain amount of time and get a therapist's letter.
What is expected in the German immigration reform and when it is planned for? Germany is on my shortlist of flee countries.
honestly I don't know a lot about it but I'm sure there's some good (hopefully also in English) articles on the internet
Do you have a marketable skill those countries want? Do you have a lot of money? Do you speak another language besides English? Because unless you hit 2/3, those countries won't want you. You're not going to like to hear this, but California is one of the safest places for trans people in the *world* right now, especially if you're passing and/or white. And it's the biggest state that would challenge the federal government if they tried to pass a law banning all trans healthcare (something that's beyond the scope of federal power and would get tied up in the courts).
I’m currently in college, and I am aware that California is one of the safest places to be right now. This is more me thinking about plans for a few years down the line if a republican gets elected in 2024. I know that it’s very unlikely that any federal bans on trans healthcare are going to happen and if they do it’s very unlikely that they can be enforced in California, but I’m Jewish, so I know just how dangerous it can be to think “but that could never happen, they could never go that far.” My current plan is to go to grad school in California, but I just want to know if there are other countries that are also decent options and maybe look at grad schools there too as options. I’m not currently really passing—I’ve been on T for just over 3 months. And I’m half white half middle eastern, so I guess I look racially ambiguous enough that I can be somewhat white-passing when I’m not tanned, but I’ve also had people assume I’m Latino, so idk. I’m also asking now because that potentially gives me the time to learn the language of whatever country I consider. It’s not like I’m gonna move right away at this exact moment.
All I can say then is work on getting a skill another country is looking to exploit and start saving up your money because it's going to be a good long while before we're at refugee status, precisely because they're going to point to places like California that will be safety states while things go to hell in the red states and because Cali has the power to challenge the federal government (just like they won't roll over on their back if abortion was banned at the national stage).
Definitely this. California is probably the safest place on the global stage, even in the US while things go to hell elsewhere in the country. CA holds 15% of our GDP, and that’s 5% more than Texas who has the second highest in the US. Almost 25% of our GDP is held by CA and NY alone. Stuff is going to be bumpy, and extremely bumpy for those of us in conservative states, but CA and NY hold a monumental level of economic and political power and will absolutely go head to head with the federal government.
not to mention if youre anything other than white, europe hates immigrants of color something fierce
Germany is currently doing the opposite than what America does when it comes to trans rights and even as a trans person from a rural area, I have to say that I've never experienced any discrimination. Health insurance covers everything as long as you get a therapist to tell them it's necessary and in summer there should be a self determination law that allows you to change your Name and gender without a lenghty process
You’re the third comment to mention Germany so far, so that’s sounding like a decent option. Do you know anything about how easy it is to emigrate to there?
I've never tried it so sadly no but if you have a citizenship of any european country, you can work and live here easily. So maybe try applying for a citizenship where it is the easiest and then just come here
Depends on what you see as "easy" and which resources you have. If you have the money (and skills) to study in Germany - university or language school etc., it's fairly easy. Otherwise, you'll need to have a job to get a visa, although as a US citizen you're free to take up *any* job and not just skilled ones. Your employer will, in any case, have to prove that there is no EU citizen who wants to and can fill the role.
Germany is also getting more and more trans hatered. Last year a trans man was killed on the street … also trans healthcare does not include detrans health care and immigration is difficult (similar to Us but no green card lottery)
Immigration to Germany isn't "difficult" compared to other countries, one doesn't even need sponsorship and US citizens can literally get a work permit for any kind of work. A lottery isn't something anyone should rely on if they want to seriously emigrate, unless they have no other choice. The homicide rate is also *much* lower than in the US, and the level of political and societal transphobia isn't anywhere near what it's like in red or even purple US states.
Well I didn’t assume OP is US citizen, my bad. However, no you cannot get a work permit for any job, you need to be a skilled worked (most cases). Also besides transphobia (check /germantrans subreddit) the racism is still really bad in Germany and yes it might not be like a red state but Germany is really no paradise. I am German.
For US citizens, the requirement to be a skilled worker doesn't apply. [https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/skilled-worker-immigration/2304796?openAccordionId=item-2304814-8-panel](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/skilled-worker-immigration/2304796?openAccordionId=item-2304814-8-panel) And nobody ever said it's a paradise, but Germany has a lower homicide rate, actual public healthcare, and it does much better than the US by many metrics. You don't need to tell me what it is like here, I know that myself. Besides having informed consent, there's absolutely nothing that would ever make me pick the US over Germany.
Oh true, that’s nice! Jeah lower homicide rates are super. But we still have TSG and no it’s not public health care - it’s a thing that is a hybrid form But mandates some form of healthcare for all. (I didn’t try to explain you anything but OP and all readers.)
Not like TSG matters to someone who isn't a German citizen, though - their legal gender depends on what's on their passport. And I feel like it's pretty fair to call it public healthcare if you're getting it through normal employment and not going private. Of course there's some stuff that's not covered, but compared to the US, it's pretty great.
That’s true, just wanted to set the scene. Sorry if it was confusing for anyone. Well there are classifications for health care systems and I worked in this field a while back that’s why I said it’s considered a hybrid.
Yeah, fair. Having more information is a good thing for those who want to immigrate!
If you can get EU citizenship by descent it might help a lot. I'm seeking Czech citizenship bc my grandfather was Czech and I may be able to declare citizenship if I can prove everything to the Czech government
I have 3 citizenships, but none are related to the EU :(
Which ones, if I may ask? Some citizenships give access to other countries too (e.g. UK citizens can freely live and work in Ireland), or it might be possible to get a working holiday visa through them.
Israel, South Africa (though I would need to renew that passport since I never use it and it is therefore expired), and the US. I think the South Africa one might be helpful for immigrating to the UK because it’s part of the commonwealth or something, but I don’t really know much about that.
If you're between 18 and 30 (though the exact age requirement depends on the country), you might be eligible for a working holiday visa in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Germany, NZ, South Korea on the basis of your Israeli citizenship. Once you've already got a working holiday visa - you'll need to show some funds though - your access to the job market is fairly free, and you should be able to convert to a normal job visa once you have a permanent job.
Bro, as a trans Israeli, I think I can kinda vouch for solid treatment of trans folks here. If you've got any questions let me know but in general hrt is kinda easy to get, pretty cheap, name changes are easy too (but idk how they work with different citizenships) and the waitlists for top aren't too long (def depends on the hospital and or if you go with a private surgeon) and they're either free or covered by insurance... So...
I don’t really want to move back to Israel though. I’m young enough that I’d have to serve in the IDF, and I just don’t really want to move back regardless.
Your call, although trans people don't have to serve
Oh, really? I was not aware of that.
Every country, even ones doing really well, have their own problems. Sweden has banned puberty blockers for trans minors (based on research that actually does look concerning). In Germany, the equivalent of social security numbers are odd/even based on gender and you cannot change them. This means trans people will be outed to their employers and anyone who needs their number for their entire lives, regardless of name and gender marker changes. Places with more socialized healthcare have long waitlists, like in Canada and the UK. California is a fantastic place to be. Federalism in the US means you have broad latitude to select states with the best laws for you. Passing a law banning transition requires going through Congress. That means 60 votes in the senate (Dems would filibuster) and a majority in the House. I doubt the GOP will get both a filibuster proof majority AND a filibuster proof majority that agrees the government should be able to ban types of medical treatment any time soon. Blue states are going to be fine for trans people long term. There are also plenty of red and purple states that are fine once you're a little older. I wouldn't be looking at moving to another country because trump *might* win in 2024 and he *might* try to pass a law that *might* have a chance of passing the house and *might* pass the senate assuming there are like 70 GOP members in there 60 of whom think banning what doctors can do is acceptable and when the Supreme Court *might* decide not to strike down such a law.
The German security numbers change when changing gender BUT it’s inter and nonbinary phobic because it’s always a binary indicator. So only partly true. Also still no Self Id law in Germany
Yeah, I’m not planning on moving anytime soon, I just want to know what places are reasonable options if years down the line California stops being a fantastic place to be. It might be great now, but it’s not as if California has always been like this, so who’s to know if things will change again in the future. I wouldn’t feasibly be able to move anytime soon regardless since I’m currently in college, it’s just good to know what countries are safe so I can keep that in mind when looking for grad schools, and after that when looking at job opportunities.
new zealand is pretty good
Argentina and Brazil have more legal protections for Transgender people than any other Country. Spain is up there as well. (I’m a trans law student.)
I would say Germany and Spain and I've beard about Iceland? But I don't know much about it. Most countries here have a long wait lost ,especially in the Nordic countries (Denmark,Sweden,Norway etc etc I've see that some can take 24 to 32 months ..... If I were you ,get a diagnosis in the US and the move. So your process will simply be easier.