Chantelle Billson

The family of a young trans student from Iowa who took his own life earlier this month, has spoken out about the bullying he faced during his short life.

Fifteen-year-old Miles Phipps died on 4 November, prompting more than 150 pupils at Urbandale High School to walk out in support of his family and to call for more kindness. 

His mother, Ashley Campbell, told the Des Moines Register that he had been bullied in and out of school for years. He had tried to end his own life twice, even before attending the school.

“Protecting trans kids is important but so is not being cruel, just being understanding,” she said. “I think it’s a bigger issue than just gender. My child couldn’t handle it because that was what he was bullied [about] the most. He never should have had to endure that.”

Miles’ death came a day after a substitute teacher refused to use his preferred pronouns. Eleven months earlier, his family had informed the school that he was trans. School principal Tim Carver informed other parents and guardians in an email and directed them to resources, emphasising that counselling would be available to students.

“Our thoughts will continue to be with Miles’ family,” he has said. ”Please be sure to reach out if you or your child would benefit from additional support. We are here to help.”

Officials from the Urbandale Community School District said they remained “steadfast in our dedication to cultivating a safe, caring and supportive learning environment for all students and staff”.

According to a survey for The Trevor Project, across the US in 2024, 39 per cent of LGBTQ+ youngsters, aged between 13 and 24 – including 46 per cent of transgender and non-binary young people – had “seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year”.

‘You are enough. No matter what they say, you’re worthy’ 

The lyrics of a song, called “Love Worthy”, shared by Ashley read: “Even when the world feels cold and rough, you got to know that you are enough. No matter what they say, you’re worthy. Loved in every way. Just hold on and don’t give up ‘cuz you are, you are loved.”

Miles’ father Rocky Phipps told the Register: “If I could give one message to all the kids, [it’s] if you see someone bullying another person, call them out. Bullies don’t like to be called out. Always be kind because you never know what that person is going through.”

A GoFundMe has been launched to help the Phipps and Campbell families with funeral and memorial expenses, including the siting of a park bench outside Miles’ favourite place, the Urbandale Library. 

The GoFundMe remembers him as “a kind, talented and creative soul who expressed himself through music” [who] loved “skateboarding, bicycling and spending time outdoors”.

It goes on to say: “Miles was a proud transgender male who was driven, and faced the world with courage, authenticity and grace, even in the face of bullying and misunderstanding. He is deeply loved and will forever be cherished by his family. His parents and older sister will forever celebrate his laughter, his music and his beautiful heart.” 

Suicide is preventable. Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans on 116 123 (samaritans.org), or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.

Anti-LGBTQ+ right-wing activists are notorious for getting annoyed about almost anything, and the latest addition to the ever-growing list is the Gender Unicorn diagram. 

Don’t believe that they’ll get annoyed about anything? Buckle up: we’ve got receipts. 

In June, right-wingers hit out at a member of staff at Office for National Statisticsfor wearing a Pride flag badge, with one critic describing it as the “flag of transgender activism”.

The year before, right-wing news outlets were left “outraged” by a trans artwork, funded by London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan, for London’s Trafalgar Square. 

A Christmas advert featuring Black actress Adjoa Andoh as Mrs. Claus, that saw her use they/them pronouns to refer to someone, also sparked the wrath of anti-LGBTQ+ figures, who called it out for being “woke”. 

Countless brands, big and small, from Target to Tesco to Tampax, have also faced boycott calls from the right-wing community. But the latest outrage among the group is the realisation of the Gender Unicorn.

What is the Gender Unicorn diagram? 

Simply put, the Gender Unicorn Diagram is a graphic that helps people understand the differences between gender identity, gender expression, sex, and attraction.

The graphic, created by Trans Student Educational Resources – a youth-led organisation dedicated to ensuring education is inclusive for all – shows a unicorn on the left-hand side with symbols on that are explained on the right-hand side. 

Gender identity, shown on the unicorn through a rainbow-filled thought bubble, is explained as female/woman/girl, male/man/boy, or other gender(s). The diagram also breaks down gender expression, sex assigned at birth, physical attraction, and emotional attraction into distinct categories.

Underneath the definitions of each are further explained. Gender expression/presentation is explained as: “The physical manifestation of one’s gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, voice, body shape, etc. Many transgender people seek to make their gender expression (how they look) match their gender identity (who they are), rather than their sex assigned at birth.” 

Why are so many right-wingers annoyed about it? 

A quick search of the term “Gender Unicorn” on social media platforms such as X bring up various videos from right-wingers hitting out at the graphic. 

One X user described the diagram as being used to introduced children to the “pseudoscientific concept of ‘gender identity’.”

Another commented of the graphic: “One person’s ‘innocuous teaching tool’ is many other people’s insidious grooming material.” 

Right-wingers annoyance towards the graphic mimics political moves. The US government has demanded almost every state in the US remove sex education materials referencing trans and non-binary people.

The move has promoted more than 16 US states take legal action against the US Department of Health and Human Services, accusing the health secretary of forcing states to “rewrite sexual-health curricula to erase entire categories of students”.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the Department for Education has come under fire due to its relationship, sex, and health education (RSHE) guidance urging schools and teachers not to teach trans identities “as fact”. 

Trans woman Nikki Armstrong was violently assaulted in Renton, Washington in the US earlier this month.

She told PinkNews that the attack, which occurred on 15 September at around 8:20pm in the 200 block of Burnett Ave S, followed an argument between her and a group of teens who she said were harassing “everybody waiting on their bus.”

She says that she simply asked them, “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

According to Renton Police, later that evening, after walking back through the area to the bus station, Armstrong was then confronted by the teens.

She said she attempted to pepper spray them, but they called her the F-slur and began to chase her. She recalls tripping after about a block, at which point the attack began.

She told PinkNews she felt “scared and angry” at first, but those feelings have since “turned to sadness.”

“It bums me out that kids have nothing better to do with their lives,” she said of the suspects.

Two teenage brothers, aged 15 and 17, have been released on electronic home monitoring on charges of second-degree assault after being accused of attacking Armstrong. Renton Police say they are still searching for two other teens who are believed to have been involved.

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Armstrong launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $20,000 to help cover costs while she is unable to work and to pay for surgery to repair her nose and possibly her eye socket. She has received 97 percent of her goal, thanks to more than 360 donations.

She said the donations have relieved her from the stress of rent and allowed her to focus on recovering.

“That anxiety has been lifted and I can’t begin to put into words what that means to me. I can focus on my recovery and I’m ever so grateful.”

Armstrong said she didn’t expect “at all” to raise the amount she has. She added: “I was hoping for some help but the way everyone has stepped up is incredible.”

But the attack has highlighted the concerning rise in anti-trans hate, spurred by the US administration’s orders. Sadly, Armstrong admits she no longer feels safe in the US. 

She explained: “I want to be clear about this: it’s not because I’m worried about being randomly attacked by teenagers. It is because of the presidential Administration that we have and their policies that I feel less safe now as a trans person than I ever have. 

“Trump has all but greenlit this type of violence and sadly I expect we will see more.”

In June, GLAAD’s third ALERT Desk Report – its Anti-LGBTQ Extremism Reporting Tracker, which documents anti-LGBTQ incidents and trends in hate and extremism across the US – revealed a “dramatic rise” in anti-trans hate incidents.

Between 1 May 2024 and 1 May 2025, the ALERT Desk tracked 932 anti-LGBTQ incidents in 49 US states and the District of Columbia – the equivalent of 2.5 incidents every day. Fifty-two percent of all incidents specifically targeted transgender and gender non-conforming people.

Armstrong said, in a message to her attackers and others who target the trans community: “Find something better to do with your time. We are here. We’re not going anywhere. We will fight back. We protect us.”

A Tennessee trans woman who was beaten in a “terrifying” attack at a storage unit has spoken out about the horrific incident. 

Professional makeup artist Tyler Flanagan visited the Extra Space storage facility in Nashville on 30 May when an employee of Black Tie Moving verbally and physically assaulted her. 

Flanagan claims she and her friend were moving items in their storage unit when five men wearing branded Black Tie Moving shirts began shouting hateful slurs and misgendering them. 

Taking to social media, Flanagan shared horrendous CCTV footage which showed the men attacking her.

‘Loud, hateful, and terrifying’  

She shared that the men “yelled” that they could “still beat out assesses because we’re men”. “Their aggression was loud, hateful, and terrifying,” she added. 

The incident was reported to Extra Space Storage, who allegedly didn’t take any action to protect Flanagan. As the pair began walking to their car they were confronted again, before one of the men hit Flanagan. 

“His assault was unprovoked, intentional, and fuelled by hate,” she wrote.

“This was the first time in my years living in Nashville that I’ve truly feared for my life. I was attacked by a grown man twice my size. I blocked part of the slap with my hand, but he still struck me in the face. If I hadn’t reacted, he might have knocked me out. I am injured, shaken, and scarred from the trauma of that moment,” she added of the assault. 

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She told WSMV that she feels lucky to be alive: “Those are situations that some people like myself don’t make it out of. There’s a large percentage of people like myself who die from situations like this.” 

Flanagan reported the incident to Nashville Police Department, and officers watched the CCTV footage of the attack. The case remains under investigation with the Special Investigations Division. 

Extra Space Storage and Black Tie Moving condemned the attack. 

Extra Space Storage wrote in a statement: “We are disturbed that this act of violence occurred on our property. “While the individual involved is not affiliated with our company, we are cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation. We are also reaching out to support the customer affected by this incident.”

Black Tie Moving took to social media and described the incident as “deeply troubling and entirely unacceptable”. 

CEO Dustin Black noted that after being made aware of the incident that the company took “immediate and decisive action to terminate the employee involved,” and contacted law enforcement. 

“Out hearts go out to the individual affected by this incident. No one should ever feel unsafe or be subjected to harm in any environment. We recognise the lasting harm acts like this can inflict, and we are truly sorry,” they statement added.