Happy Pride Month everyone!
In honour of Pride Month, I briefly considered covering an LGBTQ artist/ LGBTQ art. I asked myself, “What is the most well-known LGBTQ art?” The first thing I could think of was the Pride flag. I know it technically doesn’t count as art, but you’ve got to appreciate how the rainbow flag has seeped into mainstream culture.
How much do we really know about the Pride and other LGBTQ flags? Do we know who created them and what they actually mean? Let’s take a look at the meaning and history behind these important symbols.
1.The Pride or Rainbow Flag
Who created it? Gilbert Baker
When? Around 1978
What do the colours symbolise?
The original flag consisted of eight colours and this is what they symbolised (according to Baker):
| COLOUR | MEANING |
| Hot pink | Sex |
| Red | Life |
| Orange | Healing |
| Yellow | Sunlight |
| Green | Nature |
| Turquoise | Magic/ Art |
| Indigo | Serenity |
| Violet | Spirit |
Interesting facts:
- Harvey Milk challenged Baker to create a symbol for the gay community when they met in 1974
- The hot pink section of the flag was removed after it became too difficult to acquire that colour fabric.
- Some people believe that Baker drew inspiration from the Judy Garland song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Garland was considered a gay icon.
- Baker might’ve also drawn inspiration from the Flag of the Races.
2. The Labrys Lesbian Flag
Who created it? Unknown
When? 1999
What does it symbolise?
The labrys (the axe) is an ancient religious symbol. In the 1970’s it was adopted by the lesbian feminist movement to symbolise female empowerment.
The inverted black triangle is the symbol that the Third Reich would make homosexual women wear as a badge in concentration camps. The Nazis believed lesbians to be asocial.
3. The Lipstick Lesbian Flag
Who created it? It was first seen here on the blog “This Lesbian Life”
When? 2010
What does it symbolise? While the designer has not explained why she chose the particular colours, the flag is meant to represent “homosexual women who have a more feminine gender expression”.
4. Bisexual Pride
Who created it? Michael Page
When? 1998
What do the colours symbolise?
| COLOUR | MEANING |
| Pink | Sexual attraction to the same sex |
| Blue | Sexual attraction to the opposite sex |
| Purple (overlap of pink and blue) | Sexual attraction to both sexes |
Interesting facts:
- Page described the reasoning behind the overlap of the pink and blue colours: “…the purple pixels of color blend unnoticeably into both the pink and blue, just as in the ‘real world,’ where bi people blend unnoticeably into both the gay/lesbian and straight communities.”
- The ratio of the colours is not fixed but it is usually 2:1:2
5. Transgender Flag
Who created it? Monica Helms
When? 1999
What do the colours symbolise?
| COLOUR | MEANING |
| Blue | The traditional colour for baby boys |
| Pink | The traditional colour for baby girls |
| White | Non-binary people, who feel that they do not have a gender |
Interesting fact:
- Helms designed the flag in such a way that it is correct no matter which way you fly it. This is meant to echo the sentiment of trans people finding correctness in their lives.
6. Pansexual Flag
Who created it? Unknown
When? Mid-2010
What do the colours symbolise?
| COLOUR | MEANING |
| Pink | Women |
| Yellow | Non-binary gender |
| Blue | Men |
Interesting Fact:
- Some pansexual flags have a ‘P’ symbol on them. The P has been modified to incorporate features from the Venus/female symbol and the Mars/male symbol.
7. Non-binary Flag
Who created it? Kye Rowan
When? 2014
What do the colours symbolise?
| COLOUR | MEANING |
| Yellow | Those who identify outside of the gender binary |
| White | Non-binary people with multiple genders |
| Purple | Those with a mixture of both male and female genders |
| Black | Agender people |
8. Asexual Flag
Who created it? A user named standup, on the website AVEN.
When? 2010
What do the colours symbolise?
| COLOUR | MEANING |
| Black | Asexuality |
| Grey | Grey-asexuality and demisexuality* |
| White | Allies |
| Purple | Community |
*Grey asexuality is the spectrum between asexuality and sexuality, demisexuality is when a person does not experience sexual attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection with someone.
9. Intersex Flag
Who created it? Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA)
When? 2013
What does it symbolise? The IHRA describes yellow and purple as “hermaphrodite colours”. The circle is meant to symbolise wholeness and completeness.
We hope you had as much fun reading this post as we had researching it. Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Have a safe and happy Pride Month!
very informative!!
i always look forward for your articles!
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