Independent studio Wrong Turn Productions is currently producing We Can’t Stay Here, a documentary feature directed by Emmy and Peabody winner Gene Gallerano that tracks the lives of families raising transgender children amidst a surge of restrictive state and federal legislation. With production currently in its post-production stages, the project highlights the experiences of parents forced to choose between relocating, fighting, or going underground to protect their families.
Why are families relocating due to gender-related laws?
Hundreds of thousands of trans people have moved to “safer” states or to move abroad since 2025, according to a survey conducted by the nonprofit Movement Advance Project and the nonpartisan NORC research institute at the University of Chicago. This migration follows the introduction of more than 600 anti-transgender bills at the state level in 2025, as documented by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
The term “gender refugee” has emerged in public discourse to describe families who feel compelled to leave their home states to escape legislative environments they view as hostile to their children’s safety.
What is the impact of recent federal executive orders?
President Trump has issued multiple executive orders curtailing trans rights since he returned to the White House. Executive Order #14168 mandates that federal departments define gender as an unchangeable male-female binary determined by sex assigned at birth. Additionally, Executive Order #14201 prohibits transgender female athletes of all ages from participating in girls’ and women’s sports teams. These federal mandates have created a national landscape that, according to director Gene Gallerano, has turned government policy against families who previously felt secure in their local communities.
How does the film frame the “gender refugee” crisis?
Wrong Turn Productions cofounder William Nobel describes the phenomenon of the “American gender refugee” as a growing trend that was once unimaginable. The documentary aims to document the lives of ordinary citizens—teachers, community leaders, nurses, and truck drivers—who are now forced to confront an impossible choice. Cofounder Robbie Kruithoff notes that the project was spurred by a perceived silence from industry peers and institutions. “The opposite of courage isn’t fear, it’s silence,” Kruithoff said in a statement regarding the studio’s decision to back the film.
Production and Industry Context
- Director: Gene Gallerano, previously an executive producer on American Symphony.
- Consulting Producers: Academy Award winner Mollye Asher (Nomadland) and Emmy winner Pagan Harleman (The First Wave).
- Editor: Emmy winner Shelby Hougui.
- Music: 20x platinum and Grammy Award-winning artist Gino Barletta contributed the title track, “Same Love.”
When tracking legislative shifts, researchers often look to the Williams Institute at UCLA for data on state-level bill introductions, while the Movement Advance Project and NORC offer tracking of the resulting demographic migration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is We Can’t Stay Here about?
The documentary follows the journey of three sets of everyday parents as they confront an America where anti-trans laws and relentless hostility force them to make an impossible decision to keep their families safe: fight, flee or go underground.
Who is behind the production?
The film is backed by the newly established studio Wrong Turn Productions, founded by Robbie Kruithoff and William Nobel.
Is the documentary finished?
As of the latest reports, the film is currently in post-production.
Where can I find more information on these legislative trends?
Data regarding anti-transgender legislation is tracked by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, while migration patterns are monitored by the Movement Advance Project and NORC.
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