An Analysis of Transgender Crowdfunding in the Context of State-Led Anti-Transgender Legislation

Abstract This study investigates the impact of anti-transgender legislation on the use of crowdfunding platforms by transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals in the United States. Using data from 349 GoFundMe campaigns created between March and June 2022, we analyzed the reasons for seeking funding and their potential correlation with state-level anti-transgender policies. Our findings reveal that 61% of campaigns originated from states with proposed or enacted anti-transgender legislation, with 19.5% coming from states posing significant barriers to healthcare services for TGD individuals. The most common reasons for crowdfunding included housing (44.7%), living expenses (35.5%), and gender-affirming surgeries (28.1%). Notably, campaigns from anti-transgender states showed a significant correlation with explicitly mentioning hostile state environments (Φ = 0.2843, p < 0.0001) and seeking relocation (Φ = 0.2040, p = 0.0001). These results highlight the profound impact of discriminatory legislation on TGD individuals, forcing many to seek alternative financial support for basic needs and essential medical care. This research underscores the urgent need for more inclusive healthcare policies and support systems for the TGD community. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding. Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The study used ONLY openly available human data that were originally located at Gofundme.com. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Data Availability All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors Additionally, all data produced are available online at Gofundme.com.