Latest news with #StateLGBTQ+BusinessClimateIndex
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee at the bottom in ranks on LGBTQ+ friendliness. Why it could hurt the state's economy
An annual LGBTQ+ friendliness ranking determined that Tennessee is one of the least friendly states in the country. For the last seven years, Out Leadership's State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index has measured the impact of state government policies and prevalent attitudes on the LGBTQ+ community, weighing factors such as support for young people and families, access to health care and safety, political and religious attitudes, work environment and employment and nondiscrimination protections. The analysis identifies the optimal locations for businesses to establish a presence based on consumer behavior. The average score for the United States has declined for the third consecutive year to 62.62. In the 2025 report, the U.S. scored 62.62 out of 100, representing a slight decrease from 2024's score of 62.77. According to the study, there were over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in 48 states in 2024. Tennessee was ranked as one of the worst states for LGBTQ+ members which could put strains on the economy in the future. "When more than 22% of Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ+ and 70% of LGBTQ+ employees believe being out in the workplace has had a positive impact on their career, companies that ignore this reality risk losing a talented future workforce and profits," the analysis wrote. The analysis determined it costs companies an average of $8,710 to replace an employee in Tennessee, with senior executives costing upwards of $325,000. According to Out Leadership's index, no. Tennessee scored a 35 out of a possible score of 100 on the index, making the state a high risk for the LGBTQ+ community. It is up one point from 2024's score, but only ten points higher than the minimum of 25. While 6.3% of Tennessee residents identify as LGBTQ+, Tennessee is one of the frontrunners in anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes in the nation. At less than 10% of residents, LGBTQ+ members have a personal income of roughly $14.4 billion. Each state is assigned a score of 20 in individual categories. For these categories, the highest score Tennessee earned was a 10.4. Legal and nondiscrimination protection: 2 Youth and family support: 10.4 Political and religious attitudes: 7.6 Health access and safety: 6 Work environment and employment: 9 Tennessee is considered a high-risk state for business factors such as branding, clients, talent, and marketing. It is a notable risk to the future of businesses. Companies are at high risk for branding, clients, talent and marketing due to Tennessee's legislation against LGBTQ+ people, and the state's governor and senators have negative voting records on LGBTQ+ issues. People may be less likely to interact with companies based in and associated with states that are strongly against LGBTQ+ people. As young consumers and workers continue to enter the business market, companies may relocate to other states to take advantage of better opportunities to employ skilled workers. It is unlikely for LGBTQ+ members and allies to seek Tennessee out as a place to live and work based on the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the state. In the past five years, there have been countless measures introduced and signed in Tennessee that oppose LGBTQ+ individuals. In 2020, Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law that allows adoption and foster agencies within the state to refuse to place children in homes that 'violate the agency's written religious or moral convictions or policies.' The "Don't Say Gay Bill" is a revised iteration of an earlier Tennessee bill designed to restrict LGBTQ+ content in textbooks and educational materials used in public schools. In 2023, legislation was enacted to impose a statewide prohibition on drag shows, alongside a bill that limits 'adult cabaret performances' in public spaces or when children are present, as well as banning such performances within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship. SB1861 was enacted in April 2022 and mandates that the Commissioner of Education must withhold a portion of education funding from Local Education Agencies if they do not determine a student's gender for school sports participation. A bill was signed and enacted by Gov. Lee, which prohibits transgender youth from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity. TN HB2316 was signed into law in May 2022 and 'prohibits biological males from participating in intercollegiate and intramural sports that are designed for females.' TN SB2777 was introduced in February 2022, which would allow public school teachers to refuse to use a student's preferred pronoun if the pronoun is not consistent with the student's biological sex. TN SB0657 was introduced in February 2022, which would criminalize the provision of gender affirming health care to minors unless the parent or guardian has written a recommendation from a minimum of three physicians. As of 2021, transgender minors in Tennessee are prohibited from using school bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. Tennessee is the last state that explicitly prohibits an individual from changing the sex listed on their birth certificate following gender reassignment surgery. In 2024, SB1738 was signed into law, which could place LGBTQ+ youth into unsupportive homes. The law prohibits the Department of Children's Services from requiring adoptive or foster parents to affirm or accept a child's sexual orientation or gender identity if doing so conflicts with the parents' religious beliefs. In 2022, Gov. Lee signed into law legislation that requires the commissioner of education to withhold a portion of the education finance funds from Local Education Agencies if the LEA refuses or fails to determine a student's gender for purposes of participation in school sports. Arkansas was the lowest-ranked state for the third year in a row with 29.50 points. This is the lowest score recorded since Out Leadership started its index. Last year, Arkansas scored a 27. Arkansas scored a 29.50/100 South Carolina scored a 32.15/100 Louisiana scored a 33/100 South Dakota scored a 34.80/100 Tennessee scored a 35/100 New York and Massachusetts tied as the friendliest states for LGBTQ+ members with a score of 93.67. This is New York's fourth year in the top spot. In 2024, Massachusetts was at number 3. Massachusetts scored a 93.67/100 New York scored a 93.67/100 Connecticut scored a 92.27/100 New Jersey scored a 90/100 Vermont scored an 89.50/100 The Southern United States was the least inviting area in the country towards LGBTQ+ members. Every other region of the country had a friendliness rating of over 50% in 2025. Northeast regional ranking average: 84.74 West regional ranking average: 67.61 Midwest regional ranking average: 58.26 Southwest regional ranking average: 57.58 Southeast regional ranking average: 43.81 This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Is Tennessee LGBTQ+ friendly? Study finds state ranks at bottom in US
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
These are the safest places in America for gay and transgender people
As Oklahoman legislators push to restrict trans rights and overturn the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage, Zane Eaves says his identity as a transgender man has put a target on his back in his home state. One of 18,900 trans adults in Oklahoma, Eaves has received death threats as has his wife of 10 years and their two children. 'All the hatred and political stuff going on' are driving this Oklahoma lifer from the place he was born and raised, Eaves, 35, said. He has only crossed the state line three times in his life, but in recent weeks, he made the difficult decision to move his family to North Carolina to be closer to friends and allies. 'I am just trying to stay alive and keep my marriage,' Eaves said. Oklahoma ranks 44th in the nation on a list released Monday of the most and least welcoming states for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans. More and more, the question of where LGBTQ+ people feel safe is one of blue vs. red, according to advocacy group Out Leadership. LGBTQ+ equality fell across the board for the third straight year, according to Out Leadership's State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index shared exclusively with USA TODAY. But the sharpest declines came in Republican-led states. While progressive strongholds championed supportive policies and protections, conservative states elected a slate of leaders who openly oppose gay and trans rights and sponsored an unprecedented wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Out Leadership CEO and founder Todd Sears said. So-called 'Don't Say Gay' bills, religious exemptions and other legislation tanked the rankings of 19 red states in the Out Leadership index, according to Sears. Today, the divide between states that roll out the welcome mat and less hospitable parts of the country is wider than ever, he said. Each year for the last seven, Out Leadership has released the State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index to gauge the overall climate for gay and transgender people state by state, mapping out where they will face the most and the least discrimination and hardship. Out Leadership's index measures the impact of state government policies and prevalent attitudes about the LGBTQ+ community, weighing factors such as support for young people and families, health access and safety, political and religious attitudes, work environment and employment and nondiscrimination protections. The Northeast had six of the 10 highest-ranked states, while the Southeast had six of the lowest-ranked. Massachusetts, led by the nation's first openly lesbian governor, Democrat Maura Healey and New York, which guaranteed gender-affirming care and LGBTQ+ refugee protections, tied for first place in this year's index, with Connecticut and New Jersey close behind. The least LGBTQ+ friendly state was Arkansas, which ranked last for the third straight year. South Carolina, Louisiana, South Dakota and Alabama also received low scores. The states that had the largest gains in the index were Kentucky and Michigan, which Out Leadership attributed to 'pro-equality' leadership from governors Andy Beshear and Gretchen Whitmer, both Democrats. The steepest declines were in Ohio, Florida and Utah, all led by Republican governors. The Out Leadership index was created as a LGBTQ+ inclusion reference guide for business leaders. But gay and trans people soon began using it to figure out where they should – and should not – live and work, never more so than now as rights rollbacks from the Trump administration and red statehouses hit close to home. Opposition to transgender rights was a central plank in Trump's presidential campaign and since taking office he has signed a series of executive orders recognizing only male and female genders, keeping trans athletes out of women's sports, banning trans people from serving in the military and restricting federal funding for gender-affirming care for trans people under age 19. Even states seen as safer for LGBTQ+ people have been navigating these edicts around trans athletes. Trump threatened to cut federal funding to California if a trans girl competed in a state track and field event held Saturday. AB Hernandez, a junior from Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County, shared first place in the high jump and triple jump and second in the long jump. She shared the awards podium with her cisgender competitors under a new rule drafted by state athletics officials days before the event to mollify critics. Republican-led states have been in the vanguard of anti-trans legislation, causing greater geographic polarization and prompting fears among LGBTQ+ residents, even those who live in liberal cities. Jordan McGuire, a 27-year-old gay man in North Dakota, said the years he spent living in the Deep South taught him about the repressive discrimination routinely faced by gay and genderqueer people. At the same time, socially progressive cities in conservative states like Fargo and Grand Forks are no longer the safe havens they once were, he said. Now that his fiancee is transitioning to female, the couple is exploring a move to a 'sanctuary' state that will be safer for them. 'It feels like five or 10 years ago, trans people were not under the same microscope they are now and that has definitely influenced our move,' McGuire said. 'Yeah, people were prejudiced but it wasn't a witch hunt. They weren't looking for people in bathrooms and schools. But now things are so polarized.' That rising anxiety was captured in a post-election survey from UCLA's Williams Institute which found that nearly half of transgender people had already fled unsupportive communities and nearly 1 in 4 were considering uprooting their lives. The most frequently cited reasons for wanting to move were concerns about LGBTQ+ rights – 76% – the sociopolitical climate – 71% – anti-trans rhetoric and climate – 60% – and anti-trans laws and policies – 47%. Interest in relocating to friendlier states is even higher today than it was after Trump's reelection, say nonprofit workers who aid trans and gender-diverse people relocate to more liberal states with broader protections. So far in 2025, Rainbow Railroad in Canada has received more than 3,000 requests from LGBTQ+ people living in the United States, up more than 1,000% from the same time last year, according to communications director Timothy Chan. Nearly all requested international relocation support. For now, Rainbow Railroad can't aid Americans with resettlement services because of immigration restrictions, Chan said. TRACTION has heard from a record number of people from states as far away as Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas with many of them reporting being threatened or feeling unsafe in their homes and neighborhoods, said Michael Woodward, the executive director of the trans-led organization in Washington state. Trans and gender-diverse people historically face financial hardship due to systemic oppression and discrimination, and need assistance finding jobs and housing as well as with interstate moving expenses that can run tens of thousands, Woodward said. TRACTION used to get a few applications a week until Trump won a second term. In the two weeks following the election, 'we received as many requests for assistance as we'd received in the entire life of the project thus far,' he said. After the inauguration, TRACTION started getting three to five applications every day. With one employee and a handful of volunteers, his organization is struggling to keep up with demand, Woodward said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These are the safest states for gay and trans people
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
These are the safest places in America for gay and transgender people
These are the safest places in America for gay and transgender people Which states are the best and worst for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans to live and work? More and more, it's a question of partisan politics. Here's why. Show Caption Hide Caption See as rock climbers hang Transgender Pride flag in Yosemite Rock climbers unfurled a large Transgender Pride flag on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The National Park Service has since removed it. As Oklahoman legislators push to restrict trans rights and overturn the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage, Zane Eaves says his identity as a transgender man has put a target on his back in his home state. One of 18,900 trans adults in Oklahoma, Eaves has received death threats as has his wife of 10 years and their two children. 'All the hatred and political stuff going on' are driving this Oklahoma lifer from the place he was born and raised, Eaves, 35, said. He has only crossed the state line three times in his life, but in recent weeks, he made the difficult decision to move his family to North Carolina to be closer to friends and allies. 'I am just trying to stay alive and keep my marriage,' Eaves said. Oklahoma ranks 44th in the nation on a list released Monday of the most and least welcoming states for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans. More and more, the question of where LGBTQ+ people feel safe is one of blue vs. red, according to advocacy group Out Leadership. LGBTQ+ equality fell across the board for the third straight year, according to Out Leadership's State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index shared exclusively with USA TODAY. But the sharpest declines came in Republican-led states. While progressive strongholds championed supportive policies and protections, conservative states elected a slate of leaders who openly oppose gay and trans rights and sponsored an unprecedented wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Out Leadership CEO and founder Todd Sears said. So-called 'Don't Say Gay' bills, religious exemptions and other legislation tanked the rankings of 19 red states in the Out Leadership index, according to Sears. Today, the divide between states that roll out the welcome mat and less hospitable parts of the country is wider than ever, he said. The least and most welcoming LGBTQ+ states Each year for the last seven, Out Leadership has released the State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index to gauge the overall climate for gay and transgender people state by state, mapping out where they will face the most and the least discrimination and hardship. Out Leadership's index measures the impact of state government policies and prevalent attitudes about the LGBTQ+ community, weighing factors such as support for young people and families, health access and safety, political and religious attitudes, work environment and employment and nondiscrimination protections. The Northeast had six of the 10 highest-ranked states, while the Southeast had six of the lowest-ranked. Massachusetts, led by the nation's first openly lesbian governor, Democrat Maura Healey and New York, which guaranteed gender-affirming care and LGBTQ+ refugee protections, tied for first place in this year's index, with Connecticut and New Jersey close behind. The least LGBTQ+ friendly state was Arkansas, which ranked last for the third straight year. South Carolina, Louisiana, South Dakota and Alabama also received low scores. The states that had the largest gains in the index were Kentucky and Michigan, which Out Leadership attributed to 'pro-equality' leadership from governors Andy Beshear and Gretchen Whitmer, both Democrats. The steepest declines were in Ohio, Florida and Utah, all led by Republican governors. Where are the safest places to live? The Out Leadership index was created as a LGBTQ+ inclusion reference guide for business leaders. But gay and trans people soon began using it to figure out where they should – and should not – live and work, never more so than now as rights rollbacks from the Trump administration and red statehouses hit close to home. Opposition to transgender rights was a central plank in Trump's presidential campaign and since taking office he has signed a series of executive orders recognizing only male and female genders, keeping trans athletes out of women's sports, banning trans people from serving in the military and restricting federal funding for gender-affirming care for trans people under age 19. Even states seen as safer for LGBTQ+ people have been navigating these edicts around trans athletes. Trump threatened to cut federal funding to California if a trans girl competed in a state track and field event held Saturday. AB Hernandez, a junior from Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County, shared first place in the high jump and triple jump and second in the long jump. She shared the awards podium with her cisgender competitors under a new rule drafted by state athletics officials days before the event to mollify critics. Republican-led states have been in the vanguard of anti-trans legislation, causing greater geographic polarization and prompting fears among LGBTQ+ residents, even those who live in liberal cities. Jordan McGuire, a 27-year-old gay man in North Dakota, said the years he spent living in the Deep South taught him about the repressive discrimination routinely faced by gay and genderqueer people. At the same time, socially progressive cities in conservative states like Fargo and Grand Forks are no longer the safe havens they once were, he said. Now that his fiancee is transitioning to female, the couple is exploring a move to a 'sanctuary' state that will be safer for them. 'It feels like five or 10 years ago, trans people were not under the same microscope they are now and that has definitely influenced our move,' McGuire said. 'Yeah, people were prejudiced but it wasn't a witch hunt. They weren't looking for people in bathrooms and schools. But now things are so polarized.' That rising anxiety was captured in a post-election survey from UCLA's Williams Institute which found that nearly half of transgender people had already fled unsupportive communities and nearly 1 in 4 were considering uprooting their lives. The most frequently cited reasons for wanting to move were concerns about LGBTQ+ rights – 76% – the sociopolitical climate – 71% – anti-trans rhetoric and climate – 60% – and anti-trans laws and policies – 47%. LGBTQ+ Americans on the move Interest in relocating to friendlier states is even higher today than it was after Trump's reelection, say nonprofit workers who aid trans and gender-diverse people relocate to more liberal states with broader protections. So far in 2025, Rainbow Railroad in Canada has received more than 3,000 requests from LGBTQ+ people living in the United States, up more than 1,000% from the same time last year, according to communications director Timothy Chan. Nearly all requested international relocation support. For now, Rainbow Railroad can't aid Americans with resettlement services because of immigration restrictions, Chan said. TRACTION has heard from a record number of people from states as far away as Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas with many of them reporting being threatened or feeling unsafe in their homes and neighborhoods, said Michael Woodward, the executive director of the trans-led organization in Washington state. Trans and gender-diverse people historically face financial hardship due to systemic oppression and discrimination, and need assistance finding jobs and housing as well as with interstate moving expenses that can run tens of thousands, Woodward said. TRACTION used to get a few applications a week until Trump won a second term. In the two weeks following the election, 'we received as many requests for assistance as we'd received in the entire life of the project thus far,' he said. After the inauguration, TRACTION started getting three to five applications every day. With one employee and a handful of volunteers, his organization is struggling to keep up with demand, Woodward said.
