Independence Day lanyard and name label

item details

NameIndependence Day lanyard and name label

ProductionEmbassy of the United States; producer; 2018; New Zealand

Classificationlanyards, labels

Materialsplastic, metal, synthetic fibre

DimensionsOverall: 55mm (width), 87mm (height), 1mm (depth)

Registration NumberGH026058

Credit lineGift of Bella Simpson, 2021

Overview

This lanyard and name tag was made for Bella Simpson to wear at an Independence Day event at the United States Embassy in Wellington in 2018. Bella had previously attended an Embassy dinner in honour of the LGBTQI+ community in December 2015. However, with Donald Trump as president, Bella did not want to support a presidency which was dismantling protections for LGBTQI+ people (implemented by President Barack Obama), especially for transgender people. Also at this time, the U.S. Government was separating migrant children from parents and placing them in detention centres as a way to dissuade families from crossing the U.S. / Mexican border, causing trauma to many. In addition, Trump's racist Muslim Ban imposed in January 2017 was still operating. So Bella didn't attend the event.

Bella (born 1996) is a young trans woman who came out socially as a transgender girl when she was 11 years old, and began a public life as a trans advocate when she was 12.