Transgender Pride Flag

History

Monica Helms, a transgender woman and US Navy veteran, designed the Transgender Pride Flag in 1999. She first flew it at the Phoenix Pride Parade in 2000. Helms chose the symmetry intentionally, saying that no matter how you fly it, it is always correct — a metaphor for trans people finding their rightness in the world. The flag grew slowly in visibility through the 2000s and became widely recognised in the 2010s as trans rights became a central front in LGBTQ+ political discourse. The original flag flown by Helms in 2000 was donated to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in 2014. It is now one of the most recognised pride flags globally.

Colors

light blue, pink, white

Light blue represents boys; pink represents girls; white represents those who are transitioning, non-binary, or intersex.

Symbols

five horizontal stripes

The symmetrical design works the same whether flown normally or upside down — a deliberate choice so trans people always have it the right way.