Pastel gay pride flag
You might be familiar with the six-colored rainbow flag that is widely used to represent the Diverse community. But did you know that this is a relatively new rendition of the original?
The imaginative flag (shown here) was designed by activist, veteran, drag queen, and painter, Gilbert Baker, and made its debut at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day March in 1978. He was inspired by the Rolling Stones song She’s a Rainbow, and the 1960s 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 1978, demand for the Movement Flag increased, but the hot pink fabric was difficult to find in large quantities. Then, the Paramount Flag Company started making a version out of the standard rainbow colors to help gather demand, and a seven-color pride flag was the new norm.
A year later, the flag evolved once more…
Flags of the LGBTIQ Community
Flags have always been an integral part of the LGBTIQ+ movement. They are a seeable representation meant to mark progress, advocate for inclusion, and amplify the require and drive for collective action. There have been many LGBTIQ+ flags over the years. Some include evolved, while others are constantly being conceptualized and created.
Rainbow Flag
Created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, the iconic Pride Rainbow flag originally had eight stripes. The colors included pink to represent sexuality, red for healing, yellow for sun, green for serenity with nature, turquoise for art, indigo for unity, and violet for essence. 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 2018 by nonbinary designer Daniel Quasar, the Progress Pride flag is based on the iconic 1978 rainbow flag. With stripes of black and brown to represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of color and the triad of sky, pink, and white from the trans flag, the design represents diversity and inclusion.
Trans Flag
Conceived by Monica Helms, an
Pride Flags
Flags are often used as symbols of celebration. It is no surprise then that numerous event flags have been created to represent the sexual and gender diversity of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Explore all the different flags and their meanings.
Interested in exploring further? Take 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 event flags. If you hold a suggestion for a flag to add or have 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 established 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 like other men.
Date: 2016
Creator: Redesigned by DeviantArt (Tumblr user)
Flag meaning: The first iteration was created by pridenpositivity (Tumblr user). The flag contains the color cerulean to represent men and a lime-green carnation in the center, which was popularized by Oscar Savage
LGBTQ+ Pride Flags
In the LGBTQ+ community, we signify our pride with flags. With many unlike identities in the people, there comes many unlike flags to know. We have collected all of the flags and a guide to learn about all of the diverse colors of our community’s rainbow. We know that this may not be all of the flags that represent our society, but we will update the page as fresh flags become popular!
Explore the flag collection below! Glimpse a flag's name by hovering or clicking on the flag.
Umbrella Flags
Gilbert Baker Pride Flag
Traditional Pride Flag
Philadelphia Pride Flag
Progress Pride Flag
Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag
Queer Pride Flag
The original Pride Flag was created in 1978 after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each color represents a alternative part of the
.