SF City Hall lights to display transgender flag colors starting Friday

Starting tonight, San Francisco City Hall plans to light up in the colors of the transgender flag—pink, white, and light blue. This is in response to President Trump rolling back protections for transgender students on Wednesday.

The policy, enacted by the Obama Administration, allowed all students access to the bathrooms that matched their gender identity, which would provide many students safety in schools. According to San Francisco Examiner, “The decision to lift the directive allows states and school districts to interpret federal anti-discrimination laws.”

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee responded in a tweet, saying that city hall “stands proudly in solidarity with all transgender youth.” The lights will illuminate in said colors starting tonight until Sunday night.

As for the flag, it consists of five stripes: two light blue, two pink, and one white. Created by Monica Helms in 1999, she describes the flag thusly:

“The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the traditional color for baby boys. The stripes next to them are pink, the traditional color for baby girls. The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender. The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives.”

City Hall’s lights often pays tribute to important people and causes, ranging from Prince to Pride. Local tech outfits Salesforce, Apple, and Google have all publicly come out against the recent order.

Be sure to check out the lights at 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place.

• SF City Hall to display transgender flag colors this weekend [SF Examiner]
• Here's SF City Hall Illuminated Purple in Memory of Prince [Curbed SF]
• Trump just made it official: transgender students no longer have an ally in the White House [Vox]
• Salesforce joins Apple and Google in protesting Trump’s anti-transgender order [Recode]