A Colorado couple has opened up about their decision to leave the United States for New Zealand in a bid to safeguard their transgender daughter from increasing anti-trans policies under Donald Trump’s administration.
Candace and Brandon, who had spent nearly a decade living intermittently in Colorado, spoke to ITV News Washington producer Aisha Kherallah about their life-altering decision to move across the world.
The move was prompted by the re-election of Donald Trump and the couple’s growing fears about the implications for their 10-year-old daughter, Chase, who is transgender. Trump’s return to office saw the resurgence of policies that roll back transgender rights, including executive orders stating there are only “two sexes”, and banning transgender women from serving in the US military.
Candace told ITV, “We knew we had to get out. We knew based on the platforms he was running on, and Project 2025, it was a huge indicator of what his next term was going to look like. The fact that they were targeting trans people, the writing was on the wall.”
She added that Trump’s declaration recognising only two sexes was “incredibly devastating”.
The family’s urgency intensified when Children’s Hospital Colorado informed them it could no longer offer gender-affirming care to individuals under 19, due to policy changes introduced by the new administration.
Adding to their concern was the uncertainty around their daughter’s passport. In June, US District Judge Julia Kobick extended a previous injunction to prevent the federal government from refusing to issue passports to transgender and non-binary Americans that accurately reflect their gender identity. But the case underscored the growing precarity trans individuals face under the current administration.
To finance their move, the family launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $50,000 (approximately NZ $75,000). Eventually, Brandon secured a job in New Zealand — a country they had researched and found to be LGBTQ+ inclusive — making their relocation possible.
Candace shared the relief of living in a more affirming environment, saying: “As far as the transness, the great thing is the only documentation needed here is [Chase’s] visa and passport, which both say female. It’s only going to come up if she chooses to share that with someone.”
