<div><strong>On February 26, my world fell apart.</strong> 
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<div>My son attempted suicide on a relocation-road-trip due to transphobia that was making it unsafe for us to stay safe in Utah. Less than 48 hours later, we had to pull him from the psych ward he'd been placed in because he was physically assaulted for being trans by other patients. We abandoned our car and most of our belongings that were with us and flew to Canada for a professional development that was supposed to be at the end of our road trip. Since we've arrived, it's become very clear that we cannot go back to the USA. My children cannot be kept safe in the US. 
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<div><strong>Why We Left</strong>
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<div>I'm Simon and I'm trans. My husband, Tommy, is also trans. Together, we are raising three kids, two of whom are trans. We started our journey in Utah. Utah is where I was raised and where most of my family is. It has been clear for a long time that it was not safe to stay there long term as two trans men married with three kids. The last few months only made this worse. 
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<div>Our oldest, E, realized he was trans last fall and came out. From the moment he came out, he has been targeted by transphobia at school and in our apartment complex. He has been harrassed, physically pushed, called slurs, and told to kill himself. The school did nothing. His safety did not matter to them.
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<div>Our youngest, B, cannot use the girls' bathroom at school. She would hold it until she couldn't anymore. It was causing significant anxiety every single day. Because the policies were government-led, there was nothing the school could do, even the teachers who wanted to help had their hands tied. She was also made fun of and told she was a freak and should die for existing. She's 8. She looks like any other little girl and it breaks my heart how tough she's had to become just to survive.
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<div>The US government has also labeled "trans activists" like myself as "domestic terrorists" and the coalition that got Roe vs Wade overturned is now targeting gay marriages. If we stay in Utah, our marriage could be invalidated and I could be arrested. I want this to be hyperbole. It is not.
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<div>So we decided to leave the state as soon as possible and the country shortly thereafter. We made a plan to go on a giant road-trip of the West/Southwest and do some professional development for me in Canada before going back to Washington state to wait for my Canadian citizenship to process. 
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<div>Less than a week into our road trip, my oldest, E, attempted suicide. He believed it would be better to be dead than to be a trans kid in the United States. He was stabilized and then put in-patient in Scottsdale. 
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<div>From the moment he entered the Scottsdale facility, he was misgendered and called the wrong name, deliberately, by staff. This created a hostile situation for E. He arrived the evening of February 27. Less than 24 hours later, on February 28, we pulled him from the hospital after he was punched in the head and knocked unconscious by another patient. Leading up to the physical assault, he was called an it, told he was less than human - no better than an object or an animal, had food thrown at him, and was told he would be beaten bloody for being trans. The staff did nothing to make him safer. It culminated in the attack. Only then did they do anything to help him, and even then, it was minimal. They didn't even give him a Tylenol for the pain, just an ice pack. They also ignored the blood coming out of his ear and the symptoms of a concussion. We had to take him to the ER ourselves after we pulled him from the hospital. 
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<div>In a place where he should have been given space to heal after attempting suicide, his life was endangered, literally. It was safer for me to watch him at a hotel than to keep him there. 
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<div>There was no way to hide this from B. She has been spiraling since about how she can protect herself. How she will run if someone tries to hit her. How she will kick their shins or scratch them or bite them. She's terrified. We all are. 
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<div>We flew to Canada, planning on driving down to Washington after my Professional Development next week. We abandoned everything that did not fit in our suitcases. Our car. My ebike. The 3D printer. My husband's espresso machine. None of it matters more than our kids. So we gave what we could away and threw the rest out. The car is still sitting in the Tucson airport economy lot. Hopefully someone can help us solve that later.
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<div>With the Trump administration putting pressure on programs that offer gender-affirming care, and states like Minnesota cutting programs for youth, we do not believe that our children will get the help they need in the United States. My children are also too terrified of returning for me to do that to them. I also fear that my public persona will get me arrested. So we're staying in Canada as my citizenship processes. If it takes too long, we'll find another safe harbor in another country for a while. But we cannot go back.
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<div><strong>What We Need Help With</strong>
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<div>We have money for a couple months of rent and food in savings, however we do not know when my citizenship will be processed or when Tommy will be allowed to work.
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<div>The goal is $50,000 CAD to cover:
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<ul>
<li>Insurance for as long as it takes for both my citizenship to process and for me to be able to sponsor my husband and the kids
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<li>Mental health services for three traumatized children and two adults (insurance will not cover pre-existing conditions or certain mental health things that we desperately need)
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<li>Any doctors expenses not covered by insurance, like prescriptions, Tommy's post-surgical care, etc
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<li>An immigration lawyer to help us navigate the complicated situation we have found ourselves in
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<li>Bus passes for the adults so we can navigate the area and go to job interviews when we get to that point
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<li>Hiring someone to bring the last few belongings we left in Utah and our cats to us so the kids don't have to have lost everything
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<li>Any stop-gap unexpected expenditures necessary to provide for ourselves
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<div><strong>Our Commitment</strong>
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<div>Any funds we receive beyond our family's immediate survival needs or what is listed above will go directly to mutual aid for other trans families, people of color, and marginalized folk fleeing similar circumstances in the USA. We know we're not the only ones had to run.
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<div><strong>More of Our Story</strong>
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<div>The reason I support my trans kids, the reason Tommy supports the trans kids, is because we know what it was like to be a trans kid who wasn't supported. I spent every day of my life until I was in my 30s wishing I would just die. I know what it's like to be in E's shoes, not believing that it's worth living. I will do anything to change these kids' trajectory. I will do anything to help them be safe. They deserve everything I never got and more.
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<div>As an adult, when I came out as trans, I realized the choice was so blatantly simple. I could spend the rest of my life wanting to die or I could become Simon and live. I chose to live. I want my kids to learn that lesson before they are in their 30s. I want them to spend the rest of their lives just getting to be themselves and to be accepted for being themselves.I want them to have actual childhoods and get to be kids.
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<div>You can read more of my story on my personal blog www.popesimonx.com. I will also be sharing updates on my Instagram (@PopeSimonX).
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<div><strong>Thank You</strong>
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<div>We made it out. We're safe. But we need help to actually heal and rebuild. Any amount helps and sharing this campaign helps even more. 
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<div>Thank you, thank you so much, for seeing us, for believing us, and for fighting for my kids' right to just be kids. Thank you for helping us survive and get to a place where we can thrive.
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<div>~Simon, Tommy, &amp; the kids (E, M, B)
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Celeste Freeman

Jillian Selsky

Help Our Family Heal After Fleeing the USA for Our Safety

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Help Our Family Heal After Fleeing the USA for Our Safety

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