Transgender Pride Flag

Trans or transgender is, of course, an umbrella term for people who don’t feel they are the gender they were assigned at birth.

Likewise the Transgender Pride Flag is an umbrella symbol. It’s embraced by a wide range of minority gender identities. As such, it is the most commonly seen of the flags beyond the traditional rainbow flag.

The flag’s meaning is simple. Light blue is a traditional color for boys and light pink for girls. And white represents people who are intersex, transitioning or another gender.

Helms, a transgender navy veteran, created the flag in 1999 and it first flew at a Pride parade in Phoenix in 2000. You can see her original flag in the Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History.

Tris Reid-Smith/GSN

What Does It Mean to Be Trans or Transgender?

Being trans or transgender means that a person’s gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, someone assigned female at birth who identifies as male is a transgender man, and someone assigned male at birth who identifies as female is a transgender woman. Transgender individuals may transition socially, legally, or physically to align their gender expression with their identity, though not all trans people pursue all forms of transition. The term “trans” is an umbrella term that also includes non-binary, genderfluid, and other gender-diverse identities. The key aspect of being transgender is the alignment of one’s internal sense of gender with their outward expression.