A Rainbow of Identities: An Introduction to Pride Flags

Flags are a massive part of LGBTQ+ pride, and with so many different identities and experiences within the community, it can be tough to keep track of them all. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to some of the most recognizable (and not-so-recognizable) pride flags and what they represent.

Throughout this website, we feature various pride flags to celebrate the diverse identities within our community. But we wanted to bring them all together in one place to make it easier for you to learn about the different colors of our community’s rainbow. While we might not have captured every single flag out there, we’ll continue to update this article with new ones.

So are you ready to dive into the wonderful world of pride flags? Let’s go!

What is The Rainbow Flag?

The rainbow flag is the most well-known pride flag and represents the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. It was created by artist Gilbert Baker in 1978 and originally had eight colors, each with its own meaning. Today, the flag has six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, each representing a different aspect of the community.

What is The Progress Pride Flag?

The Progress Pride Flag is an updated version of the rainbow flag that includes black and brown stripes to represent marginalized communities of color within the LGBTQ+ community. Created by designer Daniel Quasar in 2018, the flag also consists of the transgender flag colors as a way to center and uplift trans voices within the community. The arrow shape on the flag represents forward movement and progress toward greater inclusion and acceptance for all.

What is The Transgender Flag?

The transgender flag has five horizontal stripes: two light blue, two pink, and one white in the center. It was designed by transgender activist Monica Helms in 1999 and represents the transgender community. The light blue stripes represent the traditional color for baby boys, the pink stripes represent the traditional color for baby girls, and the white stripe represents those who are intersex, transitioning, or have a gender-neutral identity.

What is The Bisexual Flag?

The bisexual flag has three horizontal stripes: pink, purple, and blue. It was designed by Michael Page in 1998 and represents the bisexual community. The pink stripe represents same-sex attraction, the blue stripe represents opposite-sex attraction, and the purple stripe represents a blend of both.

What is The Pansexual Flag?

The pansexual flag has three horizontal stripes: pink, yellow, and blue. It was designed by  Jasper V and shared on Tumblr in 2010 and represents the pansexual community. The pink stripe represents attraction to women, the blue stripe represents attraction to men, and the yellow stripe represents attraction to non-binary or genderqueer individuals.

What is The Non-binary Flag?

The non-binary flag has four horizontal stripes: black, gray, white, and yellow. It was designed by Kye Rowan in 2014 and represents the non-binary community. The black stripe represents those who feel that they don’t fit into the traditional binary of male and female, the gray stripe represents those who feel a sense of ambivalence about their gender, the white stripe represents those who embrace many or all genders, and the yellow stripe represents those who identify outside of the binary as third gender or genderfluid.

What is The Asexual Flag?

The asexual flag has four horizontal stripes: black, gray, white, and purple. It was designed by AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network) in 2010 and represents the asexual community. The black stripe represents asexuality, the gray stripe represents gray asexuality and demisexuality, the white stripe represents sexuality, and the purple stripe represents community.

What is The Genderfluid Flag?

The genderfluid flag has five horizontal stripes: pink, white, purple, black, and blue. It was designed by JJ Poole in 2012 and represents the genderfluid community. The pink stripe represents femininity, the white stripe represents all genders, the purple stripe represents a mix of both masculine and feminine, the black stripe represents no gender, and the blue stripe represents masculinity.

What is The Intersex Flag?

The intersex flag was created by Morgan Carpenter in 2013. It comprises a golden yellow field with a purple circle emblem. The colors and circle don’t just avoid referencing gender stereotypes, like the colors pink and blue; Carpenter wanted to avoid using symbols that have anything to do with gender at all. Instead, the circle is unbroken and unornamented, symbolizing wholeness and completeness. Intersex people are still fighting for bodily autonomy and genital integrity, symbolizing the right to be who and how they want to be.

What is The Lesbian Flag?

The lesbian flag features the Labrys design, which was first introduced in 1999 by Sean Campbell. The Labrys is a double-axe used by Zeus to invoke storms and can be seen inside the black triangle of the original Lesbian Flag.

In recent years, Twitter user Emily Gwen created a new flag version that is more inclusive of butch women, trans women, and non-conforming women. This new version features a color scheme that includes dark orange for gender non-conformity and independence, orange for community, light orange for unique relationships to womanhood, white for all genders or a lack of gender, and pink for love and femininity. This updated version of the flag has gained popularity.

What is The Leather Flag?

The leather flag was created in 1989 by Tony DeBlase and features seven horizontal stripes of black, blue, white, black, blue, white, and black. It represents the leather community, which is a subculture within the LGBTQ+ community that revolves around BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) and leather fetishism. The black stripes represent leather, the blue stripes represent denim, and the white stripes represent the purity and innocence of virgin kink.

What is The Demisexual Flag?

The demisexual flag was created in 2010 by a group of online users on the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) forum. The flag features three horizontal stripes of white, purple, and gray. The white stripe represents asexuality, the purple stripe represents community, and the gray stripe represents gray asexuality and demisexuality. Demisexuality is a sexual orientation where a person only experiences sexual attraction to someone after forming an emotional connection or bond with them.

What is The Agender Flag?

The agender flag was created by Salem X in 2014 and features four horizontal stripes of black, gray, white, and green. The black and white stripes represent the absence of gender, while the gray stripe represents being semi-genderless or questioning. The green stripe represents non-binary genders, such as agender, genderqueer, or other identities outside of the traditional gender binary. Agender individuals do not identify with any gender or may feel a sense of neutrality or absence of gender.

What is The Polysexual Flag?

The polysexual pride flag has horizontal stripes of pink, green, and blue. The pink stripe represents attraction to people who identify as female, the blue stripe represents attraction to people who identify as male, and the green stripe represents attraction to people who identify as non-binary, genderqueer, or outside the gender binary altogether. The polysexual flag represents the attraction to multiple genders and is often used by those who identify as polysexual or pansexual. It’s important to note that while pansexual and polysexual identities are similar, they can have different connotations for different people.

What is The Genderqueer Flag?

The genderqueer pride flag has horizontal stripes of lavender, white, and dark chartreuse green. The lavender stripe represents androgyny, the white stripe represents non-binary identities, and the dark chartreuse green stripe represents those whose identities are defined outside of the binary of male and female. The genderqueer flag represents those whose gender identity falls outside of the binary of male and female and is often used by those who identify as genderqueer, non-binary, or other gender non-conforming identities. It’s important to note that genderqueer and non-binary identities can mean different things to different people. Not all individuals who identify under the genderqueer umbrella may use this particular flag.

And there you have it. Our brief tour of pride flags is complete! It’s incredible to reflect on how each flag represents the unique identities within the LGBTQ+ community.

We hope that this article has given you a better understanding of the diversity and complexity of the LGBTQ+ community and has encouraged you to celebrate and support the community in all its forms.

If you feel there is a flag that we missed and should be included here, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’ll happily continue expanding our knowledge and representation of our community’s diverse identities and experiences.