The red state, blue state divide is real. But it's driven by more than just politics

National The red state, blue state divide is real. But it's driven by more than just politics June 8, 20265:00 AM ET By  Scott Neuman Illustration by Annelise Capossela for NPR Three years ago, Jessa Davis had an epiphany: After she came out as a trans woman, remaining in deep-red Texas felt untenable. So, she sold her house in Odessa and moved to the liberal bastion of Seattle, Wash. Davis describes herself as a trans refugee. Back in Texas, she says, lived in a "pretty hostile and frankly dangerous" place. "I had a lot of close calls, a lot of threats." Word of the week The use and misuse of the word 'ideology' Davis volunteered with organizations advocating for trans and queer rights in Odessa and remembers thinking, "I've got one life and I don't want to spend the next 20 years of [it] fighting a battle that I'm not sure we're going to win in a place like Texas." Her fight for LGBTQ rights continues, but it feels more manageable in a city she views as welcoming and supportive. After arriving, Davis quickly became active in local issues and now serves as co-chair on a commission advising the city on LGBTQ issues. She and other commissioners have urged Seattle to declare a state of emergency to provide more resources for the growing number of people relocating there to escape anti-LGBTQ laws and hostile social climates elsewhere in the country. Jenna Davis in Seattle in a photo taken last month. Cadence Sagan hide caption toggle caption Cadence Sagan Davis' case reflects what sociologists call "ideological sorting" — the tendency to choose communities aligned with one's political and cultural values. Popularized in the 2008 book The Big Sort, it sets out to explain the widening divide between red and blue America. Sponsor Message In a country that's growing ever-more polarized, the shifting demographics cut in both directions — and it is happening across the country. In one study from 2022, researchers concluded that "at no point since the Civil War have part...