Exploring LGBTQ+ Flags and Their Meanings
Did you know that there isn't just one LGBTQ flag? Instead, there is a rainbow of colours and symbols representing the diverse members of the LGBTQ community!
If you're looking to celebrate Pride in Auckland this year and getting curious about the various flags that represent queer identities - then keep reading to learn all about them. From the classic six-striped Rainbow Flag to more obscure variations like trans pride or bisexual pride, we get into why these flags are so important for showing solidarity and love within our communities.
Whether you're a member of the LGBTQ+ community or a supporter looking for more knowledge, this blog post is your one-stop for understanding the various flags and their meanings. From rainbows to trans pride symbols, let's take a journey into learning about some of these beautiful banners – because understanding what they stand for can deepen our capacity to love and accept each other even more.
LGBTQ+ flags are a shining beacon that many of us look to for representation and support. But did you know there are actually over 30 of LGBTQ+ flags out there? Sure, the rainbow Pride flag is probably the most well known, but there’s also bi pride, pansexual pride, genderqueer pride, asexual pride, polyamorous pride: you name it!
With so many colours and symbols to choose from, LGBTQ+ people everywhere keep creating more and more flags over time.
The LGBTQ+ community is made up of individuals from many backgrounds and walks of life. Each person brings something unique to the table, and they all come together to form a vibrant and inclusive group.
One way that the LGBTQ+ community expresses its pride is through flags. In fact, there are dozens of different flags in use today – some represent individual identities, while others signify larger communities or movements. Let’s take a look at how many flags are out there!
The Rainbow Flag: An Iconic Symbol
The most iconic symbol for the LGBTQ+ community is undoubtedly the rainbow flag. Created by artist, activist, and openly gay military veteran. Gilbert Baker in 1978.The rainbow flag was created by Baker as a response to Harvey Milk's request to create a flag for the queer community. Baker created a rainbow flag based on the classic song "Over the Rainbow'' from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The colours in the flag also had specific meanings.
Transgender Flag
Monica Helms, a transgender woman, created the Transgender Flag in 1999. Baby boys and girls traditionally wear light blue and pink as their traditional colours. Intersex, transgender, or those who do not identify with any gender are represented by the white.
People who are transgender have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their birth sex. New Zealand has approximately 19,400 transgender and non-binary adults (18 and over), based on data from the 2021 Household Economic Survey.
Trans people of colour are most affected by violence against the queer community. This is why the Transgender Flag is so important! For transgender people to be visible without fear, they need representation and resources.
Progress Pride Flag
With the LGBT+ community and society at large evolving so rapidly, the Progress Pride Flag incorporates many of these flags into one. Thanks to its redesigned structure, it now places a greater emphasis on "inclusion and progression." Our community is so diverse, so unique, and so powerful because we combine so many kinds of people.
Modern pride flags now include stripes for people of colour, transgender, gender nonconforming (GNC) and/or undefined individuals.
A flag designed by Daniel Quasar includes many of the colours of the trans flag, as well as black and brown stripes, which are reminiscent of the Philadelphia Pride Flag 2017. HIV/AIDS survivors, people who have passed away from the virus, and the overall stigma that still surrounds HIV/AIDS are also represented by those two stripes.
Nonbinary Flag
In 2014, Kye Rowan designed the nonbinary pride flag with horizontal stripes of yellow, white, purple, and black. Nonbinary people who feel the genderqueer flag does not represent them are encouraged to use this design alongside Roxie's. The yellow stripe represents people whose gender exists outside of the binary, the white stripe, people with many or all genders, the purple, people whose genders are a mix, and the black for those with no gender identity.
Intersex Flag
Before the current Intersex Flag was developed, this flag went through various iterations. Earlier versions embraced the rainbow associated with queer pride, while others used colours such as blue and pink, which are associated with transgender pride.
The colours yellow and purple were chosen by Morgan Carpenter for the intersex flag in 2013. Rather than showing the rainbow symbolism, Morgan selected these colours because neither are associated with gender binary social constructs.
Intersex people represent wholeness in the circle, unbroken and perfect. Intersex people are perfect as they are or as they choose to be.
Asexual Flag
Founded in 2010, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network created the Flag for the Asexual Community. In simple terms, asexuality refers to a lack of attraction to another person, or a lack of interest in sexual activity. However, asexuality can mean different things to different people, so it is best to ask them what it means to them..
Asexuality can be described as an umbrella term, and each colour represents something unique.Asexuality can be described as an umbrella term, and each colour represents something unique. Black represents asexuality. Those who develop sexual attraction to someone after forming a deep emotional bond with them are considered demisexual. White stands for the allies of the community. Purple represents the entire community of asexual individuals.
Bisexual Flag
Michael Page created the Bisexual Pride Flag in 1998. The flag he designed represents the blending of pink and blue into purple. Bisexual people can blend into both straight and gay communities.
Flag colours also represent different genders' attraction. Pink symbolises attraction to the same gender, while blue symbolises attraction to a different gender.Pink symbolises attraction to the same gender, while blue symbolises attraction to a different gender. Bisexuality is defined as having attraction to more than one gender.
Pansexual Flag
In 2010, the Pansexual Flag was created. People who are pansexual are attracted to people regardless of their gender. They may describe themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their romantic or sexual attraction. They can be attracted to women, men, both, or neither.
In the flag, pink represents women, blue represents men, and yellow stands for people who don't identify with either gender.
Pansexuality is an alternative sexual identity, or a branch of bisexuality. The term pansexual is often considered more inclusive than bisexual because it is open to relationships with non-binary individuals, and it rejects the gender binary.
Lesbian Flag
A common representation of lesbians, it features pink, white, and red shades - although some feel it represents only 'lipstick' or 'femme' lesbians. This is likely due to the fact that it was originally released in an earlier version.This is likely due to the fact that it was originally released in an earlier version.
The top left hand corner of the website first featured a lipstick mark in 2010. Some people still embrace the original version, while others claim it is butch-phobic, resulting in variations in colour.Some people still embrace the original version, while others claim it is butch-phobic, resulting in variations in colour.
What are the two lesbian flags?
The "pink" lesbian flag is based on the lipstick lesbian flag, but without the kiss mark. The pink flag became more popular as a general lesbian pride flag. In 2018, blogger Emily Gwen introduced the "orange-pink" lesbian flag modelled after the seven-band pink flag.
Abrosexual Flag
Founded in 2015, the Abrosexual Pride Flag represents the Abrosexual community. Mod Chad of pride-flags-for-us created the flag upon request from another anonymous user. The reasons for selecting these colours are unknown.
An abrosexual is a person whose sexuality is fluid or changing. A person could be gay one day, asexual the next, and polysexual the next.
The sexual identity of an individual may shift or change in some way throughout their life, but the sexual identity of an abrosexual individual may change more frequently, over the course of hours, days, months, or years.
People who are abrosexual may not feel compelled to seek a relationship or may prefer a wavership due to their inconsistent attraction.
Each person's fluctuations are different in timing; some fluctuate erratic while others fluctuate regularly. It is also possible for a person to fluctuate between different sexualities. While some abrosexuals may be fluid between all sexualities, others may only be fluid between a few.
Gay Men’s Pride Flag
One of the lesser known pride flags is the Gay Men's Pride Flag. A variety of greens, blues, and purples can be found in it.
An earlier gay men's pride flag that featured a range of blue tones has been redesigned. Due to its stereotypical use of gender binary colours, that version was problematic.
The updated flag now includes transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming gay men as well.
Heterosexual Pride Flag
In a similar look to the rainbow LGBT pride flag, the heterosexual pride flag consists of alternating black and white stripes. There are several variations of this flag. In the early 2000s, one used white, grey, and black colours, mimicking the rainbow flag.
Drag Feather Pride Flag
The Drag or Feather Pride flag features a phoenix over the fiery red fires of passion as a symbol of rebirth. As a nod to the community's passion for raising funds and awareness, this shirt is designed to illustrate that.
Polyamorous Pride Flag
Polyamory Pride Flags can be seen flying at any number of pride celebrations around the globe, from Brussels to Seoul to Atlanta...or anywhere in between!
An individual who is polyamorous desires or engages in multiple romantic (and typically sexual) relationships with the consent of all parties involved.
In 1995, Jim Evans created the first polyamory pride flag. In the middle of the flag is the Greek letter pi symbol, which is composed of blue, red, and black bars. Love and affection are represented by the red bar, while honesty and openness are represented by the blue bar.
All people who have to hide their multi-lover relationships from the rest of the world are represented by the black bar. The pi symbol in the middle of the flag has many explanations.
However, those who agree that it stands for infinite love between partners make the most sense and are most likely to agree with it.However, those who agree that it stands for infinite love between partners make the most sense and are most likely to agree with it.
As with other LGBTQ+ flags, the polyamorous flag has undergone many variations since various community members decided the original flag was unacceptable. Variations include removing the pi symbol and replacing it with an infinity heart symbol. Variations of the polyamorous flag feature the infinite heart symbol, but this original flag is still the most common and widely accepted.
Maverique Pride Flag
You may have seen the Maverique Pride Flag flying at any number of pride celebrations around the world, from Barcelona to Singapore to Las Vegas.
As a nonbinary or abinary gender, Maverique has significant gendered experiences, but is neither male nor female. Gender does not play a role in it. In this sense, it embodies autonomy and inner convictions about a notion of gender that is unusual, atypical, and separate from standard gender concepts.
As with people of any gender, maverique people are free to use whatever pronouns they wish.
The maverique pride flag was created on Tumblr by Vesper H. The term maverique was coined a few days earlier by Vesper H.
These are the meanings of the colours:
- The primary colour used is yellow. Yellow denotes gender, just as maverique denotes masculinity and femininity. Yellow is often associated with non-binary gender.
- White signifies independence from both gender binary and colour spectrum. Maverique is built on a gender-neutral canvas.
- The colour orange symbolises their unconventional and unique personalities and fiery inner convictions.
Bigender Pride Flag
The original Bigender pride flag was created by Tumblr user no-bucks-for-this-does; its creation date is unknown but believed to have been before July 30th, 2014. Different shades of pink, blue, and purple are featured.
Though the meanings of the colours are unknown, some speculate that blue represents masculinity, pink represents femininity, and purple represents androgyny or a mix of genders. Its white centre symbolises the nonbinary nature of bisexuality.
A bigender individual is someone who has or experiences two different genders. As an example, someone who is bigender could be both male and female or agender and female at the same time. It may be possible to experience genders as binary or non-binary, simultaneously or alternately, and in different ways.
Graysexual Pride Flag
The first Graysexual pride flag was designed by Milith Rusignuolo in 2013. The flag features two purple lines on top and bottom, two grey lines further in, and a white centre line. As shown in the colours, a person starts out with no sexual attraction (purple - asexuality), then experiences attraction (grey to white), then comes back to asexuality (allosexuality).
The term graysexual refers to someone who identifies as asexual but does not fit into one of the primary categories.
Genderflux Pride Flag
Several variations of the Genderflux Pride flag exist, but the original is most commonly used - its creator is unknown, and it is believed to have been created between 2014 and 2015.
Dark pink represents women, light pink represents demi girls, grey represents agender, light blue represents demi boys, dark blue represents men, and yellow represents non-binary genders.
When an individual's gender or intensity of gender changes over time, it is called genderflux.
Gender Queer Pride Flag
Marilyn Roxie, a genderqueer writer and advocate, created the Gender Queer Pride flag in 2011. There are three horizontal stripes on the flag: lavender, white, and dark chartreuse green.
As a mix of pink and blue traditionally associated with women and men, lavender signifies queer identities and androgyny. Gender-neutral and agender identities are represented by white. Identities outside the gender binary and third genders are represented by chartreuse.
An individual who identifies as genderqueer does not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions, but rather with neither male nor female, or with both at the same time. Non-binary is similar to gender queer, but has a slightly different meaning. Some people use it as an umbrella term to describe any identity that isn't cisgender.
Demiboy Pride Flag
It was created by the Tumblr user Transrants in 2015. Although Transrants did not explain the colours in detail, the demiboy community has assigned meaning to them. Blue represents manhood/masculinity, white represents non-binary or agender, and shades of grey represent grey areas and partial connections to other genders than the binary concepts of gender (male or female).
A demiboy, also known as a demiguy, demiman, demimale, or demidude, is a person who identifies as masculine.
Straight Ally Flag
As the Straight Ally flag uses the black-and-white "colours" of the heterosexual flag, it adds a rainbow-coloured "A" (for "Ally") to indicate straight support for Gay Pride/Equal Marriage.
The term "straight ally" refers to a heterosexual or cisgender person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, LGBT social movements, and challenges homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. In the opinion of a straight ally, LGBT people are socially and economically disadvantaged due to discrimination.
Conclusion:
The number of different LGBTQ+ flags may seem overwhelming at first glance – however each one serves an important purpose in representing different identities within our larger community.
From rainbow flags that represent everyone under one banner to specific identity-based flags such as bisexuality or transgender rights – each one helps us express our individual identity while still being part of something bigger than ourselves.
So next time you see one flying proudly outside your window or on someone’s shirt – take a moment to appreciate it! It’s more than just a pretty picture – it stands for something much greater!