Skim the headlines, and it’s clear that states are clawing back the equality gains of the past couple decades. Dig a bit deeper, and the story is nuanced. Yes, many states are trying as hard as they can to not only overturn LGBTQ rights, but erase LGBTQI people from public life. They’re banning books and media that mention LGBTQ people, preventing us from accessing affirming medications or surgeries, preventing people from calling us by names or pronouns we choose, ratting queer youth our to Mom and Dad for expressing themselves โ I could go on, but you know. States that pass queerphobic laws send a message to LGBTQ travelers loud and clear: you are not welcome here.
Midway though 2024, let’s take a quick look at how things have changed over the last 12 months. Which states are becoming more LGBTQ-friendly? And which states are going the opposite way, by passing laws that are anti-LGBTQ?
Want to skip the legal stuff and just get a list of the best and worst states to visit if you’re LGBTQ? We’ve got you covered.
Which States Got More LGBTQ-Friendly in 2024
In the last 12 months, the states that have seen the biggest positive shift on equality are Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland (my birth state), Massachusetts (my home state), Maine, Oregon, and (wait for it) Georgia.
Minnesota had its most pro-LGBTQ legislative year since 2013, when they passed marriage equality. Last year, Minnesota banned conversion therapy and passed a landmark trans refuge bill. That bill guarantees Minnesotans and health care providers cannot be legally punished for traveling across state lines for gender affirming care.
Maine’s legislator passed a bill protecting healthcare workers who provide gender affirming care from retaliatory lawsuits. Maine’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, signed the law and it will take effect in July, 2024.
In Massachusetts, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ayanna Pressley were able to obtain funding for a new LGBTQ+ senior housing development called The Pryde! Seeing trolleys full of vibrant queer elders is one of my favorite memories from the many Boston Pride parades I attended over the years. I’m emotional at the difference this new development will make for our elders, who won’t be forced to go back into the closet as they age.
Maryland passed a new law that prohibits employer discrimination based on sexual orientation. The state is currently considering a trans-friendly law, which would reclassify gender affirming care as legally protected in the state. Maryland’s governor has pledged to be an ally to the queer community, and I’m hopeful that he’ll pass the trans-friendly law if it advances!
Oregon passed a bill protecting gender-affirming care and abortion in August 2023, after a 6-week Republican walkout ultimately failed to prevent it from passing. Oregon’s governor, Tina Kotek, had this to say upon signing the legislation:
โNeighboring states are banning and criminalizing essential health care, threatening patients and providers, cutting off access to care in rural communities, and targeting access to lifesaving health care for transgender and non-binary individuals. Here in Oregon, weโre taking a stand.”
I’m not exactly sure why Georgia made the roundup of states with the biggest equality gains. Movement Advancement Project, which ranks states on LGBTQ-friendly policies, gives Georgia a rating of 1/44.5 points.
My guess is Georgia rose to the top not by actively making the state more LGBTQ-friendly, but by not passing queerphobic laws โ not for lack of trying, they just couldn’t get it done!
According to Movement Advancement Project, Georgia does not have any of the bullshit negative laws conservative legislators have been jamming down our throats, like the “you can’t pass a nondiscrimination law” or “there are only two biological sexes” or “you must use the bathroom that aligns with the gender assigned at birth.”
Making travel plans this summer? If the state starts with the letter M, you’re probably safe!
All kidding aside, it’s heartwarming to see that some states are standing up for LGBTQIA rights. When I’m in trip planning mode, I always check what the laws and policies are toward LGBTQ people. I won’t avoid a state just because it has bad laws, but I will alter the way that I travel, such as where I choose to stay or how I present myself in public, if I’m worried about being discriminated against.
