What is it about a flag that inspires so much passion?

In substance, it's just a piece of cloth, emblazoned with designs and often words. But flags have taken on connotations usually reserved for sacred relics. Rules for the handling and display of the American flag have been codified by the U.S. Congress (Public Law 94-344) in a four-page document. Soldiers were assigned to carry the flag during the Civil War in the midst of battle. Protestors gave burned flags as signs of dissent. Flags are raised in signs of triumph. People have died protecting a flag and are rewarded in death by having a flag draped over their casket.

So, what is it about this simple swatch of fabric that elicits such emotion and reverence?

Its symbolism.

One of the shared human instincts is the tendency to assign meaning to inanimate objects. Sculpted idols, totems, certain buildings, books. Flags are a product of this same instinct, the same need to imbue an humble item with special meaning. Flags summarize a spirit or an emotion or a group. Flags express visually what cannot be expressed in words.

"I was having dinner with Michael Page, who was the creator of the bisexual pride flag. That and the rainbow flag were the only two that existed then. He said, 'You know, the trans community could use a flag, too.'"

Monica Helms was a U.S. Navy veteran, accustomed to saluting a flag and serving under it. In 1999, she was having the above conversation when the concept of a transgender flag was suggested to her.

Monica Helms holding the original transgender flag

"I gave it some thought, and he said, 'But you got to keep it simple because the least amount of stitches, the cheaper it is for them to sell it.'"

In retrospect, the color choices Helms made seem so natural. Each hue stands for a particular aspect of the transgender community. There is even a reason why it flies correctly no mater how it is displayed.

"Blue is the traditional color for baby boys, and pink is for girls, but the white stripe in the middle is for those people who are non-binary or gender fluid or don't have any gender thoughts at all—they fit in in the white part. The design is such that no matter which way you fly it, it's always correct, which signifies us finding correctness in our lives."

Pink. White. Blue. Delicate pastel shades that together form a sign of transgender pride. Colors confirming our existence, perseverance and sense of community.

And a flag that says it all without words.

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️