SAULT STE. When she prayed to God to make her into a child, Monica Helms was five years old.
In the 1950s, Helms had no like-minded people to look up to and no resources to use, having grown up in a spiritual family.
Despite facing challenges from a young time, including hiding her real self as a member of the U.S. Navy, Helms gradually overcame her shift and established the transgender flag in 1999.
The military veteran, who is now a leader in the trans society, was at Sault College this afternoon to offer advice, knowledge, and schooling on the first stop of the national 2024 Visibility Tour.
” I want people to be more educated in this”, she said. I want them to know a little bit about transgender history. Not just the symbol, but other things also. People lessen our suffering because of learning. The more we inform, the better it is”.
Sault Pride and Sault College worked together with the International Day of Pink to create Wednesday’s celebration feasible.
This year’s trip is more special for Helms as she celebrates the 25th anniversary of creating the transgender symbol, which features two mild blue stripes, two red stripes, and a white line in the middle.
Helms acknowledged it took some time for the symbol to become widely known after it’s been a quarter of a decade since its creation.
” It was 2013 when I was looking at photos from Pride across the world”, she said. ” I started seeing the transgender flag in different locations, and I’m going:’ Oh my God, this is catching on.’ It was only 15 years older when I gave it to the Smithsonian. However, that was only a short while before anything became a household name.
” Over the course of time, I was taken away that it started growing popular”, she added. It was very interesting to witness it in locations where nothing else is visible. It’s been on all seven countries, including Antarctica, and on major of several of the tallest mountains in the world – but never Mountain only yet”.
Headpieces wants those who disagree with the idea to know that it’s not a choice; it’s who they are, in order to help others understand the pain and suffering that so many transgender people experience.
” I could n’t write, could n’t read, and where was I going to get information about transgenderism in 1956″? she said. ” Do n’t tell me that it’s not something you’re not born with, because I definitely know it was”.
” As time has gone on, there’s always been some class that has been hated, segregated or discriminated”, she said. When those organizations and their right are recognized, the haters often move on to love others. We’re the ones that all is aiming for following.
The transgender flag in the International Space Station, along with the rainbow flag, are two items on Helms ‘ bucket list.
Vincent Bolt, a social worker therapist from Sudbury who has thoroughly worked with trans children, teenagers, parents, and their communities, is joining her on the Visibility Tour.
He also used the present to tell the community about his personal experience while stressing the importance of supporting individuals on their journey at Sault College.
Without that help, Bolt did n’t meat comments on the effects that may occur.
” There’s going to be more children in the graveyard – that’s why it’s important, plain and simple”, he said. ” If youths do not have the ability to transition and been themselves, they may die. The risk of suicide among transgender youth receiving full parental support decreases by 96 %. When you’re a student, having access to gender affirming care is life saving and important.
Bolt is already working on his master’s essay, which looks at the experience of 2SLGBTQ+ children who have experienced poverty in Sudbury.
He discovered through research that 40 % of children who are homeless live in the Pride group, compared to 10 % of the populace overall.
Bolt said that the main reason gay and transgender children find themselves homeless is because their kids do not accept them. Working with people is crucial to making sure kids have a secure place to go residence. Because it is not a place where they can accomplish that, the reason they are keeping it a solution is.
Sault Pride head Amanda Zuke, who describes their browse as “incredibly important” to the city, is thrilled to own Helms and Bolt share their experiences with visitors today.
having Sault Ste. Marie is definitely a major table honour”, she said. ” We are thus thrilled, and it really is a good rallying point for the area. This is something that’s going to live in my thoughts permanently”.
When the Drag Story Time function turned into a heated debate in January 2023, Zuke was the administrator of the counter-protest at the city library.
Duelling demonstrations suddenly took place at town hall last summer when disagreements over 2SLGBTQ+ lessons in schools reached a halt.
An event like now, according to the Sault Pride head, served as a reminder of the efforts being made to defend those who are most vulnerable.
” We actually think it’s important to get the facts out”, she said. Nothing does child cleaning or changing. We’re advocating that children get themselves when we conduct these counterprotests, which carefully ties into that.
” Knowing species understanding, and from there, you can become an ally and a hero of their rights and freedoms”, she added. We’re definitely happy to make this happen for them because we have this gorgeous transgender community in town.
SooToday.com
