Unlike within the wider LGBT communities worldwide which have adopted the Rainbow flag, the various transgender individuals, organizations and communities around the world have not coalesced around one single flag design. Instead there are several flags used and endorsed by the varying transgender individuals, organizations and communities. There have even been, and continue to be, alternatives to these flags suggested. The varying flags have been and continue to be used to represent transgender pride, diversity, rights and/or remembrance by transgender individuals, their organizations, their communities and their allies.
Contents
Transgender flags in use today
There are several flags used and endorsed by the varying transgender individuals, organizations and communities.
Transgender Pride flag
The most prominent of these flag designs is known as the "Transgender Pride flag" which is a symbol of transgender pride and diversity, and transgender rights.
The Transgender Pride flag was created by American trans woman Monica Helms in 1999, and was first shown at a pride parade in Phoenix, Arizona, United States in 2000.
The flag represents the transgender community and consists of five horizontal stripes: two light blue, two pink, and one white in the center.
Helms describes the meaning of the transgender pride flag as follows:
"The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the traditional color for baby boys. The stripes next to them are pink, the traditional color for baby girls. The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender. The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives."In the United Kingdom, Brighton and Hove council flies this flag on the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Transport for London also flew the flag from London Underground's 55 Broadway Headquarters for the 2016 Transgender Awareness Week.
It was flown from the large public flagpole in San Francisco's Castro District (where the rainbow flag usually flies) for the first time on 19 and 20 November 2012 in commemoration of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The flag-raising ceremony was presided over by local drag queen La Monistat.
On 19 August 2014, Monica Helms donated the original transgender pride flag to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
In 2016, Santa Clara County became the first county government in the U.S. to raise the transgender pride flag.
Transgender Pride flag variations
In addition to Monica Helms original transgender pride flag design, a number of communities have created their own variations.
Black Trans flag
A variant of the "Transgender Pride flag" called the "Black Trans flag" was created by trans activist and writer Raquel Willis. It has a black strip in the middle instead of the original white strip. Willis created it as a symbol to represent the higher levels of discrimination, violence and murder that the black trans community face in contrast to the larger transgender movement. It was first posted to her Facebook account. And it was first used on 25 August 2015 by black transgender activists throughout the United States as part of the first Black Trans Liberation Tuesday, Black Trans Liberation Tuesday was held in conjunction with Black Lives Matter, for the Black transgender women murdered throughout the year.
Trans flag
In Ontario a flag known as the "Trans Flag", created by Ottawa graphic designer Michelle Lindsay, is used. It consists of two stripes, the top in Sunset Magenta representing female, and the bottom in Ocean Blue representing male, with a triple Venus, Mars and Mars with stroke symbol ("⚧") representing transgender people, overlaying them.
The Trans Flag was first used by the Ottawa area trans community for Ottawa's 2010 edition of the Trans Day of Remembrance. This event included a ceremony in which the Ottawa Police unveiled and raised this flag. The ceremony was repeated during the 2011 Ottawa and Gatineau editions of the Trans Day of Remembrance, this time joined by the Ottawa Paramedics, Ottawa City Hall and Gatineau City Hall also raising the Trans Flag during their own ceremonies. The list of groups doing official unfurling/raising of the Trans Flag in the Ottawa-Gatineau area as part of their Trans Day of Remembrance has grown each year. The Trans Flag has also been used as part of the Peterborough Pride Parade.
Israeli transgender and genderqueer flag
A third design is used in Israel by their transgender and genderqueer community. This flag has a neon green background and centred on it in black, to represent transgender people, is a triple Venus, Mars and Mars with stroke symbol ("⚧").
Alternative transgender flag designs
Over the years several transgender flags have been adopted by various transgender individuals, organizations and communities. There have even been, and continue to be, alternatives to these flags suggested.
Dawn Holland/Transgender Nation transgender flag
On 17 October 1991 the Queer Nation's transgender focus group, Transgender Nation, created a transgender flag which consists of a white background and a centred downward pointing pink triangle with a unique transgender symbol, designed by Dawn Holland, overlaying it in black.
Transsexual flag
In 1999 Captain John designed a flag for those within the transgender community that identify as transsexual. This flag is known as the "Transsexual flag" and consists of seven stripes alternating in rosy pink and light blue separated by thin white stripes and featuring, in the upper left hoist, a twinned Venus and Mars symbol ("⚥") in pink (a "bluer" shade than the pink stripes).
Transgender flag
In 2002 Jennifer Pellinen created a transgender flag she describes the meaning of her transgender pride flag as follows:
"The colors on the flag are from top to bottom. Pink, light purple, medium purple, dark purple, and blue. The pink and the blue represent male and female. The 3 purple stripes represent the diversity of the TG community as well as genders other than male and female."Her flag is in the public domain, and used by the UK based organization Wipe Out Transphobia.
Trans* flag
In 2012 Spokane Trans* created their own version of the transgender flag called the "Trans* flag". They describe it on the Candiussell corner blog as follows:
"The top two stripes represent male (blue) to female (pink). The purple represents non-binary and genderqueer people (as the genderqueer flag colors are green, white and purple) the thin white stripe represents all people as well as the “line” trans* folks cross during their transition. Then the female (pink) to male (blue) along the bottom.Trans Kaleidoscope
In 2014 a new transgender flag known as the "Trans Kaleidoscope" was created by members of the Toronto Trans Alliance (TTA). It was raised at the first Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony at Toronto City Hall on 20 November 2014. It was selected by TTA member for this occasion, via a vote, over Monica Helms' Transgender Pride flag and Michelle Lindsay's Trans Flag. The Trans Kaleidoscope is described on the TTA web site as:
"The graded colours represent the range of gender identities across the spectrum with individual colours representing:
The yellow circle represents those who are intersex.
The new white symbol with a black border is an extension of the Trans symbol with the male and female symbols, a combined symbol representing those with a gender identity combining male and female and a plain pole (with neither arrow nor bar) representing those with a gender identity that is neither male nor female, embodying awareness and inclusion of all."