My problems with the progress flag and the trans rainbow flag are not with the groups or ideas they are ment to express.

First like OP I think they are bad flag designs. To busy and lack the simple design a flag should have. I also just don’t like the look.

Second there is value in a consistent recognizable design like the rainbow. I spot all sorts of variants and often don’t know what they are supposed to mean.

I also don’t think there should be spefic meaning to the parts. Saying this color stripe is this group and that color is another group is problematic.

The rainbow colors were meant to symbolize broad inclusion. Everybody under the rainbow. Red isn’t gay, blue isn’t lesbian, etc. (I know some have tried to add that after the fact).

When you start adding spefic groups to the flag you start having included groups and excluded groups. So as much as I support trans rights and think they belong in the community I don’t want any spefic group in the flag.

You then get groups that are not included and want a new flag to included them. Like we are seeing with the trans flag causing groups to want the progress flag. Pretty soon the rainbow is going to look like nascar with logos everywhere.

A simple consistent flag with the message of broad inclusion is better.