Basic Preparations for LGBTQ+ People Fleeing Emergencies

In the wake of the 2024 election, many LGBTQ+ people are thinking more about emergency planning, particularly those who are multiply marginalized. The next few years will, at the least, be difficult, and we're going to need to work together to get through them. Community, activism, and resilience will be key, and there are a variety of resources and guides that have been posted online recently focused on what you can do. Connect with local organizations, strengthen your personal networks, and help each other. There are, unfortunately, a variety of situations that can make it necessary for a person to have to flee their home rapidly. For example:

• A person may need to flee from a natural disaster like a wildfire, tornado, or earthquake. Due to climate change, the frequency and severity of many types of weather-related emergencies have increased, and regions impacted are shifting and expanding.

• A person may need to escape from domestic abuse, from a stalker, or from other forms of interpersonal violence.

• Immigrants, members of some ethnic and religious groups, people of color, trans and nonbinary people, and others who are marginalized may be the targets of persecution or violence due to their identity (with those who are multiply marginalized being at the greatest risk) that makes remaining at home impossible.

This guide is intended to provide information for LGBTQ+ people on how to prepare for these situations. Not all advice in this document will be relevant to all people or to the types of emergencies that they are more likely to experience, and this guide isn’t comprehensive - there may be other things you need to do that aren’t accounted for here.

Preparing ahead of time can be critical - some types of emergencies arise very quickly, leaving little time to do more than grab a bag and leave (as people who live in areas historically prone to earthquakes and wildfires are likely aware). The hope is that by taking basic steps outlined in this guide, you'll be ready if such a need ever arises for you.

You don’t have to be paranoid to prepare, and you don’t have to live in a constant state of fear or anxiety. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. 

The preparations listed on this page require very little maintenance - you'll want to revisit your plans every few months and when you have life changes, and will want to rotate the food and medications in your go bag, for example.

Appearance and Gender

In some emergency situations, people who are trans, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming may consider dressing or appearing as if they’re cis, particularly if they think that they may be discriminated against and unable to access emergency needs (e.g., a shelter) or will be the target of anti-trans violence while trying to survive the emergency. That may mean trying to look like the gender you were assigned at birth, passing or going stealth, or may just mean not wearing your pride flag socks or pronoun pin. Whether or not this is something you want to do is a personal decision, but if you do, remember that the goal is to get back to living as yourself as soon as possible. Surviving an emergency doesn't mean leaving behind who you are, even if you choose to hide it temporarily.

Packing

Go Bags

One basic part of emergency preparation is a "go bag." There are many reasons that someone might have to rapidly leave their home without knowing when or if they’ll be able to return. A “go bag” is something you can grab on your way out the door that's full of the things you need to survive.

There are a variety of guides and lists for preparing go bags and emergency kits online, though most are focused exclusively on natural disasters or domestic abuse. Review the list on ready.gov and search for others (everyone will have different needs, and getting more examples and lists can help you figure out exactly what should be in your bag). Your go bag should have what you need for emergencies that are risks for you or for your area.

Put your name and email address in your bag, in case it gets lost. If you include your phone number, indicate that it's a U.S. number if you may leave the country and expect to be able to use your phone at your destination (more on that in the Communication section).

A sample list of items to include in a go bag is provided below. Check other suggestion lists, as mentioned above, for other items to include, particularly for preparing for natural disasters that are a risk in your area or for specific concerns that you have regarding violence or detention. 

Key:

• ✳️ Items that don't appear on most go bag preparation lists.

• ⛔ Items that may be specific to people fleeing persecution or violence due to their marginalized status (immigrant status, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, LGBTQ+ identity, etc.)

• 🏠 Items that may be specific to fleeing domestic or interpersonal violence

• 🌪️ Items that may be specific to fleeing natural disasters

Packing List

• ✳️⛔ Passport. This is particularly critical in situations in which you are likely to be pursued and may end up needing to leave the country.

• ✳️⛔🏠 Pepper spray or gel. This may be necessary to make a quick escape if someone tries to stop you from getting away. Check whether they're legal in your state before you try to get one. In Michigan, for example, pepper spray is legal, but there are restrictions on the type, concentration, and size. Pepper gel is similar to pepper spray, but is less likely to blow back in your face or get dispersed by the wind.

• ✳️ Maps and directions. You may not be able to use your phone or GPS, and may need to travel to or through areas you aren't familiar with. Get maps of any area you may need to travel through and know where you're going.

• Cash. Depending on the situation, you may not be able to use a credit card (if you have one).

• ✳️⛔🏠 Foreign currency. If you plan to flee to another country, consider having some of their currency. If you're planning to drive and aren't immediately able to convert cash or use a credit card upon crossing the border, have at least enough to fill your car's gas tank, if possible.

• Water and non-perishable, ready-to-eat food (granola bars, etc.) to last a few days. Check with any traveling companions about allergies if you plan to bring peanuts.

• Medical and Hygiene

  • Prescription medications to last a few days, including any hormones you need (if possible, still in the original containers, with pharmacy stickers listing your name and the contents/dosage). If you have any critical prescriptions, check with your doctor or pharmacy about getting an emergency supply to be prepared.

  • ✳️ Supplies for injecting medications or hormones

  • Non-prescription medications (allergy medications, pain relievers, antacids, etc.)

  • Contact lenses, contact solution, and contact lens case

  • Prescription glasses (get an extra pair of your current prescription, if possible, and an old pair that’s still reasonably accurate can serve as a good backup)

  • Reading glasses

  • Menstrual hygiene products

  • Medical and mobility devices, assistive technologies

  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss

  • Deodorant

  • First aid kit (band-aids, etc.)

  • Hand sanitizer

  • N95 masks, nitrile gloves, and other PPE

• Clothing and Appearance

  • A full change of clothes, including extra underwear

  • Sleeping clothes

  • ✳️ Gender-affirming clothes, accessories, and makeup. If you're planning to hide your gender, consider bringing something you can wear under your clothes or when you're in private. If you're worried about people searching your bags and finding anything that outs you, you may choose not to bring any.

  • ✳️ Clothes or accessories that you'll need or want for your gender presentation (a binder or binding tape, tucking underwear, etc.). If you're worried about people searching your bags and finding anything that outs you, you may choose not to bring any.

  • ✳️ Any appliances or supplies you need to feel comfortable in your body (e.g., razor/shaving supplies, emery boards, nail polish)

  • Hairbrush

  • Hair ties

  • Rain gear (ponchos, umbrellas)

  • 🌪️ Clothing and gear for surviving in extreme temperatures

• Documents

  • ✳️ An encrypted flash drive or external hard drive with any important computer files. Scan or take photos of anything you don’t want to lose (family cookbooks, printed documents, etc.).

  • Important legal and financial documents (including name change documents, particularly if your name is not the same on all forms of ID or in all systems)

  • 🏠 Marriage and divorce records

  • 🏠 Legal, protection, and restraining orders

  • 🏠 Tax documents, W-2s, and paystubs

  • 🏠 Car title, registration, and insurance

  • Government benefits documentation, SNAP EBT

  • List of medical conditions, prescriptions (including dosage details), and dietary needs

  • Paper and pencil or pen

• Electronics

  • Phone charger

  • USB battery

  • Flashlight (your phone may already have one, but a separate flashlight will save your phone’s battery and will work if your phone if your phone is lost or has no charge)

  • Extra batteries for any electronics, including hearing aids

  • 🏠 Prepaid mobile phone with a new phone number that isn’t tied to your home address or partner(s)

  • 🌪️ Weather radio (tunable to NOAA Weather Radio and battery powered, ideally with an integrated hand crank and/or solar panel)

• ✳️ Stim toys/fidget toys

• ✳️ A favorite book, CD, or hobby items. Something to help reduce anxiety and pass time that doesn't depend on having Internet access.

• 🌪️ Whistle or noise maker to signal for assistance

• 🌪️ Matches or lighter

• If you were born outside the U.S. and have legal documentation:

  • Immigration or asylum records

  • Green card

  • Citizenship documents

  • Work permits

• If you have children:

  • Books and games

  • Stuffed animals or other comfort items

  • Baby food (depending on age)

  • Diapers (depending on age)

  • 🏠 School and immunization records

  • 🏠 Custody documents

  • 🏠 Birth certificates

• If you have pets or service animals:

  • Pet/animal food

  • Pet/animal medication

  • Pet/animal vaccinations and health records (may be necessary to leave the country)

  • Leash

  • Pet/animal toy

• 🌪️ Put papers, electronics, clothes, etc. in watertight containers or sealed plastic bags in case of flooding or water exposure

Last-Minute Items

There may be a few items that you can't put in your go bag because you need them every day, because they don’t fit in the bag, because they need to remain refrigerated, etc. Keep a list of those items with your go bag so you remember to grab them. This should be a short list that only includes things that absolutely cannot be packed ahead of time and can be gathered in a matter of seconds. This isn't a general packing list that replaces the need to keep your go bag properly packed. Even if there's only one or two very obvious things you'll need to grab, write them down! In scenarios where you need your go bag, you’re likely to be panicking, and you may need to grab your go bag after being woken up in the middle of the night. Some examples of last-minute items:

• Prescription glasses

• Mobile phone

• Medications or hormones that require refrigeration (along with cold packs and a small cooler, if necessary) or that you have a limited supply of

• Wallet or purse (including your driver's license, credit cards, etc.)

• Mobility devices you use (cane, walker, etc.)

• Important or meaningful jewelry (e.g., the necklace you wear every day)

• Laptop (and charger)

Transportation

If you have a car and can afford to do so, keep your gas tank at least half-full, and fill the tank up if there's anything particularly concerning coming up. You may not have time to stop at a gas station, or stopping may be unsafe.

If you don't have a car, make plans with someone who does. Public transit may not be a safe option, if it's running at all. If someone's going to pick you up, make sure you have multiple ways to contact them or that they know to show up without you having to call or text them - phone and internet access may be down. Decide on a word or phrase with them so that you don't need a long call or message to explain things - a brief message may be all you have time for, and they need to know what to do and where to pick up ahead of time.

If you have any disabilities that mean that you’ll need assistance to leave your home, make arrangements ahead of time with someone who can help in an emergency. For example, if you have someone who will be coming to give you a ride or someone you live with who will help you get into someone's car, make sure they know what they'll need to do (e.g., where to meet you or bring you, whether they need to carry, guide, or help you, whether they need to carry your go bag and where it is, etc.).

Destinations

The emergency may be extremely localized, regional, or nationwide. Your plans should include options for getting out of your neighborhood, your city, and even the country, depending on the scenario. Try to pick some specific destinations ahead of time - the house of a particular friend or relative, a campsite, a particular hotel in a particular city, or somewhere else. If you're planning to leave your state or the country, know what laws there will mean for you. For example, if you're trans, can you legally use the bathroom that matches your gender in the state you're going to? If you're nonbinary, does the country you're planning to go to legally recognize nonbinary people?

Safe Houses

If you’re fleeing violence or persecution, you may need to stay with a friend or family member who won't be a target and who isn’t known to the person or people who are threatening you. Make plans with them ahead of time. Depending on the emergency, you may need to stay with them for weeks or months, until the situation changes or you can arrange a way to leave the area. Absolute secrecy may be essential, and you may need to pretend to be something you're not (i.e., hide the aspects of your identity that are causing you to be persecuted or targeted) if there are other people in the home or people who may visit who would alert others to your location without your consent.

People may come searching for you there and may threaten or use violence against the people sheltering you in order to get to you. Make sure they understand and accept the risks and make sure that they know you may show up with no advance notice. Don't go to the home of someone who will also be a target. Make sure you aren't followed.

Canada

Due to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), you cannot claim asylum in Canada when crossing the border from the U.S.. There are very few exceptions to the STCA, and they only apply if you have family in Canada, are an unaccompanied minor, already have valid Canada travel documents, or if you've been formally charged or convicted of an offense punishable by the death penalty. Simply put, you can cross the border into Canada with your passport to go on vacation, but you cannot currently claim asylum at the border [as of February 2, 2025, when this page was last updated].

Passports

If you plan to leave the country, you're going to need a passport - you don't want to rely on illegally crossing a border (if you get caught, they're going to bring you back to the U.S. and may turn you directly over to U.S. authorities who could immediately detain you). If you don't already have a passport or if your passport is about to expire, apply for or renew your passport now - it takes several weeks, so you should not wait until the last minute.

As of January 20th, 2025, trans and nonbinary people can no longer get a passport that doesn't match the sex they were assigned at birth, following an Executive Order from President Trump. Existing passports that list a sex other than what was assigned at birth (including any passport with an "X" sex marker), aren't currently being revoked and can still be used to cross the border, but the sex marker will be reverted when the passport is next renewed.

Additional information for trans and nonbinary people getting or ren

Travel Companions

Family and Friends

While you may plan to flee with a partner, roommate, family member or friend, there's a chance that you'll have to do so separately (for example, if one or more of you is at work or another location when you need to leave). Meeting up before you go may not be possible, so make arrangements for where you'll meet up outside the area (you may need multiple options, depending on how far the violence extends), how you'll communicate, etc.

If you have a child that you will not be bringing with you, make plans with whoever will be taking care of them (for example, if you have a partner or co-parent, another relative, or a close friend who will not be leaving). Don't leave your child behind if they'll be alone, but if they won't be a target and there's someone who can take care of them, it may be safer for them to stay behind rather than fleeing with you. If you’re planning to bring them with you, make sure you’ve packed a go bag for them or included everything they’ll need in your go bag.

Pets and Service Animals

If you plan to take them with you, have whatever supplies you need for that ready (pet carrier, etc.), have pet/animal food packed, and make sure you can get them into their carrier, your car, or wherever they need to go without a struggle. If you may need to take them out of the country, check the requirements and prepare ahead of time. For example, you may need a valid rabies vaccination certificate to bring your dog or cat into Canada.

• Bringing a pet to Canada

• Bringing a pet to Mexico

If you don't plan to bring your pet, make arrangements ahead of time with someone who will pick them up and take care of them after you've left, make sure they have a key, and know about any special medical and food needs. It may not be safe or you may not have time to drop your pets off with someone when fleeing.

Communication

Secure Messaging

When making plans for escaping violence or persecution and when communicating during such situations, always use an encrypted platform like Signal, if possible. Set up an account ahead of time, have your primary emergency contacts set up accounts, and connect to them ahead of time. Depending on the type of threat, regular phone calls, text messages, social media messages, your current email provider (e.g., Gmail), and other systems may not be safe to use if you need to keep your communications from being read or tracked by others. If you are fleeing from domestic or interpersonal violence, use a new, prepaid phone with a new phone number.

Mobile Phone Security

If you're worried about your mobile phone's location being tracked, be aware that turning off location tracking or location services on your phone, and even turning your phone off, is not sufficient to stop tracking (though it may stop some apps from getting location information directly), and you can still be tracked if you do those things. Removing your phone's battery (which isn't possible on most models) and SIM card may stop your phone's location from being tracked, and putting your phone into a Faraday bag is the most effective option.

If you're worried about someone getting your phone and accessing its contents (whether for information about you or about other people you know), make sure you're using the highest security settings and features on the device, and consider limiting what information is on your phone (or concealing it, for example by not using real names for people or places).

International Mobile Phone Use

If you may leave the country, research whether your phone can be used where you're planning to travel to. Your phone needs to be able to use the networks in that country (cell towers use different technologies in different parts of the world), and you'll need a mobile plan that works there. Some U.S. mobile carriers have arrangements that allow you to use your phone in other countries, though it may require activating and paying for a special international plan. You may instead get a new SIM card in the country you travel to, but if you do so, you will have a new phone number.

Computers and Online Accounts

There are a variety of things you can do now to make your data more secure and private, which may make you safer in the event that you have to flee and may reduce the odds of you and other people you care about being targeted.

Most things you do online are tracked in a variety of ways, and detailed data is sold or used by companies that bring information together from multiple sources to form detailed profiles about you. This information can include your location, demographics (age, race, gender, etc.), who you talk to, what you post or say, what you buy, your likely hobbies, whether you have children, what you search for, what sites you visit, what you do on those sites, what software you use, and much more. Many companies like Google and Meta have access to all of the data in their systems (including the content of emails, messages, and files, regardless of your privacy settings) and their business models depend on actively scanning and using that data. Internet service providers (e.g., Comcast) and mobile networks (e.g., Verizon) can determine what sites you visit. Data about you can be legally purchased from companies who collect it, and the government can demand information from companies who have it.

For some types of sites and systems, there are privacy- and security-focused options that do not track their users, do not scan or sell data about them, and do not have access to their users' messages and files. In addition to switching to these sites and systems, there are other things you can do to protect yourself online. Using a VPN prevents your internet service provider from knowing what sites you visit and makes it more difficult for sites to determine your location, for example.

In addition to online accounts, it's also important to encrypt your local files. If someone gets access to your computer, mobile phone, flash drive, etc., they have access to everything on it, including sensitive information. By using strong encryption, you can ensure that no one will be able to open your files, even if they have physical access to the computer or device.

Some examples of things you can do:

• Use encryption for files stored on your computer

• Back up your files to an encrypted external hard drive that you can put in your go bag (e.g., using VeraCrypt)

• Switch to more secure platforms for all text, voice, and video conversations that include sensitive information (e.g., Signal)

• Switch your email and cloud file storage to platforms that emphasize privacy and security (e.g., Proton, Tuta, Riseup)

• Switch to a search engine that doesn't track you (e.g., DuckDuckGo)

• Switch to a browser with privacy protections (e.g., Firefox, Brave, Tor Browser)

• Use a VPN (e.g., Proton VPN)

• Delete sensitive information that could pose a risk if others had access to it from any accounts or platforms that don't prioritize privacy and security (e.g., email and file storage providers like Google, social media platforms like Facebook/Instagram/Threads, etc.)

• Delete online accounts you don't use or don't need anymore, particularly if they have personal or sensitive information

• Use strong, unique passwords, and consider using a password manager (e.g., Bitwarden)

• Use multi-factor authentication for all accounts that offer it. When possible, use app-based multi-factor authentication (e.g., using 2FAS or Aegis) instead of text message/phone call authentication, and keep an encrypted, password-protected copy of multi-factor authentication tokens on another device, like an external hard drive (apps like 2FAS and Aegis have built-in token export functions). In the event that you lose access to your phone or have to change your phone number, this can keep you from getting permanently locked out of your online accounts.

Disabilities and Medical Needs

Everyone’s disability and medical needs are unique. Review the list at ready.gov/disability and consider the following:

• If you need regular infusions or medical treatments that you can’t do at home, try to build that into your plans by researching options where you plan to go, or choosing a destination where what you need will be easier to get (e.g., a large city).

• Research and potentially contact relevant disability groups, disability services organizations, or people with the same disability who live in the area(s) you're considering going to ahead of time. They may know of options that you aren't aware of.

• If you have anxiety or get panic attacks, research strategies for getting through the situation and let others who will be traveling with you know what they can do to help. If you don't think you'll be able to travel alone in an emergency situation, plan ahead to travel with someone else.

• If there's a major upcoming event that you're worried could trigger violence, try not to overdo it or use up all of your spoons the day(s) before it. Planning and preparing a go bag now hopefully means you won’t have anything extra to do at the last minute.

• If you can’t drive or get around on your own, plan to travel with someone else.

• Make sure anyone who will be traveling with you is aware of anything they may need to know or do related to your disabilities or conditions.

• Pack a full list of medications, prescriptions, dietary needs, and medical conditions in your go bag. Check with your doctor or pharmacy about getting extra medication to keep as an emergency supply. If any medications need to be kept cold while in transit, have a small cooler and ice packs prepared.

• Include medications, medical devices and supplies, mobility devices, stim toys, and anything else you’ll need in your go bag (or your last-minute items list). If any of your medical devices or assistive technologies require batteries, oxygen tanks, or other items that can run out, pack extras in your go bag, if possible.

• If you have a service animal, plan accordingly and pack food, medications, harnesses, and other supplies they’ll need.

The cost of medical care may not be something you can afford if you're away from home, but depending on where you go and what the scenario is, there may be people or organizations that can help you cover costs (and those options may not exist until then).

If leaving the area doesn't end up being an option for you, make plans for a safe house.

It's your body - no one knows it better than you. Only you can determine what you can or should do and what risks you're willing to take. There may not be an easy answer, but it’s worth thinking about and investigating ahead of time.