A transgender educator from Orlando has initiated a fundraising campaign to relocate from Florida to Maryland, driven by the state's escalating legislative measures targeting LGBT+ individuals. Saoirse Stone, a 32-year-old high school English teacher, aims to depart with her wife, Dani, by June when their rental lease concludes, seeking refuge in the more liberal environment of Maryland.
Forced Departure from Home State
Stone, who has spent nearly her entire life in Florida, described the decision to leave as emotionally akin to an amputation. As a native Floridian, she expressed deep attachment to her home state but feels compelled to abandon it due to recent political developments. "This is my home," she revealed in an interview with The Advocate. "All but three years of my life have been spent in this state." However, the passage of restrictive laws has left her feeling she has no alternative but to seek safety elsewhere.
Impact of Anti-LGBT+ Legislation
The catalyst for Stone's departure includes Governor Ron DeSantis's Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" law, alongside other statutes that curtail LGBT+ rights. This legislation prohibits public school staff from using personal titles or pronouns that do not align with an individual's sex assigned at birth, effectively silencing Stone in her classroom. "I could have my teaching certificate revoked," she warned. "I can’t even speak up for myself. I can’t defend myself."
To circumvent these restrictions, Stone has resorted to encouraging students to address her as "coach," leveraging her role leading the school's e-sports team. She constantly self-censors, fearing that any misstep could attract negative media attention and jeopardize her career. "I’m constantly having to self-police everything I say," she admitted. "Is this going to be the thing that gets me on Fox News and gets my teaching certificate revoked?"
Educational and Personal Constraints
Beyond pronoun usage, Stone has faced significant limitations in her teaching duties. She was forced to remove acclaimed authors like James Baldwin and Margaret Atwood from her classroom bookshelves due to Florida's book bans, which deem such materials unacceptable. Additionally, she is barred from discussing queer authors, despite her school's nominal recognition of Pride month. "To comply with these rules is to teach poorly," she lamented to Gayety. "I must allow myself to be degraded and do a worse job as a teacher. It’s devastating."
Healthcare Concerns Accelerate Move
Originally planning to relocate in June, Stone and her wife have expedited their timeline following a recent court ruling. The Fourth Circuit's decision allowing West Virginia to exclude gender-affirming care from Medicaid coverage has raised alarms that Florida might adopt similar policies. Stone fears this could disrupt her access to hormone replacement therapy, a critical component of her healthcare. "I am worried Florida will jump on this opportunity and pass something before the end of the current legislative session, thus making it prohibitively difficult to continue obtaining HRT," she wrote on her GoFundMe page.
This potential loss of medical access has heightened her urgency. "I no longer believe that waiting for my current lease to be up and the current school year to be over will be safe," she explained. "I can deal with indignity, but the prospect of losing access to my meds is horrifying."
Financial and Community Motivations
Compounding these challenges, the rising cost of living in Florida has strained Stone's finances, with over half of her paycheck dedicated to rent. "Florida’s economy is terrible," she noted. "We need help now, or next year it could be even worse." Her wife's family resides in Maryland, and Stone has friends in the area from her law studies in Virginia, offering a supportive network for their transition.
The fundraiser has already garnered more than $9,000, aiding the couple in covering moving expenses along the East Coast. Stone's primary goal is to find a place where she can live authentically and securely. "I want to be somewhere I can be myself," she emphasized. "I want to maintain autonomy as an educator and build a local queer community."
Broader Implications for Educators
Stone's situation underscores the broader impact of Florida's policies on educators and LGBT+ residents. Her experience highlights how legislative actions can force individuals to choose between their careers, healthcare, and personal safety. As she prepares to leave behind her students and lifelong home, Stone's story serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of such laws, urging a reevaluation of their effects on communities and professional autonomy.
