Josie, 16, moved to Rhode Island in April to flee insurance policies in Florida that limit transgender rights. Her dad and mom cannot go together with her but, so she’ll reside with an aunt and uncle till she finishes highschool.

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Josie, 16, moved to Rhode Island in April to flee insurance policies in Florida that limit transgender rights. Her dad and mom cannot go together with her but, so she’ll reside with an aunt and uncle till she finishes highschool.

Stephanie Colombini/WUSF

Josie had postpone packing lengthy sufficient. It was time to make some powerful selections about what to convey and what to depart behind. The highschool sophomore from St. Augustine, Fla. sat on her mattress one latest morning whereas her mother Sarah pulled garments from her closet.

It held a trove of fine recollections — just like the pink gown Josie wore to the winter homecoming dance. And the pink cover-up she sported at a buddy’s pool social gathering.

While packing for Rhode Island, Josie and her mother reminisced concerning the clothes she wore to particular occasions, comparable to a homecoming dance. Josie was simply days away from leaving her childhood dwelling in St. Augustine, Florida.

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While packing for Rhode Island, Josie and her mother reminisced concerning the clothes she wore to particular occasions, comparable to a homecoming dance. Josie was simply days away from leaving her childhood dwelling in St. Augustine, Florida.

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Good instances like these have felt scarce recently. Josie, who’s transgender, not feels welcome in Florida.

Her household requested they be recognized by their first names solely, fearing retaliation in a state the place Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and different officers have politicized and handed anti-trans insurance policies in well being care and training.

Conservative states throughout the nation are pushing a record number of payments that focus on LGBTQ rights, significantly transgender rights. That’s pressured residents like Josie to rethink the place they need to name dwelling.

In only a few days, Josie was shifting greater than a thousand miles away from St. Augustine – and her dad and mom – to begin a brand new life in Rhode Island. Her aunt and uncle reside outdoors Providence, and he or she’ll stick with them and attend highschool close by.

Her mother Sarah held up outfit after outfit and requested, “Staying or going?”

The formal gown may keep. Cardigans and overalls went within the suitcase. At one level, the household canine Reesie crawled previous the baggage to snuggle as much as Josie.

“She has, like, a sense when I’m sad, and she just comes running in,” says Josie, 16.

Moving to Rhode Island had been “Plan B” for awhile, however Josie says she by no means thought it will really occur. But so much has modified within the final 12 months.

“It’s unbelievable how far the state has fallen,” she says.

What drove Josie to depart

Florida is certainly one of greater than a dozen states which have handed bans on gender-affirming medical therapies for minors, comparable to puberty blockers, hormone remedy and sure surgical procedures.

In Florida, the state medical boards started debating these bans final summer season, they usually went into impact in March. For months, Josie was terrified she would lose entry to the hormones she takes to assist her physique align together with her gender id.

Most main nationwide medical associations agree gender-affirming care is protected and efficient. But the Florida medical boards argued the therapies had been “experimental,” and barred medical doctors from prescribing them to minors.

A provision within the new laws meant that children like Josie, who’d already began care, may proceed with their therapies. But she did not belief that may final.

She pointed to the truth that this spring the legislature considered forcing all trans youth to cease remedy by the top of the 12 months, as a part of a invoice to bolster restrictions on transgender care.

“I thought that they would realize what they’ve done wrong and, you know, repeal some things,” she says. “But they just kept going. It just became, like, too real, too fast.”

Lawmakers ended up stripping that exact provision on May 4, simply earlier than the session ended, permitting youngsters like Josie to remain in remedy.

Protestors attended a Florida Board of Medicine assembly on Oct. 28, 2022, the place the board proposed bans on gender-affirming medical look after minors. On Feb. 10, the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted to impose the bans, which went into impact March 16, 2023.

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Protestors attended a Florida Board of Medicine assembly on Oct. 28, 2022, the place the board proposed bans on gender-affirming medical look after minors. On Feb. 10, the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted to impose the bans, which went into impact March 16, 2023.

Daylina Miller/WUSF

But she had already determined to depart.

School has been difficult at instances since Josie got here out as trans in eighth grade. Some childhood pals ended up rejecting her.

Josie needed to play on the women’ tennis staff, however a Florida law handed in 2021 bars trans ladies from competing on college groups meant for athletes assigned feminine at start.

It was additionally painful when Florida academics needed to begin watching what they mentioned about LGBTQ points, a results of the chilling effect from one other latest Florida legislation, the Parental Rights in Education Law. Critics name that the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.

Josie seen that at her college, stickers signifying that areas had been “safe spaces” for LGBTQ folks had been taken off classroom doorways.

“Which is just ridiculous, like you want your students to be comfortable and safe,” she says.

Other households additionally shifting or planning to depart Florida

The new legal guidelines and anti-trans political rhetoric are hurting youngsters throughout Florida, says Jennifer Evans, a medical psychologist on the University of Florida’s Youth Gender Program in Gainesville.

“I’m seeing more anxiety, more depression,” Evans says. “Things I hear patients say are, ‘The government doesn’t want me to exist.’ They don’t feel safe.”

Many Republican-led states are pushing measures that sort out all sorts of gender-related points — not simply transgender well being care, however what faculties can educate or what loos folks can use.

Bills do not should cross to trigger hurt, says Evans, who identifies as queer.

“It’s a lot to feel like enough people in this country don’t agree with your existence — which actually isn’t affecting them – that people want to shut down other people’s access to living complete and affirmed lives,” she says. “It’s painful to see that.”

Four households who beforehand sought care at Evans’ clinic have already moved out of Florida, she says, whereas one other ten households have plans to depart later this 12 months. Some older teenagers she treats are additionally planning to get out once they flip 18.

But shifting is not straightforward. Josie’s dad Eric says that like many households, they’d so much at stake.

“You know, just financially it’s difficult to uproot what we’ve set up,” he says.

Josie’s dad and mom Eric (proper) and Sarah (left) say it is going to be actually laborious to not have Josie round the home however say they’re dedicated to persevering with to battle for trans youngsters in Florida whereas she’s away in Rhode Island.

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Josie’s dad and mom Eric (proper) and Sarah (left) say it is going to be actually laborious to not have Josie round the home however say they’re dedicated to persevering with to battle for trans youngsters in Florida whereas she’s away in Rhode Island.

Stephanie Colombini/WUSF

They’ve owned their dwelling in St. Augustine for a very long time. Eric lately began a brand new job, whereas Josie’s mother Sarah works at a non-public school, which features a profit that permits Josie and her older sister to get diminished tuition at some schools across the nation.

So her dad and mom determined that, not less than for now, Josie would go reside together with her aunt and uncle and they might keep behind in St. Augustine.

It was a devastating and emotional determination to should make.

“It was just terror in my heart, like you could just feel that cold burst in my chest just going all throughout my body, just a lot of shock” says Sarah. “I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to wake up — like Josie’s part of everything I do.”

A brand new dwelling and a “bombardment” of assist

Josie will end her sophomore 12 months up north in Rhode Island earlier than returning to St. Augustine for summer season break. Her household sees it as a trial run for what might be years of separation.

One evening earlier than Josie left, she invited a number of pals over for a going away social gathering. The teenagers performed a dance online game, laughing as they tried to carry out a hip-hop routine in sync.

Sarah introduced out a black forest cake. “We love you Josie” was piped in frosting alongside the sting of the platter, framed by two hearts.

For her going away social gathering, Josie’s dad and mom purchased a black forest cake. Icing alongside the underside spells out “We Love You Josie.”

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For her going away social gathering, Josie’s dad and mom purchased a black forest cake. Icing alongside the underside spells out “We Love You Josie.”

Stephanie Colombini/WUSF

It was a easy however highly effective send-off from the group assist system Josie has relied on in Florida.

Just a few days later, she and her mother flew north to get Josie settled. Leaving her daughter in Rhode Island was “agony” for Sarah.

“I was a mess,” she says. “I cried the whole way to the airport. I just felt I was going the wrong way.”

Back in St. Augustine, Sarah remains to be adjusting to life with out Josie at dwelling, however they discuss day by day.

And Josie is getting used to her new surroundings in Rhode Island. The cooler climate is nice, she says, and her aunt and uncle have been actually supportive.

Her new highschool is a bit smaller than her previous one, and in a extra liberal space. Josie says in her first week she made not less than one buddy per day, and has since made extra.

Josie posed for a photograph on April 17 outdoors her aunt and uncle’s home, earlier than heading off for her first day at her new highschool in Rhode Island.

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Josie posed for a photograph on April 17 outdoors her aunt and uncle’s home, earlier than heading off for her first day at her new highschool in Rhode Island.

Family picture

She loves seeing pleasure flags within the halls and plans to affix the Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club. It all looks like a “bombardment of support.”

“It was just like such a shock to me – like not a bad shock, but like just shocked that this is how schools can be, it’s just that Florida’s just choosing not to be like that,” says Josie.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ workplace has not responded to a number of requests for remark to handle the considerations of households like Josie’s. The state has taken additional legal steps to limit trans rights since she left in April.

Josie’s dad and mom say they are going to maintain their pleasure flag waving within the entrance yard and advocate for equality whereas their daughter is away.

Josie says she additionally thinks about youngsters in Florida who cannot depart, and he or she urges them not to surrender hope.

But for proper now, she wants to maneuver on in her new life.

For assist, name Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.

This story comes from NPR’s well being reporting partnership with KFF Health News and WUSF.