Across the United States, an unmistakable shift is taking place. LGBTQ+ Americans are increasingly looking across the Atlantic, and not just for vacation destinations or temporary escapes: for long-term relocation.
While this demand has been increasing steadily over the last decade or so, the acute growth in demand starting in 2024 reflects a community in transition and concerned for its future.
Citizenship.EU just launched in September 2025, but our partners at LuxCitizenship.com have been around since 2016 and collecting data on this topic that can provide unparalleled insights.This analysis by Citizenship.EU uses data collected through LuxCitizenship.com from July 2022 to September 15, 2025. It provides one of the clearest statistical views of that movement.
The Numbers Tell a Story
To date, LuxCitizenship has helped over 3,000 Americans with Luxembourg ancestry claim their right to dual citizenship and, with it, access to live, work, and reside anywhere in the European Union.
LuxCitizenship connects with prospective citizenship applicants through a free automated eligibility test on their website. Starting with the tool’s launch in 2021, approximately 700 Americans completed this assessment per year. Beginning in January 2024, however, overall interest surged dramatically—growing 54% from 741 submissions in 2023 to 1,141 in 2025 (through September 15th).
Data on LGBTQIA+ Applicants
To complete the eligibility test, each potential applicant has to answer a number of multiple choice and fill in the blank questions. One particular checkbox on the forms allows us to subtly understand which applicants may belong to the LGBTQIA+ community.
“I am interested in content and information about dual citizenship for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Starting in January 2024, LuxCitizenship also added the following open ended fill-in-the-blank question to its eligibility test.
“I want to be a citizen of Luxembourg because ____.”
This article looks at entries from 354 people who selected the LGBTQIA+ checkbox on our eligibility test profile. These entries were submitted between July 2022 and September 2025. It also includes fill-in-the-blank answers from 255 of these applicants who took the test after the question was added in January 2024.
Unpacking the Data
Since this option was added on July 21, 2022, the percentage of prospective clients selecting this LGBTQIA+ check box has increased by 30%, with the most accented growth starting around 15 days before the 2024 election and continuing today.
The trajectory is unmistakable:
• 2022: 31 applicants selected LGBTQIA+ interest (9.5% of 325 total)
• 2023: 68 applicants selected LGBTQIA+ interest (9.2% of 741 total)
• 2024: 115 applicants selected LGBTQIA+ interest (11.3% of 1,020 total)
• 2025: 140 applicants selected LGBTQIA+ interest (12.3% of 1,141 total through September 15th)
Voices from the Data: Personal Stories of Fear and Hope
The individual responses collected by LuxCitizenship paint a deeply human picture of a community under siege. These aren’t abstract statistics—they’re real people making difficult decisions about their futures and their families’ safety.
The Political Awakening
“I am a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe that Luxembourg citizenship would create options for me and my husband if the political environment in the United States continues to shift”, says one applicant, crystallizing the sentiment driving many applications.
This measured language of creating “options” reflects the careful planning of people who see the writing on the wall. Others are more direct about their fears.
A public school teacher from Iowa reveals the immediate impact: “I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community and public schools teacher. The current political climate is having a direct negative impact on my ability to live my life free of discrimination. My state, Iowa, has just voted to remove gender identity from our civil rights law and I fear sexual orientation will be next.”
The Urgency of Transgender Americans
Responses from the transgender community carry particular urgency. One trans applicant states bluntly: “As a member of the LGBT community, and more specifically the trans community, I no longer desire to remain in the United States and yearn for a more accepting environment.” Another is even more succinct: “I feel America isn’t a safe place for trans people like myself.”This aligns with broader trends, as a Williams Institute study finds that up to 288,000 undocumented LGBTQIA+ immigrants are likely to be among the first affected by President Trump’s immigration policies. This would create additional pressure on those who can legally seek alternative citizenship.
Parents Protecting Their Children
Perhaps most poignant are the parents looking to protect their LGBTQIA+ children. One parent simply states: “I want to be able to have a possible refuge for my trans child”, states one parent.
Another parent explains further: “Several of my children are LGBTQIA and I am very worried for their safety and well-being in this country and I feel the need to protect them.”
A third parent reveals the multi-generational impact, saying: “Two of my kids are LGBTQ+ and are very interested in life in Luxembourg.”
These parents aren’t just planning escape routes—they’re involving their children in imagining different futures.
The Luxembourg Appeal: More Than Just Safety
Safety concerns are the main topic in the responses. However, applicants also often mention Luxembourg’s positive features. These features make it a good place to live beyond just being a refuge.
Legal Protections and Social Acceptance
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Luxembourg since January 1, 2015, with comprehensive anti-discrimination protections in employment since 2006. Further, Luxembourg’s legal gender change rights without restrictions have been around since 2018.
One applicant captures this appeal by saying that “Luxembourg values diversity, equity and inclusion… we want to live somewhere where all walks of life are seen as valuable and cherished.”
Cultural and Practical Attractions
Besides legal protections, respondents often mention Luxembourg’s multilingual culture. They also note its public transportation, environmental policies, and work-life balance. “Luxembourg’s values and laws align with my own better than America’s seem to… Laws relating to privacy and LGBT rights specifically are much stronger in Luxembourg than they are in the USA”, notes an environmentally conscious applicant.
The Broader Context: A Community in Crisis
These individual stories reflect broader national trends. A Harris Poll survey found that 42% of U.S. adults have considered relocating outside the country, with the number rising to 63% among Gen Z. Recent reporting describes a “worrying trend” of Americans heading for the exits amid Trump’s second term.For the LGBTQIA+ community specifically, the concerns aren’t theoretical. The ACLU reported in 2024 that the first Trump administration worked for years to remove protections for LGBTQ people across the federal government. They promised to do even more in a second term.
The “Backup Plan” Generation
What emerges from the LuxCitizenship data is a community that’s learned to think strategically about survival. “Given the current administration of the United States, and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I think it is prudent to have a backup plan should things go further south”, articulates one of the applicants.
This isn’t panic—it’s preparation. These are people who watched the first Trump administration, observed the policy trajectory, and decided to secure options before they might desperately need them.
Some responses even capture the raw fear driving these decisions. One person wrote simply: “USA is becoming very dangerous of LGBTQIA people. And I’m scared.”
The Intersection of Heritage and Safety
Many respondents weave together ancestral connections and safety concerns, creating a narrative where seeking Luxembourg citizenship becomes both a return to roots and an escape to safety.
One applicant captures this duality: “I want to reclaim and foster connection to my ancestral homeland. As a regular traveler, and also a member of the LGBT community, I am looking for [sic] welcoming and affirming environment to pursue a future that authentically bridges with my past.”“My father recently died and he was very proud of his Luxembourg heritage. It feels like the right way to honor my father, and our ancestors, and reclaim that heritage. I am also interested in helping my LGBTQ+ nieces and nephews explore this option,” another applicant adds a poignant family dimension to the cause.
Looking Forward
A gay man wrote eloquently:
“I am [sic] gay man and I have a cosmopolitan soul. My home country seems to have entered a new, frightening, authoritarian era, and while I do not want to abandon it, I need to know that I have a place of refuge.”
LuxCitizenship’s data shows a 47% increase in Americans looking into EU dual citizenship from 2023 to September 2025. It also shows the percentage of this group who self-identify as interested in LGBTQIA+ topics growing by 30%. Not only are these striking figures, but the the individual stories behind them reveal a community that’s not waiting for conditions to become unbearable. They’re acting now to secure options for themselves and their families. And they see Europe as their destination.
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About The Author
Daniel Atz is an American-Luxembourgish entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker on AI, migration, and global policy issues. Daniel founded Connaissance Solutions LLC. This New York-based business runs several websites in the global mobility field. These include LuxCitizenship.com, Citizenship.EU, StartBrazil.com, and AmericanEmigration.com. He is also the Founding Producer behind Connaissance Films, a documentary film production company telling stories in collaboration with young dual citizen directors.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Daniel helped hundreds of Belgian startups enter the US while working at BelCham, the Belgian-American Chamber of Commerce.
Daniel speaks 5 languages – English, French, Mandarin, Portuguese and Luxembourgish – and has lived in 8 countries.
Connaissance Solutions LLC is a nationally-recognized LGBT Business Enterprise in the United States.