Recently a married couple from Atlanta – identifying only as Ted and Mike – did what has come to be called “the Donald Dash” by moving to Portugal. When asked if their perceived safety was a significant concern in their decision, they answered, “Huge!” Upon announcing their departure to their local Presbyterian church, Ted says their pastor told the congregation that their move was “necessary to preserve the sanctity of their marriage.”
For those who have that kind of option, personal safety is often a factor for LGBTQ+ folks when they’re looking for a place to live. For some, however, locale isn’t a matter of choice, but necessity.
Tyler Prescott says he loves living in Greenville, South Carolina. “I feel overall safe and have such a good community here.”
On the other hand, a trans business owner in South Carolina who asked not to be identified, says their family-owned coffee shop was boycotted after they came out.
C.G., a Charlotte resident, recalled being bullied and harassed for being trans at a former place of employment in the medical field. He also stated that “I have been assaulted [here] during a road rage incident [involving someone] who discovered I was trans.” He continued, “It’s been very hard for me living where I do.”
To assess the residential climate of each state, the national research organization SafeHome.org produces the LGBTQ+ State Safety Report Card.
Nevada received the highest score for the 2026 Report Card – an A+.
Since 2023, Nevada has had a Republican Governor. It also went for Trump/Vance in the last national presidential election. However, during that same time frame, Democrats have maintained control of the Nevada House and Senate.
Other states achieving high scores include Illinois, which was the first state to decriminalize homosexuality (1962). The state also passed into law its Equality for Every Family Act in December 2025, protecting LGBTQ+ and other nontraditional families.
Hawaii, Colorado and Maine round out the top five safest states in which LGBTQ+ folks reside.
The lowest score goes to Tennessee. It was awarded an F. According to the report, the “Volunteer State” has the most anti-equality legislation among the other states. The state has no non-discrimination protections in place and has one of the highest hate crime rankings.
West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Louisiana and Arkansas fill out the bottom five of the worst states for LGBTQ+ safety.
North Carolina fares relatively well in the report, receiving a B-.
While the Tarheel state does have anti-equality legislation currently being considered, it falls into the category of having only 6 to 10 such bills currently active.
South Carolina, however, currently has 26 such bills active, either in the House or the Senate. Topics covered by these bills range from Drag Story Hour events at any publicly funded venue, to bathroom usage, to changing names and gender on legal documents, to foster care for trans children and parental rights in refusing to raise children based on their expressed gender identity (doing so cannot be considered as abuse or neglect). Bills also provide legal protection for any service related to weddings (from venues and flowers to cakes and limousines) that is refused on religious grounds.
The Palmetto State has also joined with other states – and the Southern Baptist Convention – in passing a concurrent resolution asking SCOTUS to overturn the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision. Same-sex marriage support fell from 71 percent in 2022 to 64 percent today. The resolution is symbolic only. It carries no legal weight and does nothing more than imply intolerance. Court observers, like retired law professor Ronald Collins, believe the chance of a reversal of marriage equality is very slim, and several obstacles would have to be overcome.
There have been other declines in national public support of LGBTQ+ issues.
Only 62 percent of Americans now view gay or lesbian relations as “morally acceptable,” a level that has not been lower since 2016. Americans who see changing one’s gender as morally acceptable has declined to 38 percent. That represents a drop of eight points over the past five years.
Some see a direct relationship between legislative efforts and declining public support, which, in turn, can be manifested in violence.
GLAAD’s 2025 Accelerating Acceptance report indicated that 84 percent of all Gen Z LGBTQ+ American adults believe that “violence or threats” directed at LGBTQ+ people are “likely to increase.”
According to SafeHome, nine out of 10 LGBTQ+ Americans expected “anti-LGBTQ+ federal efforts in 2025.” The level of concern remains the same for 2026.
Only 33 percent, according to SafeHome, are “very” or “extremely” confident that their state government will protect them. Forty-six percent are only slightly confident or not confident at all.
There are some signs of hope, however: LGBTQ+ elected representation on local, state and federal levels has tripled over the past ten years, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, which may be a prelude to coming victory.
