This story is part of an ongoing series about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ policies and how they impact the people in his state. For full coverage, click here.
Palm Beach County, Florida, is dotted with beautiful coastal towns, stretching from Jupiter in the north to Boca Raton in the south. Families living there can go to the beach everyday, engage in activities like birding and cave-diving, and be in close proximity to natural wonders like the Everglades and the Keys.
But what was once an idyllic life is no longer “a nice little surf town bubble” for one family. The mother, who requested to be known as Jesse, became so concerned for the safety of her transgender daughter in the community that she and her husband have sent her to a boarding school in Canada. Their life is now in a limbo as their family stays separated. They feel like they’re being run out of Florida, the home they once loved.
As the Florida Legislature has passed a wave of anti-transgender bills this year, parents like Jesse, concerned for their children’s health and well-being, are contemplating moving out of the state, or the country—or have done so already. They worry about losing access to healthcare, their children being bullied and becoming suicidal, and fellow parents reporting them for child abuse. The fear is so extreme that many of those who’ve migrated away won’t even risk coming back home to visit family and friends.
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