The colors are traditional: 'light blue, for boys, pink for girls.' It's the white stripe in the middle that's arguably most significant, which she says represents 'those who are transitioning, gender neutral, or intersex.' The idea, she says, came to her fully formed, and was with her one morning when she woke up. By 2013, the flag design had spread outside of the US, and in 2014, her original flag was donated to the Smithsonian. The US Department of Veterans Affairs says that was the same year she unveiled her trans pride flag at a Phoenix, Arizona Pride parade, years after Michael Page - creator of the bisexual flag - encouraged her to make one to represent her community. Monica Helms says that in 2000, she made the move to Atlanta - in part because it allowed her access to Washington, DC, where she became a trans advocate.
