Flags act as symbols of power, strength, unity, etc. The different sexuality flags used nowadays help assert the presence and strength of the LGBTQ+ community. Here, we will consider the various sexuality flags, ranging from the stripped pride flags to the demisexual pride flag. Thus, without wasting any more time, let's dive right into the matter.
Designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978, this is the first flag belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. Baker created this flag after gaining inspiration from Judy Garland's song- Over the Rainbow. Originated in California, the eight stripped sexuality flag plays a significant role in the Pride space. It was first used during the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade, held on June 25, 1978.
Celebrating Pride, this flag represents different aspects of sex, life, sunlight, nature, healing, spirit, serenity, magic/ art. Here, the designer has carefully selected colors to voice these concepts symbolically. Now, let's look at them in brief.
The stripped pride flag underwent numerous revisions and additions in the last few years.
However, the demand for this sexuality flag was at its highest after the death of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man and activist holding membership in a public office in California.
After the stripped pride flag with eight colors, this flag with six stripes rose to prominence from the LGBTQ+ community. Here, the colors present are red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet.
However, the designers removed hot pink and turquoise due to valid reasons. They had to take out hot pink from the sexuality flag because of the lack of availability of the fabric.
Since the flag had an odd number of colors, the creators decided to remove another color. And the color, as you might have assumed by now, that they took out from the flag was turquoise. Another reason stated for the removal of the seventh color from the flag was to make it even on both sides while decorating the sideways of the parade route.
Hoisted in Hillhurst United Church, the progress flag consists of a five-colored chevron. Designed by Daniel Quaser, it has arrow-shaped lines in black, brown, light blue, pink, and white.
Here, the black and brown colored stripes represent the marginalized sections of the LGBTQ+ community, especially the people of color. It is also a symbol of the stigmas and challenges suffered by people with AIDS.
When it comes to the other three colors, the designer has incorporated them from the transgender pride flag. In a nutshell, the progress flag focuses on bringing in diversity and inclusivity. As the name suggests, it also depicts progress.
Designed by Michael Page, the bisexuality pride flag has a rectangle shape. It comes with magenta stripes on the top, which is a way of embracing same-sex attraction. You can find broad blue stripes, presenting opposite-sex attraction, below the magenta stripes. There is a lavender band in the center, which shows attraction towards both the sexes.
Similar to other flags, the bisexual pride flag is also present during the Pride events. When you look at the first time this sexuality flag came to use, it was during the Bicafe's the first anniversary in 1998. After that, the flag has continued to remain in use over the years.
Natalie Mccray introduced the lesbian pride flag through their blog, My Lesbian Life, in 2010. However, the blog is dysfunctional now. In this new flag, there are six stripes in the shades of pink and red. And, you can see white color in the center. However, there are several problems raised on the lack of inclusivity in this pride flag. Along with that, the lesbian pride flag by Natalie Mccray has transphobic content in it.
Considering all these factors, in 2018, Emily Gwen created another lesbian pride flag. It is a seven-stripped community flag that gives importance to inclusivity. The colors used in this flag also represent the same idea. Here are the seven colors in the flag and their representations:
Before these flags came to use, the first flag was created by Sean Campbell, a cis man, in 1999.
The pansexual pride flag is a sexuality flag that focuses on distinguishing pansexuals from bisexuals. It has colors that aim at symbolically representing pansexuality. One of the colors used in this flag is bright yellow. It is an ambitious color that aims at bringing in non-binary attractions.
Along with that, it is essential to understand the meaning of pansexuality. For instance, many consider pansexuality as a concept that is gender blind. You can read more on pansexuality from here.
Similar to other sexuality flags, the asexuality pride flag has profound significance in the LGBTQ+ community. Here, the colors used are black, white, grey, and purple. Black color represents asexuality, and white depicts allosexuality. Purple is a way of showing support to the Asexual Visibility and Education Network( AVEN). Another color that you can find in this sexuality flag is grey, which shows allegiance to the demisexuals. In simple terms, the asexual pride flag aims at promoting visibility.
The agender pride flag is a reversible flag that has seven horizontal stripes. The colors in this flag from top to bottom are black, grey, white, green, white, grey, and black. Here, black and white depict the absence of gender. Grey color represents semi-genderlessness. Finally, the green stripe stands for non-binary gender. Besides, green is the opposite of purple, which is the color of masculinity and feminity. In a nutshell, green shows genderlessness in this sexuality flag..
When you look at the origin of this sexual flag, it is unknown. The colors used in this flag are similar to the asexual flag, and they are the ones you can find in the AVEN logo. This flag is a renowned symbol within the community for demisexuals.
Here, there are three colors arranged differently from the asexual flag. The colors and their significance in this sexuality flag are as follows:
Cover image from Unsplash