As someone who has experience with being a literal fugitive in a case carrying the possibility of life (before eventually being detained and then found not guilty and released), this is really hard to do and people underestimate how difficult this is.

There is a psychological stress that goes along with being “on the run.” A person goes into flight/fight mode and there is such a huge rush of endorphins for such a prolonged period that it wears down the brain. It’s the sort of endorphin rush that would be really helpful if 1000 years ago you needed to run for 2 days to get away from your local village after something terrible happened. It is not helpful in modern society when fleeing a situation. You are much more likely to crash a vehicle during this time, you are much more likely to be unable to think normally or even be able to sleep. Criminals are often caught after crimes and during fleeing because they make mistakes that seem stupid, and naive folks go “criminals are so dumb,” but it’s really the huge flood of fight or flight brain chemicals that makes regular thinking and regular actions impossible but physical running much easier.

To deal with this, you need to do anything you can to reduce steps that involve thinking in such a situation. You need to have at least 1 go bag fully packed and ready. You will also forget stuff when you need to flee. You may even forget the go bag. The steps needed to leave must be easy, few, and rehearsable (ie, message friend in safe house using XMPP, grab go back, walk to location 2, meet friend to get ride to safe house). Packing light is important. Cash is important. A burner phone is important, you don’t want to buy it later when fleeing. A water bottle and vitamins can be helpful. Sleep aids like sleeping pills, and a mask for over the eyes, and ear plugs are helpful in case you’ve traveled for 2 days and need to sleep somewhere hidden. Don’t forget sleeping pills. Anti-anxiety medication would be very helpful. There are license plate readers so any car in a “wanted” person’s name will result in arrest if they are suddenly marked to go to a “Trans Containment Camp” or “Mental Health Re-education Facility.” There are sometimes police in main bus terminals and other locations. How will you get to this secret place to get out? Even if you have a go bag, cash, and enough visual changes to not be identified using biometric technology, will you walk away to this safe location? Many visual changes can create anonymity, but identification is often required during travel and if you are on a list, it will flag you immediately.

Many ways of thinking about this type of thing (“use a Nord VPN and chrome in incognito mode”) are useless. Even relying on Signal is bad choice because if you have a burner phone with a removable battery never powered on at home purchased with cash in the go bag, then you can’t log into Signal with it after you’ve fled, since Signal is tied to 1 device. XMPP is always safer when fleeing. Accept that many law-abiding liberal people will not help you or will even turn you in if trans people are suddenly subject to being rounded up.

I am not trans, but for trans people in America, they may want to look at options now for how to get out of the country unless you have the midset of a fighter. I am a second amendment supporter. If they try to de-arm trans people, that would be the canary in the coalmine to get out of the country. Getting out now, or making an emergency plan to get out now, will be so much easier than waiting too long for those that do not believing in literally fighting illegal tyranny. Now is the time if you are trans to make the go bag, take 90 percent of your hormones and save 10 percent for the go bag, consider options on how to best flee.

You don’t need to flee now, and there’s no point in being sad or scared, but just try to do some preparation. Remember that black slaves long ago did these sorts of things and now slavery is illegal in the USA. It’s horrible that slaves had to flee, but they were heroes, and trans people who need to prepare to flee and take precautions are heroes too.