“The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it will always be correct. Monica Helms, a trans woman, designed this flag in 1999, and it was first flown at a Pride Parade in Phoenix a year later. “The light blue is the traditional color for baby boys, pink is for girls, and the white in the middle is for those who are transitioning, those who feel they have a neutral gender or no gender, and those who are intersexed,” Helms noted. Intersex Flagĭesigned in 2013 by the organization Intersex International Australia, this flag intentionally features nongendered colors that celebrate living outside the binary. The letter is gold to represent the emotional attachment we have with others as friends and romantic partnerss, rather than just our carnal relationships. Polyamory Flagįeaturing the symbol for the infinite numberpi, which shares the first letter of “polyamory,” this flag celebrates the infinite selection of partners available to polyamorous people. It features a labrys, an ax-like weapon used by Grecian amazons. Created in 1999 by gay graphic designer Sean Campbell, the flag has not gained much traction in the lesbian community.
Oddly enough, this sapphic symbol was created by a man. Inspired by the Asexual Visibility and Education Network logo, it represents many ace identities, including graysexuals (the fluid area between sexuals and asexuals) and demisexuals (people who don’t experience sexual attraction unless they have an emotional connection with their partners. Like the pansexual flag, the asexual flag was created in 2010. The pink represents women, yellow nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people, and the blue is for men. Pansexual PrideĬreated on the web in 2010, this flag has colors that represent pansexuality’s interest in all genders as partners. The flag was inspired by an older symbol of bisexuality: the “biangles,” two overlapping pink and dark blue triangles. Bisexual Flagĭesigned by Michael Page, the flag brings visibility to the bisexual community, showing the overlap of the stereotypical colors for boys and girls. The white, pink, and light blue reflect the colors of the transgender flag, while the brown and black stripes represent people of color and those lost to AIDS. “When the Pride flag was recreated in the last year to include both black/brown stripes as well as the trans stripes included this year, I wanted to see if there could be more emphasis in the design of the flag to give it more meaning,” Quasar explained on his Kickstarter. Daniel Quasar, who identifies as queer and nonbinary, designed this flag. This new flag seeks to take Philadelphia’s inclusive approach a step further.
Many white men were outraged by the flag, claiming that rainbow includes all skin colors, but with a star like Lena Waithe donning it at the Met Gala, it seems the design is here to stay. The city had previously faced accusations of racial discrimination in its gay bars, which led 11 queer nightlife venues to take antiracism training. Noting that queer people of color are often not fully included in the LGBT community, the city of Philadelphia added two colors - black and brown - to the Pride flag in their honor. Philadelphia People Of Color Inclusive Flag
Numerous complications over having an odd-number of colors led to turquoise being dropped, at least according to reports. In 1979, the community landed on this six-color version, which was hung from lampposts in San Francisco. The demand was greater than the available fabric, so the Paramount Flag Company began selling this version of the flag, as did Gilbert Baker, who had trouble getting hot pink fabric. Each color celebrates an aspect of queer Pride:Īfter the assassination of Harvey Milk, many wanted the Pride flag he commissioned to commemorate his accomplishments for the community and their personal support. Though some dispute whether Baker was the sole creator of the flag that started it all, its symbolism remains.
Inspired by Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow,” these colors flew at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade celebration on June 25, 1978. In 1977, Harvey Milk challenged Gilbert Baker, a veteran who taught himself to sew, to come up with a symbol of pride for the gay community. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments.
There are many sexualities in on the queer spectrum, and we’ve identified the flags for each. Whether you’re celebrating Pride in New York or Tel Aviv, you’ll be seeing all sorts of flags - and not just those in the traditional rainbow.