Monica Helms resigned from her executive director position at Trans=Action, an Atlanta based transgender advocacy organization, earlier this month. The Southern Voice recently published this piece about Helms’ decision to step down.

Snippet:

Helms said her biggest reason for leaving is her involvement with the Transgender American Veterans Association, for which she serves as founding president. Helms said she also considered working as a transgender rights consultant to organizations and companies.

“I feel that my expertise of having about seven and a half to eight years of activism that I could provide independent information for various organizations,” Helms said. She will align herself with other organizations and lobby for equal rights “when it’s necessary,” Helms added.

Under Helms’ tenure, Trans= Action increased its visibility through projects including hosting the annual Day of Remembrance to honor transgender victims of violence; meeting with Atlanta police to discuss treatment of transgender citizens; and addressing a city homelessness task force to discuss biases transgender people face in local shelters.

Click here to visit the website of the Transgender American Veterans Association.