The US Department of Veterans Affairs says that was the same year she unveiled her trans pride flag at a Phoenix, Arizona Pride parade, years after Michael Page - creator of the bisexual flag - encouraged her to make one to represent her community. When you start running at fear and you take it down and you face your demons, that's when you recognize that it is your power and your strength and that's when you recognize that you will be freed and live such a happier life when you're authentic.Monica Helms says that in 2000, she made the move to Atlanta - in part because it allowed her access to Washington, DC, where she became a trans advocate. “We often let fear drive our actions … but the moment that you start making your decisions by what you feel is right and true to your heart, you are able to live a happier life.
Orr, who dreams of becoming a public speaker in the future, said she hopes others in the LGBTQ community can be inspired by her defiant act.
#WHAT ARE THE COLORS OF GAY PRIDE FLAG FREE#
“It has been a super rocky road of trying to navigate everything happening and trying to identify how I will navigate how things are but honestly, I feel so much happier now and so much more free because I can finally live authentically.” “It's just sad to see that other people in the church have a limit to their love when the church says their love is endless,” Orr said.ĭespite the possible repercussions, Orr said overall, she is happy with her decision to come out. I'm putting a lot of things on the line and I understand that,” Orr said, adding that aside from putting her undergraduate degree in jeopardy, she suspects she may receive further backlash from other Mormons and friends she used to be close with. I didn’t know if I was gonna be tackled and I mean, I am putting a lot of things at risk right now. “I didn't know what was gonna happen, if I was gonna be escorted off. Orr, 28, had gone back to school after working and studied psychology at Brigham Young University. “And if you do, they will threaten to kick you out of the school or remove your degree from you and so it's really scary to be in that situation of potentially losing everything that you've worked for.” “I realized that BYU does not - it's against their policies and against their rules, their codes for homosexual individuals to act on those feelings, and to be in relationships,” she added.
“It was hard to be on campus with that knowledge and knowing my lifestyle, but I wasn't even allowed to live that lifestyle outside of BYU for fear of other church members who would turn me in and so it was really a secret for just me and my family,” Orr said. She said switching to online classes when the COVID-19 pandemic began felt like a blessing in disguise. Orr told “GMA” she came out to her family at the time but kept her true identity hidden from others at school and in her local community. When her name was called, Orr walked on stage and opened up her graduation gown to reveal a gay pride flag.