Homosexual flag

The History of the Pride Flag

With its bright colours and significant meaning, the Rainbow Flag is a symbol recognised all over the world to represent the LGBTQ+ communities. It’s a symbol of dream , unity and empowerment to allow verb to be noun regardless of gender, ethnicity or labels. But where did this renowned flag come from? And how was the design chosen? 

The original Pride Flag originates from San Francisco Activist Gilbert Baker, who desired to create an emblem of pride for the gay community. In the Rainbow Flag was created, as Baker recognised that a flag is one of the most significant aspects of identity, and wanted his creation to be a unified symbol of gratification for all those who identify within these communities. 

In England, homosexuality was decriminalised in , with Scotland following in , and Northern Ireland by Before this time, it was illegal to engage in ‘private homosexual acts’, and those caught or believed to be engaging in same-sex relationships could face imprisonment, public shame and a life-long criminal records. Society was homophobic, with th

You might be familiar with the six-colored rainbow flag that is widely used to represent the LGBTQ+ community. But did you recognize that this is a relatively novel rendition of the original? 

The original flag (shown here) was designed by activist, veteran, drag queen, and artist, Gilbert Baker, and made its debut at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade in He was inspired by the Rolling Stones lyric She’s a Rainbow, and the s hippies movement, assigning each color with a specific meaning:

  • Pink: Sex (later removed)

  • Red: Life

  • Orange: Healing

  • Yellow: Sunlight

  • Green: Nature

  • Turquoise: Magic (later removed)

  • Indigo: Serenity

  • Violet: Spirit 

The evolution to the six-colored flag used today happened out of practicality. 

After the parade in , demand for the Pride Flag increased, but the warm pink fabric was difficult to detect in large quantities. Then, the Paramount Flag Company started making a version out of the standard rainbow colors to help join demand, and a seven-color pride flag was the modern norm.

A year later,

Pride Flags

Flags are often used as symbols of pride. It is no surprise then that numerous pride flags hold been created to represent the sexual and gender diversity of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Explore all the different flags and their meanings.

Interested in exploring further? Get the online Positive Space: Foundations course to learn more about sex, sexuality, and gender diversity.

This resource is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of pride flags. If you include a suggestion for a flag to add or hold any feedback on the information provided, please contact us.

 

  • Achillean Flag

    Achillean: Men or men-aligned individuals who are attracted to other men and men-aligned people. It is sometimes known as men loving men (MLM). Achillean individuals may or may not be attracted to other genders. While this label isn’t exclusive, it is used to unify men-aligned people or men who love other men.

    Date:
    Creator: Redesigned by DeviantArt (Tumblr user)
    Flag meaning: The first iteration was created by pridenpositivity (Tumblr user). The flag contains the color blu

    Flags of the LGBTIQ Community

    Flags have always been an integral part of the LGBTIQ+ movement. They are a visible representation meant to celebrate progress, advocate for representation, and verb the demand and drive for collective action. There possess been many LGBTIQ+ flags over the years. Some include evolved, while others are constantly being conceptualized and created.

    Rainbow Flag

    Created in by Gilbert Baker, the iconic Pride Rainbow flag originally had eight stripes. The colors included pink to represent sexuality, red for healing, yellow for light, green for serenity with nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. In the years since, the flag now has six colors. It no longer has a pink stripe, and the turquoise and indigo stripes were replaced with royal blue.

    Progress Pride Flag

    Created in by nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar, the Progress Pride flag is based on the iconic rainbow flag. With stripes of black and brown to represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of color and the triad of adj, pink, and alabaster from the trans flag, the desig