In March, Tennessee banned gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

"My youngest child can't get legal care here. I no longer feel welcome here. I no longer feel safe here." Chapman said he is a social worker and artist who identifies as gay." I really feel like I've become a target, like someone has painted a big X on our door and we have to get out."

Harpman is part of a growing number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and their families who have fled communities, cities and states where they fear for their safety. Some face harassment as anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric spreads across the country. Others are parents of children whose gender-affirming health care has been outlawed by their state governments. Most are relocating to blue and purple cities and states, where housing costs are often much higher, but they feel welcome.

Since June 5 of this year, more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 41 states, setting a new record, according to the Human Rights Campaign. More than 220 of these bills target transgender people, and at least 20 states now ban gender-affirming care. More than 76 bills have become law, more than twice as many as last year, according to the Human Rights Commission.

Anita Blue, a Houston realtor and president-elect of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, said that while there are no official estimates of how many LGBTQ+ people and families are relocating, it's a growing number. It's an issue that's increasingly spilling over into the housing market.

"Housing is going to be affected," Brugh said." People don't want to live or buy a home in a state where they don't feel safe."

In 2020, a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Chapman received a three-word email from her daughter. It said, "I am transgender."

What followed was about a year of doctor visits, testing and mental health evaluations before her child, now 15, began receiving puberty blockers.

Chapman explained that her child was suicidal prior to receiving treatment. Now, if her daughter misses a session, she will experience puberty - as a boy.

"If I don't get her to a state where she can receive the injections in August, then she can simply revert to puberty immediately. Her voice could go down, and there's no way to fix that," Chapman said." The more she presents as [a bisexual woman], the safer she will be. That was a big motivation for us to move quickly."

She chose Richmond because she wanted her estranged husband to move his job to one of his company's offices there to be near their autistic daughters, ages 15 and 17. Their oldest daughter is in college. Chapman started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the move.

"I was really angry. But the overwhelming feeling is that I'm just heartbroken," Chapman said through tears." I'm exhausted, and I'm scared for my family. At this point, my kids should feel some peace and stability."

Dallas-area real estate agent Bob McCraney has helped 27 clients who were worried about anti-LGBTQ+ harassment and legislation move out of Texas. Most are going to blue states like Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Colorado, or even out of state.

Last year, he started FleeTexas.com and later FleeRedStates.com. These sites help home buyers and sellers connect with LGBTQ+ real estate agents.

"There's a migration going on right now," McCraney said." We're trying to get people out of harm's way and to a slightly safer place."

But moving, especially cross-country, takes money.

Those leaving red states may find that housing and rent prices, and everything else, are much higher in blue states. Transplants often have to leave behind their support networks and essentially start over.

Callen Jones, a real estate agent with Dalton Wade Real Estate Group, works in Tampa, Florida, and has seen many people leave because of Florida's anti-LGBTQ+ laws. This spring, Jones, who identifies as transgender, helped four people sell their homes. Jones' clients are self-employed or teleworkers who have relocated to the Midwest and Northeast.

Last year, Florida made headlines for banning classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools in kindergarten through third grade. The law was later expanded to include higher grades, leading to an investigation of a teacher for showing fifth-graders the Disney movie "Stranger Things," which features a gay character.

In May, Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis signed a law restricting gender-affirming health care for transgender minors. The law also allows children undergoing treatment to be placed in the state's temporary custody.

"A lot of our openly LGBTQ people and their parents are scared," Jones said." Home is so important to everyone, to be able to have a home, to feel safe and to feel settled. If you don't feel safe, secure and affirmed, you're not going to be the best version of yourself."

Not wanting to be fully identified, Nicole moved to Denver in mid-November from the Fort Worth, Texas, area with her husband and 14-year-old twin boys.

One of their twins came out as bisexual in 2019 and as transgender a year later. six months later, he began receiving gender-affirming health care.

Last February, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directed the state's Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate the parents of transgender children receiving gender-affirming care. The order was successfully challenged in court, but is now being appealed. on Sept. 1, it will become illegal for doctors in the state to provide gender-affirming care to people under the age of 18.

"We desperately need to get out," Nichol said." The thought of [our children] being taken away because we support gender-affirming care terrifies us."

They suggested she create a "safe" folder for affidavits from people who knew their family and could attest to their being good parents. Their children were advised not to answer questions from adults they didn't know unless Nicole and her husband were present.

"In good conscience," Nicole said, "I couldn't stay any longer.

The family chose Denver, despite having no family or friends there. They searched online for LGBTQ+-friendly places, and Colorado kept coming up.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house they purchased in 2019 took five months to sell. They barely broke even. in November, they moved into a rental house in Denver, which was much more expensive.

Nicole was a mortgage lender, and she was able to continue working remotely. Her husband retired from the Air Force. Most importantly, their son was able to continue his treatment.

"We didn't realize how we were living in Texas until we got here. This huge weight was lifted and the fear was gone," she said." We feel like we can take a deep breath."