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Colorado is seen by some as a haven for transgender rights, and one organization has been inundated with requests to move to the state

Colorado transgender community holds protest against anti-trans policies
Colorado transgender community holds protest against anti-trans policies 02:41

A nationwide movement brought people together in Denver Thursday at a rally to empower transgender voices, unite allies and advocate for equality and justice.

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CBS

 The effort is part of a push to unite as concerns grow in the transgender community following President Trump's efforts to roll back protections for transgender people across the country. That includes an executive order threatening funding for schools supporting transgender rights.

One Colorado organization has been inundated with requests to move to the state as it has become somewhat of a haven for trans rights. Many people are looking to Colorado for transgender resources and support.

"We thank you for being here today," said Zoe Elaine Scott, a rally leader for the Transgender Unity Coalition.

"It is on this day that we will bring all of us together in unity," Scott said.

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 Standing together in unison is important for this community as they protest against anti-trans policies.

The effects of these policies are already being seen in Colorado, where Denver Health has suspended gender-affirming surgeries for minors in response to Trump's executive order cutting federal support for individuals who transition under 19.

"They think they've won on us, but they haven't," Scott said.

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CBS

Kiera Richards, executive director of Trans Continental Pipeline, a nonprofit helping LGBTQ+ and transgender individuals relocate from unwelcoming areas to Colorado, said the organization has seen a surge in requests.

"We got 22 relocation requests in October. We got 500 in November, and we're continuing to see a caseload that is nothing like we've experienced before," Richards said.

The organization's four-step relocation program, funded by the community, is seeing a caseload of nearly 1,200. Requests are coming from states like Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and rural California.

"We're doing everything we can in a very short period to build our resources, train more relocation managers, and help people get here," Richards said. "Our goal is to get them to areas where they will hopefully be more out of harm's way."

Colorado is considered one of the most accepting states in the U.S. for transgender people, thanks to legal protections against discrimination based on gender identity in employment, health care and housing.

However, Richards said, "The state is unprepared for the wave of internal migration we're seeing. We need all the support we can get, basically anything anybody might need relocating here."

The Transgender Unity Coalition plans to host more rallies, including one at the nation's Capitol in Washington on March 1.

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