The city of Ypsilanti is honoring Transgender Day of Visibility by raising the transgender flag during a ceremony on Friday morning.
Mayor Amanda M. Edmonds and city council was on hand to raise the flag at the Ypsilanti Police Department.
"Ypsilanti is a city known for inclusion. We respect ALL people and want our community and other communities to know Ypsilanti is a safe place," Edmonds said in a release. "Our transgender community knows we respect and celebrate them."
Related
City council unanimously approved the decision to commemorate and celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility on March 21.
"The community approached the city and asked if we could recognize the day and raise the flag for awareness and support of the transgender community," councilwoman Beth Bashert said. "The decision was easy."
International Transgender Day of Visibility is celebrated every year on March 31. Rachel Crandall, who founded Transgender Michigan, established the observance in 2009.
According to Point5CC, a transgender clothing company, the flag was created by Monica Helmes in 1999 and first flown at an LGBT pride celebration in Phoenix, Ariz. the next year.
It features five stripes. Two outer stripes that are light blue, inner two for light pink and a white middle stripe. The blue stripes are the traditional color for a baby boy, pink for a baby girl and the white is for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having an undefined gender.
