At 74, Navy veteran and transgender icon Monica Helms, the visionary behind the original trans pride flag, is preparing to relocate abroad with her wife, Darlene Wagner, citing a dangerous political climate in the United States as the catalyst for their decision.
Helms, who proudly served aboard two submarines from 1970 to 1978, unveiled the pink, white, and blue trans flag in 1999. Since then, the flag has become a globally recognized emblem of transgender visibility and resilience.
This relocation plan is not a whim; it is a necessity. Living in Georgia, now labeled a “high risk” area for trans people, Helms and her wife launched a GoFundMe earlier this year to fund their move. “We are worried there’s a possibility something could happen where we end up getting arrested just for being who we are,” Helms shared with the Bay Area Reporter.
Their fears are grounded in real threats. Since 2023, Georgia has seen nearly three dozen anti-trans bills proposed, and four of them have already become law. These include bans on trans girls participating in school sports, restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors and incarcerated individuals, and laws that could facilitate discrimination under the guise of religious freedom.
This legislative wave is part of a broader trend. A Williams Institute poll found that nearly half of trans adults in the U.S. have considered moving either across state lines or out of the country altogether.
Helms is considering Costa Rica as their new home, describing it as a safer environment than the U.S. “We will not abandon our activism,” she affirmed in parting words posted on her fundraising page.
Though Helms is a unique figure whose pioneering spirit and legacy of advocacy have left an indelible mark, her story mirrors that of countless trans Americans who are grappling with whether to stay and resist or seek safety elsewhere.
Her trans flag, now housed in the Smithsonian, was created to be free and open for everyone to use. It carries the message that “no matter how you fly it, it’s always correct,” a poignant metaphor for finding one’s truth and existence in a world that often fights against it.
Leaving her homeland is far from easy. Still, Helms’ decision resonates as both a wake-up call and a testament to survival. Even in diaspora, her activism endures.
