‘World’s largest transgender flag’ unfurled at Utah State Capitol for Trans Day of Visibility

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — During a celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility on Saturday, Utahns gathered at the State Capitol to help unfurl what a local organization has called the “world’s largest transgender flag.”

According to the Utah Pride Center, the flag is 200 feet long and 30 feet wide. In a video on Instagram — which calls the flag the world’s largest of its kind — the organization said the flag is made up of 600 yards of fabric and 10,800 feet of thread, taking local stitchers about five weeks to complete.

“We are thrilled to unfurl what we believe to be the largest trans flag in the country, celebrating our community and creating a space of empowerment, visibility, and support,” said Chad Call, executive director of the Utah Pride Center.

The Utah Pride Center partnered with The Glitter Foundation for Saturday’s events, which included a rally at the capitol, a march to Washington Square, and a “sharing circle” at Washington Square.

“Our partnership with the Utah Pride Center for TDoV reflects our shared mission to uplift and support the trans community, ensuring their voices, stories, and experiences are seen and celebrated,” said Dallas Rivas, co-founder of the Glitter Foundation. “Together, we stand for visibility, inclusivity, and the right to live unapologetically.”

Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) — which annually falls on March 31 — was established in 2010 by transgender activist Rachel Crandall. Crandall created the day in response to stories of violence against transgender individuals, according to GLAAD.

Background

Saturday’s events took place two days after a controversial bill banning flags in schools and other “government property” passed into law without the governor’s signature.

“This year, Transgender Day of Visibility follows a particularly harmful legislative session in Utah, with several bills targeting our trans community—including the recent passage of HB 77, which bans pride flags on government property,” Call said.

While H.B. 77 does not name specific types of flags that would not be allowed in those spaces, opponents have been outspoken about the implications of the bill against the LGBTQ+ community. Bill sponsor Rep. Trevor Lee (R – West Jordan) previously posted on social media to say that the bill would “ban Pride flags” from Utah schools.

In a letter to members of the legislature, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wrote that he did not veto or sign H.B. 77 because he believed his veto would have been overridden by lawmakers.

“I continue to have serious concerns with this bill,” Cox wrote. “However, because a veto would be overridden, I have decided to allow the bill to go into law without my signature, and urge lawmakers to consider commonsense solutions that address the bill’s numerous flaws.”

Cox also said in his letter that the sponsors of the bill did not move forward with a deal on a compromise “that would have removed problematic portions of the bill.” After the bill’s passing, the Utah Pride Center said in a statement it was “deeply saddened” to see the bill move forward into law.