The gay flag meaning

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

The unique flag (shown here) was designed by activist, veteran, drag queen, and musician, Gilbert Baker, and made its debut at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Pride in He was inspired by the Rolling Stones song She’s a Rainbow, and the s hippies movement, assigning each shade 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 , require for the Pride Flag increased, but the warm pink fabric was complex to find in huge quantities. Then, the Paramount Flag Company started making a version out of the standard rainbow colors to help meet ask for, and a seven-color event flag was the modern norm.

A year later,

Here’s What the Diverse LGBTQIA+ Flags Represent

LGBTQIA+

When we think of Pride Month, the first image that typically comes to mind is the classic rainbow flag. However, many people don’t realize that along with the Rainbow Pride Flag, there are an array of alternative identifiers that portray the diverse gay community. While many in the LGBTQIA+ community identify with the all-encompassing rainbow flag, each organization has its retain flag to portray its unique contributions and stories within the community. Here’s a rundown of the different flags and what they represent.


The Gilbert Baker Pride Flag

The imaginative rainbow pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in at the petition of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California. Gilbert chose the rainbow as it represents a symbol of hope. 

Original flag colors and meaning: 

Pink: sex; Red: life; Orange: healing; Yellow: sunlight; Green: nature; Turquoise: magic; Blue: harmony; Violet: spirit.

Rainbow Self-acceptance Flag 

This is the iteration of the Pride Flag that we all perceive today, use

The Progress Pride flag was developed in by non-binary American painter and designer Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns). Based on the iconic rainbow flag from , the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ collective and calls for a more inclusive society. In , the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Movement flag that can be seen on display in the Plan – Now gallery.

'Progress' is a reinterpretation of multiple iterations of the pride flag. The first 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in to rejoice members of the gay and lesbian political movement. It comprised eight coloured stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of hope. Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for character, turquoise for magic, indigo for serenity and violet for liveliness. A year later the pink and turquoise stripes were dropped owing to a shortage of pink fabric at the period and legibility concerns, resulting in the six-colour rainbow flag most commo

Flags of the LGBTIQ Community

Flags have always been an integral part of the LGBTIQ+ movement. They are a noticeable representation meant to commemorate progress, advocate for visibility, and amplify the claim and drive for collective action. There have been many LGBTIQ+ flags over the years. Some hold 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 Parade 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 paint and the triad of blue, pink, and alabaster from the trans flag, the desig