Iowa Safe Schools made history and flew the transgender pride flag at the Iowa State Capitol Building for Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Nate Monson, the executive director of Iowa Safe Schools, said it sent an important message to Iowans.

“Doing something like having a flag flying over the Capitol is a message and a beacon to youth that we serve across the state that they are accepted, they are loved. While today we’re honoring folks, we’re also moving forward on acceptance and equality.”

The flag went up and flew for 3-5 minutes, which is standard, Monson said. And then the group got a certificate of authenticity.

The Iowa State Capitol is the first in the country to fly the transgender flag. The California State Capitol also flew a flag today, but Iowa was the first.

“We beat California and we’re damn proud that Iowa’s first on another civil rights triumph.”

Other states have flown Pride flags, the rainbow flag, from their capitols, but not the transgender flag on its own.

The gesture was specifically tailored for today.

Every November 20, Transgender Day of Remembrance honors and memorializes the lives and memories of the people who have been killed for being transgender.

According to a study released Monday by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, at least 22 Americans have been killed this year for being transgender or gender non-conforming.

Monson also said,

“You know part of it is frankly that you wouldn’t expect that. A flag flying over the state capitol. But after we did that we got a lot of messages from our students and other members of the trans community who said they had tears in their eyes to see that image. Because it means that they’re Iowans too and they’re part of our great state.”

(Photo, provided; via Iowa Starting Line)