looking to flee the red states below you

I don't think Canadians are generally hostile to Americans unless they prove themselves to be asshole Americans. Lots of Canadians have American friends and would regularly travel over the border until a couple of months ago. And I think most Canadians can see what's going on in the USA and understand that some people may need to flee.

However, immigration to Canada isn't automatically allowed so it's worth doing a bit of research and planning. Here are some government web pages that may help:

https://ircc.canada.ca/explore-programs/index.asp

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada.html

I think I might fall into the refugee category. I feel ridiculous saying that as there are others who are far worse off than I am though.
- Americans are not going to be able to claim refugee status in Canada, at least not until things get a lot worse there. And, if it does happen, it's not going to be people who can "pass" as a non-threatened group.
- It's not ridiculous.

You'll need money to flee, at least $10k on hand, likely more, to start the process for Canadian citizenship.

It will be easier to get to a blue state than it will across the border. Right now, all you need is transportation and considerably less seed money. It's likely smarter to relocate to a blue state while you work out your international travel.

Since you're in Ohio, the closest metro that will likely protect you is Chicago. That's a good place to start if you're looking to go further north.

If you can make it to the west coast, Oregon is likely the cheapest place to start, but be aware that eastern Oregon has its fair share of maga. Do not travel through or visit Idaho on your way (especially if you're a person of color), and avoid Utah if at all possible. CO to NM to AZ is pretty safe if you're looking to take the southern route to CA. You'll probably be ok getting through Indiana as long as you keep to the freeway and don't stop.

I drive a chevy bolt EV. While it has fast charge capability, it's still a cheap EV and that fast charge still takes about an hour. Going through hostile territory isnt likely safe in my little hippymobile since I will be vulnerable at charging stations. I'll probably have to rent a uhaul and tow it, making this trip more expensive.
- Hmm... the EV part is rough. You might be better off selling it and getting a hybrid for the trip (Civic hybrids run like a top imho - my 2006 has 240k and hasn't had an issue yet). Charging infrastructure in the west isn't great. You also have the option of storing more fuel on board if you don't want to stop in hostile territory. You might even make money on the deal.
- I think, in general, people who buy EV are the ones a bit more concerned about environment, which lean to the left and a bit more tolerant. So you probably can charge up your car on exclusively EV charging locations

Yes, you will be welcomed by the people. Being welcomed by the job market is a whole another story, though one that you being American isn’t really getting in your way.

You kind of seem like you are spiraling based off of your additional comments, and may be overestimating the situation somewhat. You seem to be jumping from A to E and skipping through all the other, easier things you could do.

I’m aware I’m spiraling but there’s nothing I can do about it here. Getting mental health care is dangerous now as the Trump administration already said their end goal is to take psych patients and put them in work camps.
I lost access to health care when I lost my job a while back. When I got a new job when health coverage, Trump came to power and I now can’t risk using it. Even if it goes well, they medication could be taken away at any moment and I’ll have to go through a sudden withdrawl again. I’ll lose my job if that happens, which means I’ll be worse off than I am now.
I need to get myself in a situation where it is safe to care for myself.
- Get the mental health services for now. It'll probably help you stay more stable for the difficult planning and decisions that may need to be done. I don't think the labor camps will pop up suddenly enough to ambush many people. You aren't as cornered as you feel right now. Figure out your exit plan, figure out your threshold for when to run, and try to live your life and/or resist in the meantime. There are lots of beautiful places to run if you're willing to learn a new language. Spend some time reading about immigration laws so you'll know what to do. It's a little less scary when you know the plan in detail.
- I seriously can't tell if you are just trolling people. You seem to be making excuse after excuse, creating problems for yourself, and are showing poor risk assessment.

I'm in Oregon. Applying and being accepted to be Canadian will take a long time, my friend. You are welcome in Oregon in the meantime. We are a bastion at the moment but just like the rest of the decent states, we are going to have our rights eroded by the dick-tator and muskrat.

Now if only Canada would offer to take the PNW off the orange cancer's hands. Pretend like your doing him a favor lol

Washington and Oregon (in cities) will protect you as much as possible in the states. I believe they are the last bastions of hope in the states. We need people to stay and fight, but rest is important too, and they’re trying to make that impossible for people not in safe spaces right now so they give up hope and leave. Please stay and fight with us if you have it in you.

Canada will be mainly looking for skilled workers in the coming years. Being trained in healthcare or trades or engineering might give you a leg up, but it can’t be guaranteed

But overall Canada is reducing our overall immigration levels due to our previous government allowing many more immigrants than homes to house them.

Construction - building homes - may be something needed in Canada over the next few years if someone isn't a doctor or nurse.

tl;dr - being a newcomer is brutally hard.

No one who matters is gonna give you grief for being a Yankee, just don't bring it up in every conversation or try to explain politics to us and we're good. We all know plenty of Yanks. Many of us have family on the other side of the border, and more than a few friends, co-workers, etc.

The rest of this comment is for anyone scrolling with a similar question as you, so if this doesn't apply to your sitch, just leave it. And good luck to you.

The immigration links (ircc, canada.ca) are the first things to check out.

If you have any people up here, distant relatives, organizations you belong to that have chapters in Canada, acquaintances you met at work, etc, today's the day to reach out and say "hey, hope you're well." There's whole economies that thrive on people escaping crisis, and having real people here you know you can contact if shit really hits the fan during transit is absolutely a lifeline (like if the grifters and other coyotes get their claws in, you end up in jail/detention, etc). Brainstorm and make a list of phone numbers.

You mentioned being gay - so definitely check out any queer-friendly community centres where you're going. 519 in Toronto for example, if that's a city you want to try to live in. They're good folk. Show up for the information, stay to build your community here.

idk your financial situation (please don't tell me), but that's the hardest thing about escaping here for most people. Everything is money.

I can only buy 1/2 the amount of groceries I could get back in 2020, I'm paying the same amount, and I'm a pretty savvy shopper. The big market grocers are completely out of control. In cities at least, local small grocers are actually more affordable most of the time, so shop the markets, ignore Loblaws, etc.

Since 2018, the housing market has been pretty much completely deregulated in practice. Started with a few predatory Provincial mandated changes, and the free hand of the market has fucked it up for the rest of us. We're fighting for affordable housing as much as we can, but it's not an easy landing here for the average Jo/sphine, to say the least.

I know people that've been living in shelters for 4+ years, and many still line up every night. Homeless shelters here can be really unsafe - you don't want to get stuck there. Similarly, I know people with 2-3 jobs living in slum conditions because they get trapped paying 1000$ for a bunkbed in a basement with 10 other people. If you can hook yourself up with a place to be before you get here, with a real person you didn't meet on the internet, of course that's best. Many don't have the time or contacts for that though.

Gotta assume any under-the-table immigration help you may get offered is absolutely a scam - there's a massive human trafficking economy, designed to leech the last dime out of your pocket and leave you frozen in the woods on the border if need be. They. don't. care. I know lots of people who left their home countries relatively wealthy and were tapped in debt to heinous dudes by the time they got here. I know folks who've decided, "fuck it. I can live in soul-crushing poverty here in Canada or I can live in soul-crushing poverty where people at least speak my language" and gone back to active war zones rather than try to continue surviving here.

It's a brutal decision to make. Many people who absolutely know how dire it is still come though, despite everything. Even when it's "just" for the laws we still have protecting us from discrimination based on race, id, etc. I have friends and neighbours from Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Eritrea and on and on, who no matter how hard it's been getting and staying here, are still relieved and proud to call this place home. It's all about getting involved in your neighbourhood communities once you land. Show up to volunteer and don't isolate yourself.

None of this is encouraging information, and I'm sorry for it. But the main thing I know from the "newcomers" in my life, is the image of Canada as a safe place to land where you'll get free healthcare, a cozy apartment and a decent regulated job (and that IS how shady immigration consultants sell it)? They always say, "I wish at least 1 person had told me the truth before I came here."

If you know these things and still think you have to or want to try navigating it all, Welcome, for what it's worth.

I mean, I'd give you a hug, take you to my local pub which just so happens to be queer owned and does fundraising for amazing causes and introduce you to my friends and community. Hell, I have a spare bedroom if you want a place to crash while you get set up.

You aren't your government any more than the turds running my province (Alberta) are me. You'll most likely be met with sympathy for the challenges you face in making such a big move and admiration for having the conviction and courage to do so.

Like any country, there'll be jerks, but as a rule of thumb, we're pretty friendly.

Heck, if you want a vacation, shoot me a message and come visit and use that spare room I mentioned. Do you hike or bike? I'm in Calgary which is super close to epic mountain fun and incredible scenery. We've also got three cats who demand attention, and a guide-dog in training who is a goofy/genius puppy, so there's lots of pet-therapy available too.

Oh god I miss pet therapy. My cat died last year. A snuggly little manx named Ada Lovelace. I still miss her terribly. I dont have any downtime or spare money right now and I don't see that changing. A lot needs to go well in my life for me to be able to pull off this self-rescue, and I'm still in the planning stages but I appreciate the offer.
- Completely understand and hugs. Pets' lives are too short.

Coming from a trans person in Oregon who got my passport changed last year out of paranoia, I wonder if you're overreacting. I think Oregon and other states like Washington, California, and northeastern states are friendly to lgbt folk, and it will be a hard fight if Trump wants to stop us from having rights. Portland is a metro area friendly to lgbt, and if you have no income, you can get on the Oregon health plan for free healthcare. I'm worried about you saying that you don't want to get on meds because you are afraid of the withdrawals. Of course you should make the decision you think is best, but isn't it better to have good mental health now rather than have bad MH in the hopes of avoiding your fear sometime in the future? Take care of yourself, remember that there is no certainty in life, there are risks in exposing yourself as mentally unhealthy, but there are also risks in not getting the help you need.

The path to fascism is lined with people telling others to stop overreacting
Also portland has a very strong leftist community so, if you want to find community, it's got lots of opportunity to not be alone.
I think OHP requires residency, no? Is it 6mo?
- No residency, you can get OHP immediately!
The exposure is deliberate. If you keep secrets they can be used to blackmail or discredit you later. If everybody already knows something it’s more difficult to weaponize against you.
The illusion of a fine upstanding pretty perfect little muusemuuse is unimportant to me. I need to be safe, not to impress people.
Getting mental health help now works against me in multiple ways. First, it creates a dependency on a support structure that can’t travel. Therapists are in short supply and high demand. Psych medications can be taken away at any time and their sudden absence would effectively paralyze me. I’m actually at a rather strange advantage having finally adjusted to their absence. I’m miserable, I’m scared, but I haven’t lost touch with reality. I understand what’s real and what isn’t. I don’t hear voices or hallucinate. I don’t have violent tendencies. There’s just no compelling reason to put myself in greater danger by getting mental health help in red state USA in 2025.
Making things public like this also limits me. I’m more likely to be guided toward a better outcome. The majority of people are still good. They still want to help eachother. Even on the Internet there’s enough good there to help me. And if I should deteriorate significantly further, this acts as a failsafe for that too. People won’t notice a gradual decline but something sudden will raise alarms.
My friends and family are incredibly worried about me but right now is that’s what I need.
- Strength is in connections. It seems like you have some friends in Ohio. Rely on them while you're there. It looks like from some of your posts that you are thinking of moving to Oregon. If you do, find a good community and get connected. Like I said, Oregon is less likely to fall to Trump than other states. I think OHP is less risky, and I would advise using the free healthcare and taking meds if they help you. Most meds can also be titrated down instead of quitting cold turkey. Plus have you researched grey market meds online? There aren't enough therapists, it's true, but at least here in Oregon, you can go to a county run mental health outpatient facility and get a therapist with maybe a month of waiting time. I know this because I am a therapist myself, or will be when I finish school.

I suggest going to Southeast Asia instead. tickets are a couple hundred, everybody is really cool about genders and pretty much everything else there, everything is cheap, you can live indefinitely on tourist visas and if you need money you can always teach English.

This is not entirely true. Malaysia and other countries have very conservative laws and social policies. Also, the English teaching industry is not what it was in the early 2000s. Most countries now have enough of their own English speaking population, and the.standards for foreign teachers have increased as a result. Even Vietnam requires a TESL diploma, which requires a degree to take. Any school that would employ someone illegally is not an employer to seek out as they (unsurprisingly) do illegal things in their workplace. Risk of deportation, the school being shut down, not getting paid, etc, is very high. Do not work illegally in another country.
- "This is not entirely true."
  I'll check.
  "Malaysia...English teaching industry...Most countries...standards...VIetnam requires...employ illegally...risk...very high"
  yea, solid disclaimer, most of that looks less than entirely true. Honestly, a lot of that is barely half true.
  real quick: ESL is still booming in April 2025 with thousands of currently available ESL positions, pay rates are higher than ever, outpacing inflation significantly, the requirements are about the same as they were 15 years ago; native english fluency, college degree or TEFL certificate sometimes required based on the position and location for 25 hours of teaching a week, not including the breaktimes each class.
  Most countries certainly do not have enough of an english speaking population to have affected the ESL market, hence the thousands of currently available ESL postings and dozens of platforms for teaching online.
  Vietnam does not require "TESL diplomas" to teach English.
I dont have any qualifications to teach.
- aside from being a native English speaker, you don't need any.
  The school will provide the curriculum, training, you'll get to shadow a teacher for a few days and you'll have an assistant in class to wrangle the students, so all you have to do is speak English in a native accent for 20 minutes at a time.
  you can also watch any number of YouTube videos to learn what teaching English is like, or you can choose from hundreds of other remote jobs If you don't want to teach.
  as long as you make a few hundred a month, you can survive comfortably in Southeast Asia.
  hostels are $100 a month, 200 a month for food is enough.
  If you're making 500 usd a month, you can get a private place for $250 or $300, and keep the same food budget.

Try and apply as a refugee.

you can't apply unless you have undeniable proof of having been attacked by the state. it's not as easy as the media says
My fear is that will take more time than I have.

Personally, I have no use for any American anymore. Stay the fuck out is my only thought.

Where have I seen this rhetoric before?
Oh, the US government.
But I get it.
- Every country not threatening annexation can come for a pleasant visit.

Run away from your problems and dont bother try anything to fix it, the problems won't surely follow you anywhere.

There isn't a non-violent solution to fascism. I am one unarmed man in Ohio. I can't do anything about the nazis. I voted against them. I've signed petitions. I've done all the things a functioning society has available but they don't work when your opponent isn't playing the same game by the same rules. Unless these guys start dropping like flies things wont change. This thing has its own momentum now. I don't have the ability to change that.
- Canada's far right party simply needs to convince the equivalent of a couple small towns in quantity of votes to get into power, FYI. That's how close they are to gaining momentum from their current level of national support.
- Ohio either is or has recently been a swing state. The rise of fascism is terrifying but people in Ohio should have plenty of options for improving the situation and fighting back. And in even the most conservative red states, many of cities are blue. Your best bet may be to move to a city in Ohio. If that’s too expensive, then I have some bad news for you about Oregon (and probably much of Canada). Rural Oregon can be pretty conservative and racist AF. Cool cities in Oregon aren’t cheap relative to Ohio suburbs and exurbs. Living in a fun neighborhood in Cleveland or Columbus, joining some Democratic or Leftist political organizations and taking more direct action with like minded people may help with the feelings of hopelessness and may actually have a positive impact.
  But free advice from a random on the internet is worth what you pay for it 🤷. It’s easy for me to make suggestions from my left leaning coastal city. Ultimately you have to decide how to best protect yourself mentally and physically.
- I voted against them. I've signed petitions. I've done all the things a functioning society has available
  Wow, you did both things?!
Please go away.
Plenty of Jews and minorities fled nazi germany, and as a result have families alive today.
- Fair point. I will slink away back to my sewage pit, apologies.
The USA is going down a route similar to Germany in the 1930s. Would it be appropriate to preach what you just said to Jews and LGBTQ+ people trying to leave Nazi Germany?
- No you are correct, vulnerable people need to flee to allow violent people to handle their business.
My great-great grandparents fled Europe during WW1 when they were teens.
Did they run away too?
- I'm very happy they fled and stayed alive to help create you, because you're an amazing person, but I'm sorry the word "fled" literally means to run away. So yes, they did.