Saskatchewan first to fly transgender flag at provincial capital

Saskatchewan made history on Tuesday.

The transgender pride flag was raised at the legislature in Regina as a part of International Transgender Day of Visibility and the province's Transgender Awareness Week.

This marks the first time the flag has flown at a provincial capital in Canada.

"The importance of the flag-raising today is to celebrate the diversity of gender within Saskatchewan and to celebrate the small steps we've taken within Saskatchewan in recognizingtransgender people as full citizens," said Mikayla Schultz, the executive director of TransSask Support Services.

She pointed to the implementation of language in the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code to protect transgender people as asignof progress.

"We're moving forward and the trans community is happy and excited that we are moving forward," she said.

However, Schultz also said that Saskatchewan still lags behind the rest of the country in some respects and there ismore work ahead.

She said that nowmembers of the transgender community arefocusedon changing gender markers foridentification as well asintroducing moreresources for health professionals so transgender people have better access to health care.

"We do have a long ways to go, but the provincial government is committed to seeing us through to our goals."