Creator of transgender flag shares her story during Sault visit
A nationwide tour heralding the importance of visibility among the transgender community kicked off last week in northern Ontario.
The creator of the Transgender Pride Flag Monica Helms was the star of the event and headlining the tour.
Transgender Pride Flag creator Monica Helms received a warm welcome at Sault College on March 13, 2024 as part of the kick off for the Visibility Anniversaries Tour. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)Helms was met with a warm welcome in Sault Ste. Marie.
"As a trans woman born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie it was a struggle coming out,” said local Lucia Luciani.
“Having a flag to hold onto, just myself, wrapping it around myself, have a flag that represents me, my community, It’s a reminder to all including myself that we do belong."
Transgender Sault woman Lucia Luciani shares with CTV News how important the Transgender Pride Flag was when they came out. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)The ‘Visibility Anniversaries Tour’ marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of the trans flag.
Organizers told CTV News that they believe that protests in the Sault make it a great place to start the tour and recent government legislation targeting gender-affirming care points to the relevance of having these open discussions.
"Suicide among trans-youth who are fully supported by their parents decreases by 96 per cent,” said northern Ontario transgender activist Vincent Bolt.
“Access to gender-affirming care, when you're a teenager, is life-saving and it is necessary."
Activist Vincent Bolt talked with CTV News about the importance of gender-affirming care for teenagers on March 13, 2024. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)During the event at Sault College Helms shared her journey.
"At age 5 I prayed to God to turn me into a girl,” she said.
“That was 1956, I was 5 years old, I couldn't write, I couldn't read. ‘Where was I going to get information about transgenderism?’”
“Don't tell me that it's something that you're not born with," Helms added.
Transgender Pride Flag creator Monica Helms shared her story at a kick-off event for the Visibility Anniversaries Tour at Sault College on March 13, 2024. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)The tour will bring Helms to 11 other cities across the country over the next month and a half.
The creator of the trans flag gets many personal questions and both she and the other presenters on the tour said they believe a major focus of the event should be on trans history and education.
On the tour’s website, Helms described the Transgender Pride Flag’s design as intuitive and ingenious.
Helms said the idea for the design came to her in a flash of insight – or as a “divine intervention.” A clever colour variation of the Pride Flag that reads like a palindrome. The light blue at the top and the bottom is the iconic “baby boy” colour. The pink above and below the blue is the “baby girl” colour and the line in the middle is white – neither boy nor girl, non-binary or in transition.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
Sault Pride chair Amanda Zuke talks with CTV News on March 13, 2024 about the importance of allies to the transgender community. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)"Understanding breeds acceptance, and from there you can become an ally and a champion of the person next to you's rights and freedoms," said Amanda Zuke, chairperson for Sault Pride.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.