I'm going to use this page to compile the list of places in the Western world that I could consider unsafe to travel to as a trans person. This is a result of the hateful stances the governments have taken in the last couple of years, expressly directing harm from a position of wilfull ignorance and bigotry.
I will also, aside from no travel, start to look at where companies I do business with have their HQ. If they HQ in one of the places and have not spoken out against this hate, then I will not do business with them. As with Shopify, you have shown me who you are and that is to your shame.
I also recognize that you can't shame bigots about their bigotry, but you can shame those who have allowed through apathy. This is happening because the majority of people can't be bothered to stand up and, while I can talk about what's next, I shouldn't have to do that to make people care that harm is being caused because of hate.
Canada
At this point I would consider Saskatchewan and New Brunswick unsafe or, at the very least, heading there. In the case of Saskatchewan, the government there has used the Not Withstanding clause of the Charter to explicitly deprive trans children of their right to safety and personal autonomy, so it is a matter of time before that escalates. New Brunswick has attempted the same through policy, but are almost assured to follow the same path when they lose in court. This is a scary sign that trans rights do not exist in Canada, they are at the whim of whomever is in power and we need to be concerned.
So, as of this time, I would not travel to Saskatchewan or New Brunswick, nor would I buy or consume products from these provinces.
United Kingdom
All of it. The UK government has shown itself to be openly hostile to trans people with active plans to actually strip them of legal protections. Scotland might be considered more safe, but the UK government has already demonstrated a willingness to overstep their reach to cause harm despite the will of the Scottish people. As a result, I cannot consider any part of the United Kingdom safe for trans people.
It is also home to the world's most famous bigot and I will do absolutely nothing that will further support her hate. I have, and will continue to, end friendships with people that cannot let her work go. My tolerance for that has utterly evaporated.
United States
Significant parts of the United States are engaged in an all out hate war against trans people, most noticeably in so-called "Red" States. Similar to the United Kingdom, this is a function of far right fascism at the government level and can be seen in the desire to control women's reproductive rights and to obscure and hide the shameful history of racism. While I would consider the US to be a yellow zone generally, there are States that are supporting and protecting trans people, but that ability is at risk come the next US election. In the meanwhile, I would not willingly travel to the United States.
It's easier to list the safer States now. America is an utter disgrace of bigotry, but here's where I might consider travelling to:
- California
- Nevada
- New York
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Deleware
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Maryland
- Colorado
- New Mexico
- Pennsylvania