Seventy-four-year-old Monica Helms, the creator of the trans flag and a U.S. Navy veteran, has announced that she and her wife plan to leave their home in Marietta, Georgia.
In 1999, Ms. Helms famously created the trans flag, and the flag was first flown at a pride parade in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2000. Before her transition, Ms.Helms served in the U.S. Navy between 1970 and 1978. Ms. Helms spent eight years fighting for the safety and well being of U.S. citizens, and now the new laws being passed put her safety in danger.
Since 2023, the United States legislatures have put forward 1,647 anti-LBGTQ+ bills. From gender-affirming care to curriculum censorship in schools, the trans community is especially affected, making the community feel unsafe. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reports that 604 bills have been proposed since January, all of which have targeted the trans community.
In June, an executive order prohibiting gender-affirming care for youth under 19, signed by President Trump, caused an involuntary closing of the trans youth care program at The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Several other hospitals have been forced to make similar decisions due to political pressure in states such as Washington, D.C.; California; and Virginia; these are states where trans health care is “legal.”
These recent changes have stoked fear within the LGBTQ+ community, causing Ms. Helms to fear for her and her wife’s freedom and safety. Ms Helms fears that these “nasty laws” in other states may reach Georgia, considering Georgia is a primarily right-wing state. Since 2023, Georgia lawmakers have proposed 23 anti LGBTQ+, four have passed into law, and one law initially passed is now being challenged in court.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to aid the couple in their move abroad. On the page, the couple states that they are trying to move to Costa Rica, which is “a safer place than the U.S. is today.” Ms. Helms also states that she is willing to help others move if needed and is happy to assist in any way she can. The couple hopes to continue trans activism and cultivate a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community abroad.
