Congress Members are Displaying Transgender Pride Flags Outside of Their Offices This Week

House members lined the halls of Congress with transgender pride flags this week in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility on Sunday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), among others recently displayed pink, blue, and white flags outside of their offices. On Thursday, March 28, these lawmakers further showed their support for trans individuals by passing a non-binding resolution opposing the Trump Administration’s trans military ban.

“The House will continue to fight this discriminatory action, which has no place in our country,” Pelosi said. “We will never allow hate and prejudice to dictate our national security.”

The trans pride flags were provided to every member of Congress––both Democrat and Republican––by the National Center for Transgender Equality. Dozens of lawmakers put up their flags, and many posted photos of them on Twitter.

President hopeful Sanders shared an image of his flag on Tuesday.

“Discrimination has no place in our society,” Sanders wrote on Twitter. “I am proud to display this flag as a symbol of support for transgender people across the country. We must stand with transgender people in all of our communities.”

Member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif), uploaded a picture of her flag on Wednesday.

“I got a message from a mom of a transgender teen in #CA25. She saw my colleagues hanging flags in honor of #TransVisibilityWeek and asked me to do this same –– I was proud to say ours is already up,” Hill tweeted. “The halls of Congress are decked out to show our trans community #WontBeErased!”

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) put up her flag just before going to vote for the resolution against the trans military ban.

“I’m proud to join my colleagues to fight against President Trump’s discriminatory ban against transgender service-members,” Escobar tweeted Thursday. “We will never allow hate and prejudice to undermine our military readiness and national security.”

Every Democrat in the House of Representatives and five Republicans voted in favor of the House resolution against the trans military ban. Dozens of these lawmakers showcased trans pride flags on social media.

Sunday, March 31 marks 10 years since the first Trans Day of Visibility. The international event celebrates trans and gender-nonconforming people, and raises awareness of discrimination faced by these people worldwide.