“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“In our current reality in the country, there are different people who are marginalized and put on the outside and we really want to say that this is a place for you, that you are welcome here…” Lead Pastor Tim Ward said. “Several people as they come tell us, I came because I knew this would be a safe place for me…”

But Ward said their message of inclusivity and acceptance for all has been tested recently.

On Wednesday, he showed News4 cameras where their pride flag used to be.

Ward said they’ve placed several flags supporting the LGBTQIS+ community next to their sign on Ashburn Farm Parkway at Crossroads Drive, but someone keeps taking them.

He said the small signage has a huge significance for members of this congregation and the surrounding community

“We actually got notified by somebody in our community who said ‘we’ve noticed the sign isn’t out there anymore, the symbol, the flag,’ and they said ‘while we don’t go to your church, we appreciate that this is a value of your church and we just don’t anybody to think that it isn’t a value anymore,’” Ward said.

That’s why the church is taking to social media to explain what happened and that they’re doubling down, exploring options for a more permanent sign of solidarity for the LGBTQIA+ community.

“We could put it on our physical sign, but we don’t want that to be destroyed…” Ward said. “Some people have recommended, ‘put it on the roof.’ Other people have recommended, ‘put a big banner up,’ and really, honestly we’re really open to anything.”

Ward said the church’s board of directors is taking a look at Loudoun County’s rules to figure out the best way to move forward, and they’re also considering more security cameras.

Ward said they haven’t reached out to law enforcement yet.

But at the end of the day, the message is about much more than a sign.

“So doubling down right now when there are messages that are against people, is really important for us…” Ward said. “It doesn’t matter if they continue to take that symbol. We will continue to be a church that says ‘all people are welcome.’”

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

Josh Cavallo, who plays for Adelaide United in the A-League, told the FIFPro Footballers Unfiltered podcast that “in a world of football, being a gay … player is a very toxic place.”

“I still think we’re a very, very long way from being accepted in this space, unfortunately,” he said.

Cavallo was 21 in 2021 when he decided to come out, acknowledging his video message “took the world of football for a shock.” He still regards it as “the best move and decision” he’s made, but warns that there’s “mountains of downside.”

In the podcast, he asked rhetorically: “Why has no one ever come out to be themselves and be successful and play?”

“And I understand that now looking back — all the negativity, all the things that come your way, there’s multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily, still, and it’s quite sad to see.”

Cavallo didn’t detail the online threats. He continues to train and play as a professional footballer every week.

“I have a very strong support network, I have my good days, I have my bad days, but I’m free,” he said. “I go to bed, I put my head on the pillow and I’m happy. I’m Josh Cavallo, I’m the footballer … the gay footballer, and I’m super proud to say that.”

Cavallo told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday that he still has positive experiences of meeting people who tell him they’ve been encouraged and inspired by his advocacy.

In his “everyday life,” he said, people had approached him and “know who I am and speak to me and say how I guided them and how I give them the courage to come out at school.”

“On the other side,” he added, “opening my social media this morning, it was quite disturbing reading the comments that got sent my way.”

He said when his club published a video of his announcement in 2021 it changed perspectives around the world, but there’s still a long way to go for the sport to help remove the fear of public backlash for other players coming out.

“It’s obviously . . . influenced a lot of people and made so much progression within the game,” he said of his life story, “and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

In 2022, he reported homophobic abuse during a game and he said it continues on social media.

“I don’t really like to show this side of things because I feel like it’s going to put fear into people who are thinking about coming out,” he told the ABC. “What I did in 2021 was fantastic and great for myself and for the wider LGBTQ+ community, but … we’re four years on now and we’re still getting (homophobic abuse) on a daily” basis.

Peter Malinauskas, premier of South Australia state where the Adelaide United club is based, said the vitriol Cavallo has faced is “beyond awful — it’s unacceptable.”

“It speaks to a degree of cowardice that we know that exists in the community,” he said, adding that Cavallo deserved “a lot of credit for his courage.”

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

The March for Drag began in Washington Circle and came together about a month after President Donald Trump posted on truth social, “No more drag shows or anti-American propaganda,” saying it was time for a “golden age of American arts and culture.”

But the protesters who came together Saturday night were having none of it.

“So by attacking drag and attempts to outlaw drag on local and national levels, Trump is simultaneously trying to outlaw trans people’s very existence,” said one activist.

“Things are really scary right now,” another said. “We will overcome it, obviously, but we have to stick together as a community.”

The demonstrators marched toward the Kennedy Center to protest Trump’s hostile takeover and what they are calling the exclusion and villainization of drag. As one person put it, “diversity makes the world go round.”

Trump’s decision to remove and replace the board of directors at the Kennedy Center has led to a number of shows being canceled by artists or producers, including Saigon Nights and Hamilton.

The protesters ended their demonstration outside the main entrance to the Kennedy Center, where they listened to speakers, and, at times, blocked traffic for people trying to get inside for evening performances.

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

Referencing Trump’s belief that he was saved by God from assassination, the Right Rev. Mariann Budde said, “You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”

After he returned to the White House, Trump said, “I didn’t think it was a good service” and “they could do much better.” But later, in an overnight post on his social media site, he sharply criticized the “so-called Bishop” as a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.”

“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” said Trump, a Republican, adding that Budde didn’t mention that some migrants have come to the United States and killed people.

“Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job!” Trump said. “She and her church owe the public an apology!”

A cathedral spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Wednesday.

The Trump administration has already issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights and toughening immigration policies.

The Washington National Cathedral service was largely focused on national unity. Trump and Vice President JD Vance and their families attended, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump’s defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth.

In her sermon, Budde said they gathered “to pray for unity as a people and a nation — not for agreement, political or otherwise — but for the kind of unity that fosters community across diversity and division.”

She added, “Unity is not partisan.”

Evangelicals were at the service but not on the program

More than a dozen religious leaders spoke during the interfaith service, including those from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

Notably absent from the invited clergy with speaking roles were conservative evangelicals, who are among Trump’s strongest supporters.

Nonetheless, some of those evangelical supporters were in the pews.

In attendance were Robert Jeffress, a longtime Trump supporter and pastor of Dallas’ First Baptist Church; Paula White-Cain, a televangelist and key spiritual adviser during Trump’s first term; and Lorenzo Sewell, the pastor of Detroit’s 180 Church, who gave a spirited benediction at Monday’s inauguration.

A new kind of inaugural prayer service

The Washington National Cathedral has hosted 10 official inaugural prayer services for presidents of both major political parties. The tradition dates back to 1933.

The latest service had a different emphasis than previous ones. Its focus was on the nation instead of the new administration — a plan made before Election Day.

“We are in a unique moment in our country’s history, and it is time to approach this differently,” said the Very Rev. Randy Hollerith, dean of the Episcopal cathedral, in an October statement. “This will be a service for all Americans, for the well-being of our nation, for our democracy.”

The texts and songs revolved around themes of compassion and togetherness, including a reading from Deuteronomy 10:17-21, which speaks of taking care of orphans and widows and all who are in need.

Sermons at inaugural services have often been given by ministers aligned with the incoming administration. In 2021, the Rev. William Barber, a progressive civil rights leader, preached before President Joe Biden, a Democrat, at the cathedral.

Budde, who gave this year’s sermon, has joined other cathedral leaders in criticizing Trump previously, rebuking his “racialized rhetoric” and blaming him for inciting violence on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to keep him in power.

Budde was “outraged” in 2020 after Trump staged an appearance in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, which is near the White House. He held up a Bible after the area had been cleared of peaceful protesters.

Her sermon directed at Trump on Tuesday provoked a lively reaction on social media. Austen Ivereigh, a biographer of Pope Francis, wrote on X that the bishop “named the truth” when she spoke to Trump and Vance. “Their expressions of fury and discomfort suggest she nailed it,” Ivereigh said.

Jeffress, in contrast, posted on X that Budde “insulted rather than encouraged our great president” and that “there was palpable disgust in the audience with her words.”

Music made for Trump

The one part of Tuesday’s service that seemed tailor-made for Trump was the inclusion of opera singer Christopher Macchio, who also sang the national anthem at the inauguration.

The tenor sang “Ave Maria,” a favorite song of Trump and one that Macchio sang at a Trump rally and the Republican National Convention.

Before the service began, Macchio performed hymns like “How Great Thou Art” and another Trump favorite, “Hallelujah,” written by Leonard Cohen.

As the prayer service neared its end, Trump joined others in singing “America the Beautiful.”

Trump also thanked many of the clergy members who participated as they processed past him — except for Budde, whom he did not acknowledge.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

The justices will review an appeals court decision that went against parents in Montgomery County. The parents claim the policy violates their constitutional religious rights by not allowing them to opt out of lessons that include the storybooks.

The stories include a family’s attendance at a pride parade, a girl’s introduction to her uncle’s husband-to-be, a prince’s love for a knight amid their battle against a dragon, a girl’s anxiety about giving a valentine to another girl and a transgender boy’s decision to share his gender identity with his family.

The parents argue public schools can’t force kids to participate in instruction that violates their faith. They point to opt-out provisions in sex education and note that the district originally allowed parents to pull their children when the storybooks were being taught, before abruptly reversing course.

The policy led to protests in 2023. Dozens of parents testified at school board hearings about their religious obligations to keep their impressionable young children from lessons on gender and sexuality that conflicted with their beliefs.

Montgomery County Public Schools Aug 24, 2023

Judge denies motion for Montgomery Co. families to opt kids out of lessons with LGBTQ+ books

Montgomery County Public Schools Aug 9, 2023

Parents go to court seeking to opt their children out of school lessons with LGBTQ+ themes

The Washington Post reported in October that two of the books, “Pride Puppy” and “My Rainbow,” were pulled from the school system’s English language arts curriculum.

Lawyers for the school system, in urging the justices to stay out of the case, wrote that the books are a small part of the curriculum and that they “tell everyday tales of characters who experience adventure, confront new emotions, and struggle to make themselves heard.” They touch on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the lawyers wrote.

It’s not clear whether the case will be argued in the spring, or not until the court’s new term begins in October.

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
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“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
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But Carter, a southern Democrat and devout Baptist, stood out for his early support for  pro-gay legislation and his embrace of LGBTQ advocates. 

“If we’re looking at the federal or White House response to LGBTQ issues, the first time we see it is under Carter, which I think in the mid-70’s is incredibly brave,” said Michael Bronski, a professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at Harvard University and the author of “A Queer History of the United States for Young People. “It would have been just as easy for him not to say anything.”

In 1976, when Carter, a former Georgia governor, was running for president, he voiced his support for legislation that is controversial even among some of today’s politicians. The measure, known as the Equality Act, sought to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. (An updated version of the bill, which included a ban on gender-identity discrimination, passed the House in 2021 but stalled in the Senate.)

When asked about the Equality Act at a news conference in May 1976, Carter said, “I will certainly sign it, because I don’t think it’s right to single out homosexuals for special abuse or special harassment,” according to the National Archives. 

Several days after his public comments, Carter’s team released a statement reiterating the presidential candidate’s stance on the controversial issue, citing his previous comments on passing anti-discrimination laws.

“As President, I can assure you that all policies of the federal government would reflect this commitment,” he told Philadelphia Gay News in March 1976, according to a copy of the release on the National Archives website.

Later that year, civil rights pioneer Harvey Milk endorsed Carter in a column in the Bay Area Reporter, calling him a “man who believes that the government has no business in a person’s bedroom.” Milk went on to become one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials after winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, before being assassinated the following year.

Perhaps most significantly, historians say, was when a group of roughly two dozen activists from the National Gay Task Force met with presidential adviser Margaret “Midge” Costanza  to discuss discrimination protections at the White House in 1977.

James Kirchick, author of “Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington,” noted that the gathering not only marked the first White House meeting with gay activists, but also came shortly after the U.S. Civil Service Commission lifted its ban on gay people working in the federal government in 1975.

“Up until that point, gay people can be prevented from and purged from government jobs in large numbers,” he said. “So to have just within two years a meeting with gay rights organizers and leaders was pretty significant and a way to put the imprimatur of the presidency on this issue, and to signal to the country that gay people were citizens and deserved recognition as citizens.”

Kirchick cautioned that the meeting did not produce tangible results and took place while Carter was away at the presidential country residence, Camp David. He believes, according to his research, that while the administration allowed the meeting to occur, it would have been too controversial for the former president to attend it.

“They did not want a photo op with the president and these leaders,” Kirchick said, referring to the Carter administration. “It was scheduled deliberately while he was out of town.”

Nonetheless, the meeting was unprecedented and symbolic, creating fanfare among some of the most prominent anti-LGBTQ voices of the ‘70s.  

“Behind the high-sounding appeal against discrimination in jobs and housing, which is not a problem to the ‘closet’ homosexual, they are really asking to be blessed in their abnormal life style by the office of the President of the United States,” Anita Bryant, a former Miss Oklahoma known for her Florida orange juice commercials turned anti-LGBTQ activist, said in a statement to The New York Times at the time. “What these people really want, hidden behind obscure legal phrases, is the legal right to propose to our children that there is an acceptable alternate way of life — that being a homosexual or lesbian is not really wrong or illegal.” 

Bronski noted that figures like Bryant, who launched the infamous “Save Our Children” campaign in 1977, and the broader rise of the religious right in the ‘70s, made what would be a routine White House meeting by today’s standards all the more significant.

“What we see with Carter is that he’s really sympathetic to it,” Bronski said of gay rights,”and he’s setting up a sort of different national paradigm that counters these groups.”

In 1978, Carter again aligned himself with the gay community, urging California voters to defeat Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative, a controversial and headline-grabbing measure that sought to bar gay and lesbian Americans from teaching in public schools. 

“As long as I am in the White House, our Nation will always be identified as the Nation that will insist and fight for basic human rights,” Carter said at a November 1978 Sacramento “Get Out the Vote” rally, according to a transcript of the speech published by the University of California Santa Barbara. “I also want to ask everybody to vote against Proposition 6.”

The measure was defeated by a margin of 58.4% to 41.6%, according to the GLBT Historical Society. 

Bronski and other historians say that while Carter’s efforts to move the needle on gay rights may seem “small” by today’s standards, he planted the seeds for future presidents. 

“He may not have done as much as we wanted him to or he may not have done it as much as he could have or he may have been playing it safe in some ways,” Bronski said. “But, he is literally the first person to begin to articulate policies around this issue, breaking barriers for other Democratic presidents to do this.”

Carter’s defeat

Historians stressed that what Carter did for gay rights during his presidency cannot be remembered without acknowledging what came directly afterwards — and what may have been, had Carter been able to continue moving the needle, albeit slowly, for gays and lesbians.

In 1980, Carter lost his presidential re-election campaign to “Moral Majority” ally Ronald Reagan, a Republican, roughly one year before the first official government report on AIDS was released. To this day, activists cast blame on the Reagan administration for not taking the growing medical crisis seriously. 

When asked about whether the president was tracking the spread of AIDS in 1982, Reagan’s press secretary, Larry Speakes, infamously laughed. Reagan only first publicly mentioned AIDS in 1985. By that time, an estimated 12,500 people had already died of the disease, according to global nonprofit amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

“If Carter had won and was president when the AIDS crisis started, we would have seen a completely different federal response to the AIDS crisis and probably would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives,” Bronski said. 

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‘Jesus never said a word about homosexuality’

Long after leaving the White House, Carter continued to vocally support gay Americans.

In 2012, roughly two months prior to then-President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden, Carter became one of the most prominent Americans to voice his support for same-sex marriage. And Carter — who taught Sunday school since he was 18 — used an atypical means of reason to justify his support: Christianity.

“Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality,” Carter said in an interview with HuffPost at the time. “In all of his teachings about multiple things -– he never said that gay people should be condemned. I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies.”

In his death, historians say,  Carter may not be the first figure whom LGBTQ Americans recall when they think of equality. However, they note, his legacy on LGBTQ rights was more consequential and courageous than the credit that he has often received.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

As June’s Pride Month festivities were nearing a conclusion, Tractor Supply released a statement that put LGBTQ+ rights proponents on alert.

The farm-focused retailer said it would stop sponsoring events such as pride celebrations and eliminate roles tied to diversity initiatives. Also on its list of actions: Tractor Supply would no longer submit data to the LGBTQ+ group Human Rights Campaign for its annual Corporate Equality Index.

With that move, Tractor Supply became the first domino to fall as companies began pulling out of the Corporate Equality Index. In the following months, businesses ranging from Ford to Lowe’s also announced they would stop submitting data for the index, a two-decade-old benchmark widely considered a gold standard for evaluating companies’ policies and benefits for LGBTQ+ employees.

The latest came on Nov. 25, when Walmart — the largest retailer and private employer in the U.S. — said it would stop sharing data with the HRC. Walmart said it had conversations with Robby Starbuck, the director-turned-conservative activist, ahead of its announcement.

Starbuck has been a public advocate for this shift, launching campaigns centered on companies he believes have run afoul with corporate diversity work. He told CNBC in an interview that he is ramping up these actions and would be homing in on retailers for the holiday season.

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While Starbuck has targeted DEI initiatives more broadly, not just LGBTQ+ policies, the Human Rights Campaign has found its index at the center of a politically charged battle. The shift also pushed some allied groups and LGBTQ+-identifying consumers to speak out.

For Tractor Supply and some others, it marked a staunch turn in policy. Just two years ago, the retailer had boasted publicly that it earned a top rating from the HRC. On that same day in 2022, Molson Coors published a press release stating it had received a perfect score for the 19th straight year.

CNBC reached out to every company mentioned in this article; each company either did not provide further comment beyond public statements or did not respond to requests for details on what drove the changes.

“We’re very proud and honored to be recognized by the HRC with a 100 percent ranking for our LGBTQ workplace equality practices and policies,” Dave Osswald, chief people and diversity officer for Molson subsidiary MillerCoors, said in the 2022 release. “No matter the recognition though, we know we can never stop working to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment.”

In the past two years, experts say, the rising concern around how the federal judiciary could rule on cases tied to diversity work has pushed companies to rethink related internal policies. Continued pressure from right-wing activists to do away with initiatives such as supplier quotas and carbon goals has turned up the heat, they said. 

The tide change among some of America’s most well-known brands on this index is the latest instance of white-collar diversity efforts becoming a political flashpoint. Multiple business professors told CNBC that it adds to a broader picture of corporate America backtracking on this work less than half a decade after the numerous promises made in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

“These companies that are making these really public statements, like Lowe’s or Ford Motor companies of the world, are really making an unforced error,” said New York University Law professor Kenji Yoshino.

Companies change course

For several companies, withdrawal from participation in the index comes after years of involvement and previous promotion of their scores.

Take Jack Daniel’s parent Brown-Forman, which said in August that it would no longer submit data for the index — four months after being named in Forbes’ “2024 America’s Best Employers for Diversity” list.

The company mentioned that it earned a 100% score for 12 straight years in its 2023 annual report. Brown-Forman also created in 2022 an initiative aimed at increasing the number of salaried employees in the U.S. who identify as LGBTQ+.

Ford, meanwhile, said in a leaked internal memo to employees in August that it would stop participating in the index and other best workplace rankings. Ford published a press release in 2017 centered on its perfect rating, and touted it was the first automaker to receive a 100% score — an achievement the Detroit-based company maintained every year since 2004.

“Ford remains committed to supporting diversity and inclusion because we believe it makes our company stronger,” Meeta Huggins, Ford’s then-chief diversity officer, said in the 2017 statement.

Lowe’s, too, said in August that it would end participation in the index’s survey, along with sponsorships for community events such as parades and fairs. Three years ago, the home improvement retailer posted on its LinkedIn page that it earned a 100% score for the second straight year.

“Lowe’s dedication to diversity and inclusion grows from the steadfast values of our associates and extends to every corner of our company,” the company said in the post.

Walmart leadership also once applauded its place atop the HRC’s ranking. Human resources chief Donna Morris posted on X in 2022 that she was “proud” of the Arkansas-based company for its recognition as a top workplace for the sixth straight year.

Harley-Davidson and Toyota are also on the growing list of companies declining to provide data for the ranking system going forward.

‘Like a rubber band’

The HRC’s index, which launched in 2002, rates companies on factors such as the equitability of their benefits and their corporate social responsibility efforts. In addition to a survey sent to companies, the HRC also reviews tax filings, legal cases and news reports when evaluating firms.

Business and law experts don’t point to one silver bullet that catalyzed this change in sentiment. Instead, they see both rising political pressure and legal concerns at play.

First, right-wing pressure online has become increasingly hard to ignore, said Stephanie Creary, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Public shaming of companies for their diversity practices was happening long before Starbuck began pressing the issue, Creary said.

“This has become politicized,” Creary said. “It was not a tool, either way, that was leveraged by people running for office in quite the way that it is now.”

Creary said the internet gives people who don’t support LGBTQ+ rights easy access through the index to businesses that they may want to protest against. This backlash has turned what was once seen as a “reputation enhancer” into something that a handful of companies no longer view as worth touching, she said.

NYU’s Yoshino said recent legal rulings and cases have already put companies, universities and other organizations on edge.

Yoshino pointed specifically to the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action in June 2023, which ruled that policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina that gave weight to a would-be student’s race are unconstitutional. The court’s majority opinion said the schools’ affirmative action programs “unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful end points.”

“The Supreme Court gave us such a clear window into how it was thinking about race and discrimination in that case,” Yoshino said. “It’s only a matter of time before that way of thinking will trickle over into statutes that do affect the private sector.”

However, he said, “There’s no universe in which giving your data with regard to the number of LGBT people within your ranks, or your support for LGBT rights, or your inclusion of LGBT individuals is going to run afoul of the law.”

Ultimately, this plays into a bigger trend of companies backtracking on diversity promises made after Floyd’s murder by a police officer galvanized racial equity efforts in 2020, said Adina Sterling, an associate professor at Columbia Business School.

When companies pull out of the index or walk back other diversity efforts, it suggests that they were never genuinely interested in the work to begin with, Sterling said. Rather, many corporations were only trying to win goodwill in a moment when diversity was considered a favorable topic in corporate America, she said.

“It’s almost like a rubber band: Organizations frequently will snap back into the state that they were in previously,” Sterling said. “I wish it weren’t that way, and I don’t think it has to be that way.”

‘Far off course’

While some companies have tried to frame their statements as unrelated to Starbuck’s activism, he told CNBC there are typically conversations between him and executives after he begins researching their businesses.

Companies have responded to Starbuck’s campaigns and general pressure around corporate diversity programs in different ways. Some, including Tractor Supply and Harley-Davidson, released public statements. Ford, on the other hand, sent an internal memo to employees that was obtained and shared online by Starbuck. Several companies have pointed out that they were already in the process of rejiggering their diversity efforts before Starbuck began applying public pressure.

Starbuck started with an emphasis on companies, such as Tractor Supply, that have mainly conservative-leaning customers, but he is broadening his focus. He also hopes to hire more researchers to investigate employee claims. Starbuck said his team initially “stopped counting” after receiving 5,000 complaints from whistleblowers within companies who believe their employers have gone too far on diversity efforts.

Starbuck said he felt inclined to do this work because he believes certain corporate diversity policies have become “blatantly illegal and violates our existing civil rights laws.” Starbuck said he doesn’t argue against the validity of laws ensuring equal protection of employees from marginalized backgrounds, but he said some companies’ current initiatives have created instances of what he sees as discrimination against white people.

“If you’re a public company and you’re expected to serve everybody, you’ve got to fundamentally operate differently,” Starbuck said in an interview. “I think we’ve just veered far off course.”

Starbuck said he sees the incoming Trump administration doing “a lot of good” on this front.

Advocates push back

The HRC and other groups are fighting back against what they see as a public disregard for LGBTQ+ issues. The group has pointed repeatedly to data showing consumers were more likely to support businesses that affirmed this community. Four out of five LGBTQ+ consumers, the group said, are opting to boycott companies that are rolling back initiatives. More than half will urge others to do so also.

It’s a group that makes a sizable contribution to the American economy. Data from LGBT Capital clocked purchasing power from the community in the U.S. at $1.4 trillion annually. That’s roughly equivalent to the entire gross domestic products of Mexico and Spain, according to Worldometer.

“Consumers are two times more likely to want to buy from brands that support the community,” HRC President Kelley Robinson told CNBC in an on-air interview. “This is, bottom line, the best thing to do for businesses, and that’s why I think that we’re seeing so much energy from employees, from consumers and from shareholders starting to push back on these decisions.”

Robinson told CNBC that companies withdrawing their participation would have their scores slashed as a result. Prior to Walmart’s announcement, each company saw a 25-point deduction on their scores, out of 100. The HRC confirmed to CNBC that Walmart’s score is currently under review.

She also emphasized that corporations can be rated regardless of whether they submit data. Additionally, the HRC has been quick to point out that overall participation in the index is rising. The HRC was joined by several other civil rights groups on a co-written letter to Fortune 1,000 companies calling on them to recommit to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, efforts.

“These capitulations weaken businesses and the American economy more broadly,” said the letter from HRC and more than a dozen organizations, including the NAACP and UnidosUS. “These shortsighted decisions make our workplaces less safe and less inclusive for hard-working Americans.”

Several dozen Democrats in Congress also wrote a letter to Fortune 1,000 businesses asking them to embrace DEI. This letter did not explicitly name the HRC index, but an accompanying press release clarified that it was written in response to companies “succumbing to a conservative media campaign.”

Starbuck, on the other hand, said his work has made “companies acutely aware that the HRC is not the powerful influencer that they believed they were.” He said in a post on X that the changes at Walmart specifically were his “biggest win yet” and should send “shockwaves throughout corporate America.” Starbuck also recently shared a meme of a grim reaper walking up to doors with the names of companies deemed “woke” on them.

Still, some smaller organizations and individuals have thrown their support to the HRC. After Tractor Supply’s June announcement, the Tennessee Pride Chamber removed the company as a member. Tractor Supply was nominated for the organization’s corporate partner of the year award in 2024 and had been slated to sponsor a networking event for the group the following month.

“These are not partisan issues, but a matter of human rights and sustainable business practice,” the Tennessee Pride Chamber said in a press release.

Tennessee Pride had just a few hours’ notice from a contact within Tractor Supply that the company’s statement was coming, according to executive director Stephanie Mahnke. She said she had previously been made aware by Tractor Supply representatives that there were some safety concerns tied to the event they were hosting, so they were preparing to enhance security.

“We were completely caught off guard,” Mahnke said.

After, Mahnke said other companies quickly stepped up to fill the void left by Tractor Supply in running the July event. In conversations, Tennessee Pride members still appear committed to the organization and its values — with the caveat they are being quieter around DEI issues, given the environment, she said.

For former Tractor Supply customer Ashe Taylor-Austin, the retailer’s announcement pushed them to look elsewhere when purchasing supplies for their horse. Taylor-Austin said they were grateful to have alternatives, knowing LGBTQ+ shoppers in more rural areas likely wouldn’t. 

“When we got the news about Tractor Supply, I immediately started shopping around,” said Taylor-Austin, who switched to buying from a small business. “Once you do that and you show, I guess, who you are, then I believe it.”

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

The measure would prohibit any lawmakers and House employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.”

Asked by reporters whether her resolution was meant to target a marginalized person, Mace said, “Sarah McBride doesn’t get a say in this.”

“This is a biological man trying to force himself into women’s spaces, and I’m not going to tolerate it,” she added.

McBride, who won the race for Delaware’s lone House seat this month, slammed the measure Monday.

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars,” she said in a statement.

“Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness,” she said on X.

Mace told reporters that her resolution is about “women’s rights” and protecting them in “private spaces,” arguing that the “radical left” was trying to erase those rights.

A spokesperson for McBride told NBC News that Mace did not reach out before she introduced the measure and that McBride found out about it in the media.

Mace’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The House sergeant-at-arms would be tasked with enforcing the resolution if it passes. The measure would not require passage by the Senate or a signature from the president.

Mace said Monday that she plans to reintroduce the measure in the next Congress, when Republicans will retain control of the House.

Republicans spent more than $200 million on network television ads targeting trans people this year, according to data shared with NBC News this month by AdImpact, a firm that tracks political ad spending.

The Republican Party platform this year leaned heavily into anti-trans rhetoric, calling for banning trans people from competing in sports that align with their gender identities, proposing undoing Title IX protections for LGBTQ people and calling for barring the use of taxpayer dollars for funding gender-affirming surgery.

In the days following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, some Democrats blamed their party’s position on transgender rights as contributing to Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat.

Those Democratic lawmakers said the party went too far and pandered to what they called “the far left” while trying not to offend anyone.

The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group, said Monday that Mace was cruel and discriminating against her incoming colleague, calling the resolution a “political charade by a grown-up bully.”

“It is also another warning sign that the incoming anti-equality House majority will continue to focus on targeting LGBTQ+ people rather than the cost of living, price gouging or any of the problems the American people elected them to solve,” spokesperson Laurel Powell said in a statement.

This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:

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“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

On Nov. 6, one day after the 2024 election, one LGBTQ+ crisis hotline says it saw 700% more calls than normal.

It’s a record number of crisis calls for the Trevor Project’s suicide prevention hotline — and a sign of how the 2024 election results are impacting young members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“When you have your identity questioned in, say, the highest office, or policymakers are questioning your identity or whether or not you have a place to live in the world, that can really impact your wellbeing,” said Kevin Wong, a spokesperson for the Trevor Project.

Wong said the organization has also been dealing with a spike in prank calls, with more people calling in, not for help, but to harass the hotline volunteers.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Wong said. “Our counselors put in a lot of volunteer time every day to make sure that LGBTQ+ young people are being supported in their darkest moments.”

Wong says their work continues, and they’re providing support to anyone who needs it.

The organization has an online social community for LGBTQ+ teens and young adults, provides trainings and educational resources for professionals, and advocates for more inclusive policies in government. You can learn more here.

The Trevor Project phone lines are open 24/7. There is also an online chat service option and a texting option for those who are hesitant to call a hotline.

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Data released by the FBI this fall shows why many in the LGBTQ+ community are worried. There’s been a spike in hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in recent years.

The numbers also show hate crimes tend to spike the highest every June, during Pride Month.

This past August in Dupont Circle, cellphone video captured several Shake Shack employees beating a gay customer. The victim, Christian Dingus, told News4 that right before the attack, a restaurant employee had confronted him for kissing his partner.

“I didn’t fight back at all, immediately just went into the fetal position to protect myself,” Dingus said. “If we were a straight couple, he probably wouldn’t have broken us up for kissing in the back of a restaurant.”

In the last week of October, at the U Street McDonald’s, D.C. Police say a large group of people attacked a gay man and called him a homophobic slur. The victim managed to call 911 and facetime his partner.

Video obtained by News4 shows a liquid being thrown at the man.

And the week of the election, a group of Salisbury University students were charged with luring a gay man to an apartment and assaulting him.

But the increase in hate crimes means organizations like the Trevor Project and the D.C. LGBTQ+ center are working harder than ever to support people in need.

The D.C. LGBTQ+ Center is open on 14th Street every day except Sunday, and offers free food, clothing, peer support groups and therapy for trauma survivors.

“I think it’s so important that these spaces exist. I care so deeply about each member of our community and especially the folks that are on my caseload,” said Jocelyn Jacoby, a therapist and anti-violence program director at the Center.

“We have a lounge area where, if people want a place to feel safe and feel in connection with the community, that they can do so,” Jacoby said.

The center also has a list of crisis resources on its website.

If you or a loved one needs mental health assistance, take a look at our list of mental health resources here.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

Dozens of kings, queens and anyone between turned out in their best drag for a fun run down 17^th Street, but one cowpoke called Kenny Monroe galloped ahead of the rest.

“It feels amazing – I fell last year, so it’s good to be back!” Monroe said. “Redemption story.”

Hundreds, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, turned out along 17^th Street to see the race.

“This is a pretty D.C. night,” Bowser said.

The race, which began in the 1980s, is also a commemoration of LGBTQ+ history in D.C.

It started with a group of drag queens running from JR’s Bar to Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse (another gay history site), where they’d take a shot on the second floor. Then, they’d run back down 16 stairs, through the crowded restaurant and back to JR’s. The winner would get $100 off their bar tab (about $290 in 2024 dollars!).

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“It surpassed every expectation I had and it’s reaffirmed my commitment of caring for this community,” physician Dr. Jorge Ramallo.

Inova helps provide medical services for those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community. Staff work together to create a welcoming environment by offering telehealth appointments and decorating the office with Pride flags.

“They address you by your pronouns, they know their stuff, they’ve done the research. It makes a huge difference. Every time I go there, I feel safe, and that’s a big deal,” said Maika, an Inova Pride patient. 

More than 50% of its patients have been diagnosed with gender dysmorphia, and many of them have started gender-affirming care.

Doctors also published research on heart and vascular issues in their patients, finding treatment disparities within the LGBTQ+ community. Cardiologist Dr. Jason Bonomo said gay men are less likely to receive statin medications, used for heart disease, compared to heterosexual men. 

“Historically, the LGBTQ community has been excluded from health research — actively, actually — and this is one of the steps we are taking or trying to change that and make sure our voices are represented in the medical literature,” Ramallo said.

Doctors at the clinic hope to continue research and bring light to the communities medical needs.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles

It was a breakthrough performance — and the announcer used his correct pronouns.

“I just thought, ‘It took some time to get there. But we did it,'” he said.

On July 20, 2021, Riccomini, then 17, announced on social media that he was a gay transgender man who would from then on use the pronouns he and him. “I want the world to know who I am and who I’m meant to be so I can pursue it openly,” he wrote.

Now 20, he is on top of the world: In January, he placed third at a World Cup slopestyle competition, an event that features skiers spinning and flipping down a mountain slope filled with rails, bumps and jumps. He also finished third in two other events last season, giving him a third-place finish in the overall slopestyle standings. He was recently promoted to the U.S. Freeski pro team. And he’s being mentioned as an Olympic hopeful for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

As part of his transition, Riccomini underwent top surgery more than a year ago to create a masculine appearance. But he has decided to put off taking testosterone until his career is over, to stay in compliance with the regulations. He still competes in women’s events, and will continue to do so if he makes the Team USA roster for the Olympics.

Riccomini says he has received nothing but support from the freestyle skiing world since he announced he was trans.

“I thought I was going to have to give up my hopes and dreams,” he said. “People rose above my expectations, for sure.”

But he also acknowledges that the road to becoming Jay Riccomini was neither smooth nor straightforward.

“It’s not a linear line. It’s a freaking roller coaster through it all,” he told The Associated Press recently, in one of his first interviews with a national news outlet.

Silence, secrecy and depression

From a young age, even before he realized what it was, Riccomini began experiencing gender dysphoria, when a person’s gender identity doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth. But he kept it secret.

The mountains provided both a refuge and an escape. Growing up in Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, he spent many winter weekends with his brother at Tussey Mountain, which featured a terrain park loaded with jumps and rails.

On numerous occasions, his family also traveled to Copper Mountain, Colorado, where coaches at Woodward, a training ground for kids interested in action sports, recognized his talent.

But not being able to share his secret weighed heavily on him, and ultimately led to such a severe depression that even the mountains couldn’t save him. His parents didn’t know the depths of his struggles, either.

“I just wanted Jay to be happy, and Jay was unhappy for so many years,” said his mother, Andrea. “That’s been the hardest part for me, that he was unhappy for so long.”

Rock bottom came at 17, while Riccomini attended a winter sports school in Park City, Utah. He missed classes. His grades suffered. And in perhaps the most worrisome sign that something was wrong, he was often absent from the terrain park, one of his favorite spots.

“When people saw that I wasn’t there, they’re like, ‘Where are you?’” Riccomini recounted. “I was depressed. I wasn’t eating. It wasn’t good.”

Even when he had a memorable moment — finishing 18th in his World Cup debut in Aspen in March 2021 — he wasn’t able to truly celebrate. It was under his old name. Every time someone referred to him as “her,” it gave him anxiety.

“I just felt like I was going to throw up,” he said.

Finally becoming Jay

He decided to take action.

First, he told a close friend he was trans. Then, he changed his pronouns on his Instagram bio to “they/them” and told more teammates and friends. Not long afterward, while out skiing, he came up with a new name.

“I was like, ‘Should I call myself Jake or Jack or Ace?’” he said. ”I thought, ‘Jay — Jay is perfect.’ It’s just easy” — and it happened to echo his father’s middle initial, J.

Teammate Colby Stevenson began calling him “Jay-Bird.”

“I like that,” Riccomini said. “I really like that.”

With his name in place, Riccomini went public on Instagram, writing that he was “over constantly feeling trapped in my own body.”

The announcement set him free, transforming his anxiety into hope and happiness.

“Seeing him happy,” his mom said, “is priceless.”

Official recognition

At a World Cup event in February 2023, the International Ski Federation used Jay Riccomini’s new name in its results for the first time.

“It is our duty to do everything within our reach to ensure he feels included and respected in our competitions,” the federation’s integrity director, Sarah Fussek, said in a written statement to AP. “As the institution that represents snow sports around the whole world, for all, we have a moral obligation to do so.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has also expressed its support.

“His dedication to the sport has resulted in a number of podiums at a young age,” Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of USSS, said in a statement. “We know that he will continue his success on the world stage throughout the upcoming years.”

Leading the way for others

Riccomini’s mission now is to open doors for other transgender athletes and to inspire them the way he has been motivated by others.

“This young athlete has fought for and has earned with his results the right to be seen,” said Rook Campbell, a trans athlete and professor in areas of advertising, sports, globalization and media at the University of Southern California. “Visibility is powerful.”

As difficult as his own journey has been, Riccomini knows it is even harder for transgender women. After swimmer Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, World Aquatics effectively banned transgender women from competing in women’s events. World Athletics, the governing body for track and field, has done the same.

Transgender girls are also banned from competing in girls sports at the high school level in numerous Republican-led U.S. states, where some lawmakers argue that they have an unfair strength advantage over cisgender girls. People on both sides point to limited research to back their opinions.

Thomas is someone Riccomini looks up to — he even wrote a paper about her experience for a civics class.

“I can’t imagine the toll taken on her mental health,” Riccomini said. “She’s just amazing.”

Campbell said it is sometimes easier for transgender men to speak out and gain acceptance than it is for transgender women. He said he thinks it’s “great to use that privilege.”

“I just wish it was broader,” he said.

As happy as he is, Riccomini realizes his transition won’t be fully complete until he can take testosterone, something he knows will help ease his gender dysphoria. But for now, just being recognized publicly as Jay is good enough.

“When people call me ‘he,’ I get this warm feeling in my stomach,” he said. “This overwhelming wave of happiness that flows through my body, knowing everyone sees me now for who I am.”

“I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.” 

On Jan. 30, less than 24 hours after the crash, conservative influencer Matt Wallace, who has 2.2 million followers on the social media platform X, shared a post from another account he operates stating that the helicopter pilot was transgender, according to the lawsuit. Wallace included a photo of Ellis, and the post went viral, the lawsuit states.  

Wallace deleted that original post, according to the lawsuit, and then shared two others linking Ellis to the crash. One referred to an interview that Ellis did with The Smerconish Podcast, in which she said President Donald Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military made her nervous. 

The second post included photos of Ellis and said she might have participated in “another trans terror attack,” according to the lawsuit. That post received 4.8 million views on X, the suit states.  

Wallace did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit. 

On Jan. 31, after Ellis learned about the rumors, she shared a “proof of life” video on Facebook.  

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” Ellis said in the Facebook video. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.” 

Soon after Ellis’ statement on Facebook, Wallace shared another X user’s post with Ellis’ video, writing that it was an “Important Update!” and adding that Ellis was not piloting the helicopter and is still alive. Wallace also wrote in another X post that the original rumor that Ellis had been flying the helicopter involved in the crash came from another account with the handle @FakeGayPolitics, which is no longer active. Wallace said the rumor “seemed credible” because Ellis, whom Wallace misgendered in his posts, “wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago.”  

Ellis was not involved in the midair collision, the lawsuit states, did not write an article “calling out” Trump’s trans military ban and did not engage in “another trans terror attack.” 

Equality Legal Action Fund, an LGBTQ legal organization representing Ellis, argues in the complaint that Wallace “concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign” against Ellis. 

“The damage caused to Plaintiff by Defendant was instantaneous and immense,” the lawsuit continues. “Prior to Defendant’s campaign, Plaintiff was a private citizen who led a private life away from social media and the limelight. When Plaintiff awoke on January 31, 2025, she discovered she was the second most-trending topic in the United States on X with more than 90,000 posts mentioning her name or her likeness. Plaintiff was forced into the public sphere and can no longer remain a private citizen due to Defendant’s lies.” 

Ellis said her life was “turned upside down” by Wallace’s posts.  

“I feared for the safety of my family and myself and had to arrange private armed security,” she said in her statement to NBC News. “I’m now recognized in public and forever associated with that terrible tragedy over the Potomac. When I go out in public I have to look over my shoulder now.” 

Ellis’ suit seeks damages for the injury to her reputation, though Ellis said she plans to donate any money that she wins from the suit to the families of the people who died in the crash.   

Trans people have increasingly been falsely blamed for tragedies and violence in recent years, particularly after mass shootings. Since 2022, false or unconfirmed claims have linked trans people to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa.  

In addition, since January, the Trump administration has enacted several policies targeting trans people, including the trans military ban, which states that being openly trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Two judges have temporarily blocked that policy from taking effect.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• The USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. Here’s how they’re coping
• Trump orders probes of two former officials who defied him
• Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles