Transgender Flag Day Date in the current year: August 19, 2026

Alongside the rainbow flag, which is most commonly associated with the LGBTQ+ community, there are many other pride flags representing various sexual and romantic orientations, gender identities, and subcultures. The transgender pride flag, for example, is an inclusive symbol for people who identify under the transgender umbrella, regardless of their specific gender identity.

The transgender flag, also known as the transgender pride flag or simply trans flag, was created by U.S. Navy veteran and transgender activist Monica F. Helms. She came up with the idea in 1999 after talking with her friend Michael Page, who had recently designed the bisexual pride flag.

The trans flag consists of five horizontal stripes in three colors (light blue, pink, and white): light blue at the top and bottom, white in the middle, and pink between the light blue and white stripes. Helms chose blue and pink because they are traditionally associated with baby boys and baby girls, respectively. The white middle stripe represents those who are intersex, transitioning, or have a neutral, undefined, or nonbinary gender identity. The symmetry of the flag is an essential element of its design: its pattern doesn’t change no matter how it is flown. According to Helms, the flag is always correct, which signifies trans people finding correctness in their lives.

The trans flag was first flown the following year at a Pride parade in Phoenix, Arizona. Helms continued to bring the flag to pride events after that, and it quickly grew in popularity, eventually being adopted by the worldwide LGBTQ+ community. Another important milestone in the flag’s history occurred in 2012 when it was first raised on the iconic flagpole at Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco’s Castro district on Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is observed annually on November 20. This was an important achievement because some activists argued against raising any pride flag other than the rainbow flag, claiming that only the rainbow flag should fly on the Castro flagpole.

On August 19, 2014, Helms donated the original transgender flag to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, thereby solidifying its historical and cultural significance. Coincidentally—or perhaps not—August 19 is now celebrated as Transgender Flag Day. Because of her role in creating the transgender flag, Helms has been nicknamed the “transgender Betsy Ross” — a reference to the woman who is traditionally credited with designing and making the first American flag.

In 2018, the colors of the transgender flag were incorporated into the Progress Pride flag, which was created by American non-binary queer artist and graphic designer Daniel Quasar. The Progress Pride flag is a variation of the rainbow flag that includes white, light blue, and light pink stripes to represent transgender people and brown and black stripes to represent queer people of color.