A Guide To LGBTQ+ Flags
The LGBTQ+ community has a lot to celebrate and be proud of, which is one of the reasons why we have flags and parades and Pride month.
But sometimes these flags can be a bit confusing, so here is a comprehensive guide to the different LGBTQ+ flags and who they represent.
The Progress Pride Flag:
This flag was created in 2018 by Daniel Quasar. It includes the colors of the original rainbow pride flag, plus the blue, white, and pink stripes of the Trans flag, and the black and brown stripes representing racial equality.
This flag was inspired by the Philadelphia’s People of Color Inclusive Flag, created in 2017 to support racial and LGBTQ+ equality in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Nonbinary Pride Flag:
Kye Rowan created this flag in 2014, to represent those whose gender is fluid and those who don’t identify with any one gender. The color yellow represents genders beyond male or female, white represents people who identify any or all genders, purple represents a combination of male and female identity, and black represents those who are agender (people who don’t identify with any gender).
The Nonbinary Flag covers most of the bases of gender identity, but there’s also a green, gray, white, and black flag for the agender community; a pink, white, purple, black, and blue flag for the genderfluid community;
And a purple, white, and green flag for the genderqueer community.
The Transgender Pride Flag:
The trans flag was created by Monica Helms in 1999. The blue and pink represent male and female, and the white represents those who are transitioning or who have no gender identity.
The Asexual Pride Flag:
This flag was created in 2010 to bring awareness to the members of the community who don’t feel sexual attraction. The gray part of the flag represents gray asexuality or demisexuality (those who may feel sexual attraction under specific circumstances).
The Pansexual Pride Flag:
No one knows exactly who created this flag or when it originated, but it represents an attraction to all genders. Pink stands for attraction to women, blue for men, and yellow for any other gender.
The Bisexual Pride Flag:
Michael Page created the bisexual flag in 1998 to represent different forms of attraction. Pink represents same-sex attraction, purple represents attraction to both sexes, and blue represents attraction to the opposite sex. Of course, this flag mainly speaks to people who are attracted to men, women, or both. The idea of all these different flags is to find one that you relate to, so if you feel attraction to all genders, the Pansexual flag might be more your speed.
The Lesbian Pride Flag:
The lesbian flag was designed to represent different shades of lipstick. The lipstick mark was later removed due to some saying it excluded butch lesbians. This flag was created by Natalie McCray in 2010.
After major backlash against McCray in the community for racist, biphobic and transphobic blog posts (that have since been deleted), a Tumblr user named Emily (@sadlesbeandisaster) created a new version of the flag. Each stripe has meaning: gender nonconformity, independence, community, unique relationships to womanhood, serenity and peace, love and sex, and femininity.
While this version of the flag originally was only used in Tumblr communities, it has now become much more widely accepted as the official Lesbian flag.
The Rainbow Flag:
The flag that most people associate with the LGBTQ+ community is the rainbow flag, created by Gilbert Baker back in 1978. The original flag had 8 stripes, while the one we’re more familiar with only has 6. The 8 stripes of the original flag each had a meaning–pink represented sex, red was life, orange was healing, yellow was sunlight, green was nature, turquoise was magic, blue was harmony, and violet was spirit.
Finding a flag you really identify with can be a very satisfying part of being involved in the community. Websites like Amazon, Etsy, and PrideNation sell flags with different, custom designs with aspects of these other flags included. If you look in the right places, you can find a flag that best represents you.
Sources:
- https://www.seventeen.com/life/g32577915/lgbtq-pride-flags/?slide=1
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/relationships/a30254147/lesbian-flag/
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