Help Seani Find Safety – Urgent Asylum Fund

Help Seani Find Safety – Urgent Asylum Fund

Protecting Transgender and Nonbinary Lives – A Call to Action

My name is Gina, and I am reaching out with a plea to help my child, Seani Hale, and countless other transgender and nonbinary individuals whose fundamental rights and legal protections have been stripped away in the United States.

Seani, like many others, is now in a dangerous and uncertain situation—their legal identity has been erased, their ability to work and access healthcare is jeopardized, and they face the threat of persecution simply for being who they are.

This is about more than one person—this is about protecting the entire transgender and nonbinary community within the broader LGBTQ+ movement.

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⚠️ The Dire Reality Seani and Others Face ⚠️

Seani—like many other transgender and nonbinary individuals—faces distinct challenges in both the United States and Canada. Below is a breakdown of the threats they face in each country.

In January 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14168, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." This order eliminated the legal recognition of transgender and nonbinary individuals in the United States.

In the United States:

- Seani’s passport no longer complies with U.S. law. The government would refuse to issue them a new one, and if they attempt to re-enter the United States, their passport could be confiscated, and they could be detained and coerced into complying with anti-trans policies.

- Their driver’s license and birth certificate are only temporarily protected by local laws, but those protections are tenuous and under attack.

- The State Department has stopped issuing passports with an “X” gender marker, leaving thousands of nonbinary individuals, including Seani, in a dangerous legal limbo.

In Canada:

- Canada might offer asylum protections for transgender and nonbinary people, but these protections are untested in light of recent U.S. anti-trans policies. Each case is reviewed individually, and Seani’s now-illegal passport adds further uncertainty.

- Without asylum, Seani will become undocumented in Canada. They cannot legally work for a Canadian employer due to a lack of recognized identity documents.

- Healthcare access is blocked on both sides of the border. California-based healthcare providers cannot legally treat Seani via telehealth while they are in Canada, and without legal status, they cannot access Canada’s healthcare system either.

Seani represents the many transgender and nonbinary individuals whose identity documents no longer align with government policy. An estimated 16,700 nonbinary LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S. request passports with an "X" gender marker each year, but this right has now been revoked. [Source](https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/X-Gender-Marker-Passport-Mar-2022.pdf)

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⚖️ Legal Challenges Against These Policies ⚖️

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is actively fighting these injustices through multiple lawsuits:

- PFLAG v. Trump: Challenges the federal order blocking funds to healthcare providers offering gender-affirming care to trans youth. The ACLU argues this violates constitutional rights, including parental rights and free speech.

- Orr v. Trump: Challenges the State Department’s refusal to issue accurate passports. The ACLU argues this policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act and prevents transgender and nonbinary individuals from accessing valid legal identification, placing them at risk during travel.

These cases are ongoing, but legal battles take time—time that Seani and others like them do not have.

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Seani’s Fight for Safety in Canada

Seani and their husband have sought temporary refuge in Vancouver, Canada. However, the path to asylum is far from certain:

- Canada might offer asylum protections for transgender and nonbinary people, but these protections are untested in light of recent U.S. anti-trans policies. Each case is reviewed individually, and Seani’s now-illegal passport adds further uncertainty.

- Without asylum, Seani will become undocumented in Canada. They cannot legally work for a Canadian employer due to a lack of recognized identity documents.

- Healthcare access is blocked on both sides of the border. California-based healthcare providers cannot legally treat Seani via telehealth while they are in Canada, and without legal status, they cannot access Canada’s healthcare system either.

Seani is temporarily unemployed due to the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history, that of First Republic Bank. They are actively seeking a remote role with an American employer but face immense barriers.

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What Your Donation Will Cover

- Legal fees for an experienced Canadian immigration attorney

- Application and processing costs for asylum status

- Emergency living expenses while awaiting legal work authorization

- Support for advocacy efforts benefiting all transgender and nonbinary individuals, especially those with now-illegal identity documents

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⏳ Time Is Running Out ⏳

I am a mother fighting for my child’s safety, and for the safety of all transgender and nonbinary individuals who have been stripped of their rights. Seani, and thousands like them, need help NOW.

We cannot do this alone. Your support—whether through a donation, sharing this campaign, or spreading awareness—can make all the difference.

How You Can Help

- **Donate:** Any amount helps keep Seani safe.

- **Share:** Please spread this campaign far and wide.

- **Advocate:** If you have resources, connections, or legal knowledge, please reach out.

️‍⚧️ This is about survival. This is about justice. This is about protecting the LGBTQ+ community.

Thank you for standing with us.

With love and hope,

Gina N. Pegg