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Tag: Pride Flag

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  • Where did the Lesbian Labrys flag come from?

    Where did the Lesbian Labrys flag come from?

    The lesbian community has had its fair share of pride flags, from the now outdated Lipstick Lesbian to the Community Lesbian flag which was released in 2019.

    The lesbian labrys is one of the longest-serving flags and has an interesting history dating back to 1999.

    The history of the Labrys flag to represent lesbians dates back to 1999, when a gay designer, who worked for the Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Times called Sean Campbell created what is known as a the Labrys flag.

    The lesbian labrys flag, a symbol specifically representing the lesbian community, was created in 1999 by graphic designer Sean Campbell. The flag features a labrys, an ancient double-headed axe, set against a background of black and violet.

    Here’s a breakdown of its components and symbolism:

    • Labrys: The labrys is an ancient symbol associated with Greek and Roman mythology, often linked to the Amazons, who were mythologized as a race of warrior women. The labrys was adopted as a symbol of strength and empowerment within the lesbian community.
    • Black Triangle: The black triangle was originally used in Nazi concentration camps to identify “asocial” and “work-shy” individuals, which included lesbians. It has since been reclaimed by the lesbian community as a symbol of resilience and resistance.
    • Violet Background: The color violet has historical associations with the lesbian and feminist movements. For instance, the lavender menace was a term used by Betty Friedan in 1969 to describe the threat she felt lesbianism posed to the feminist movement, which was later reclaimed by lesbian feminists as a badge of honor.

    The Labrys flag is a dark purple flag, with a black triangle in the centre, on top of which is a battle axe. Although it’s not considered the main lesbian flag, it rose in popularity with some lesbians and feminists due to the popular empowerment publication, Labrys Magazine.

    Colours and Meanings

    Association with Sappho (the poet).

    From the inverted black triangle

    The labrys symbol represents strength and self-sufficiency

    Colour codes

    #993399

    #000000

    #FFFFFF

  • What does the Black and Brown stripe represent in the pride flag?

    What does the Black and Brown stripe represent in the pride flag?

    Back in 2017, an update was made to the LGBT+ pride flag, by the city of Philadephia in the USA.

    Designers there included a black and brown stripe, which was to bring attention to LGBT+ people of colour, who are often underrepresented in the LGBT+ community. It was called the More Colour More Pride flag, later it was referred to by some as the Philadelphia Pride Flag.

    A year later in 2018, the flag was once again updated by an artist known as Daniel Quasar, who added a transgender element to the flag, the white, blue and pink stripes, but also kept the black and brown stripes.

    progress pride flag contains brown and black stripes.
    Photo by Lisett Kruusimäe on Pexels.com

    However in Quasar’s version of the pride flag the black stripe was to memorialise those who have died in the LGBTQ+ community, whether it be from hate crimes or from the HIV/AIDS crisis that rocked the gay community in the 80s and 90s.

    The latest version, which was introduced in 2020, the Intersex inclusive progress flag also contains the black and brown stripes but has added an Intersex flag element into the flag, which is yellow with a purple circle in the centre of it.

  • LGBT+ Rainbow Flag: What does the legendary flag mean and do the colours matter?

    LGBT+ Rainbow Flag: What does the legendary flag mean and do the colours matter?

    Ah Pride Month and suddenly there’s a sea of rainbow flags… everywhere. It seems that every corporate entity remembers that LGBT+ consumers exist and start waving rainbow flags, more often than not, making no effort to actually support LGBT+ charities, causes or prides.

    Up until 2020, the standard, 6-stripe rainbow flag was the widely recognised worldwide symbol of the LGBT+ community. In 2020 it was co-opted by the Tory government to represent the NHS – during the COVID pandemic, despite the NHS, already having its own colour – a sort of cobalt blue.

    Now, there are numerous flags which people can choose to wave, the original Gilbert Baker 8-stripe flag, the standard 6 stripes, the 8 stripes “Philly flag, which was introduced in 2017, and the 11 stripes “progress flag”, which includes colours for the transgender community and a black and brown stripe for the QTIPOC (Queer Trans and Intersex people of colour) community and memorialising those who have died as a result of hate crime and from the HIV/AIDS crisis that rocked the gay community in the 80s and 90s.

    Which LGBT+ rainbow flag is the best flag to fly?

    Which LGBT+ Rainbow Flag is the best flag to fly for Pride Month?
    (C) ihaij / Pixabay

    Of course, this is a hotly debated subject in some circles of the LGBT+ community. Some feel that the only way to go is with the original 8-stripe Gilbert Baker flag, while others feel that the new “progress” flag is the way to go because it recognises and centres people of colour and the transgender community, who have often been sidelined in LGBT+ history. Some however feel that even though it’s seen as progressive it can actually be more exclusionary than Gilbert Baker’s original design, which was created to replace the Nazi’s Pink Triangle, which at the time was the only other recognised symbol for the gay community.

    Speaking about the design of the original rainbow flag, Gilbert Baker said, “There was no other international symbol for [the LGBT+ community] than the pink triangle which the Nazis used to identify homosexuals in concentration camps…. Even though the pink triangle was and still is a very powerful symbol, it was very much forced upon us”.

    Each of the flags represents something slightly different and whichever you decide to fly is the right choice for you.

    Do the colours of the LGBT+ Rainbow Flag mean anything?

    What do the colours in the Rainbow Flag mean?

    Yes, they do. When the flag was first unveiled, the artist Gilbert Baker created the flag with each colour representing a different area of life. Over the years the meanings of these colours have faded. The iconic symbol for the LGBT community made its debut in San Franciso in 1978. It was displayed at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day parade in 1978.

    It has since gone on to be recognised worldwide as the symbol for LGBT spaces, venues and pride.

    Pink: Sexuality

    Red: Life

    Orange: Healing

    Yellow: Sunlight

    Green: Nature

    Cyan: Art

    Blue: Serenity/ Harmony

    Purple: Spirit

    Where can I buy the Rainbow Flag?

    There are tonnes of places to buy the Rainbow flag, but we’d also suggest buying it from a store that actually supports the LGBT+ community and for extra marks buy directly from LGBT+-run and operated shops rather than auction sites or huge internet-based corporations. Stores like The Pride Shop have their very own Pride Fund which actively seeks to support local prides through a donation from each sale and the Gay Pride Shop which supports LGBT+ charities from some of their profits.

  • Piers Morgan labels the new ‘Pride train’ as “Virtue Signal Express”

    Piers Morgan labels the new ‘Pride train’ as “Virtue Signal Express”

    It seems as though Piers Morgan has been triggered by a pride flag-covered train, after calling it a “virtue signal”.

    Transport company, Avanti West Coast, recently unveiled a train covered in a Pride flag (one that includes the trans and black and brown stripes) and were asking for Twitter users to come up with a name for what they’ve dubbed the ‘Pride train’.

    Piers Morgan responded with “THE VIRTUE-SIGNALLING EXPRESS’, which started a massive Twitter backlash against the train’s design, with Morgan’s fans piling on criticism of the train company.

    One user, wrote, “We don’t want a bloody rainbow train or rainbow police cars – It just makes more people turn against the idea of Pride when they see money wasted on this virtue signalling. Can we be clear, WE did not ask for this, we are being used for publicity.”

    While another added, “I’m gay and this makes me cringe”.

    One user questioned the motives of the train company for unveiling the flag, saying,

    “Piers is not being anti-LGBT here or begrudging the community of their train or validity of PRIDE, but questioning the motives of a commercial enterprise…..so let’s keep our heads on eh? This is branding!!! We should be questioning their motives. Better spent on our charities.”

    Some users said that they approved of the train’s colourings. One user wrote, “I think it’s fantastic, it’s nice to smile & see a bit of colour in what has been a terrible year”.

    What should they call the pride train?

    There have already been many serious naming suggestions for the pride train, from Marsha (to celebrate the LGBT+ icon Marsha P Johnson, who would have been 75 this year) to Alan Turing, the scientist whose widely credited for bringing a swifter end to World World II with his code-breaker. But one of our favourites from @yagsieoj is LIL, which stands for Love Is Love.

  • This new pride flag aims to be the most inclusive ever

    This new pride flag aims to be the most inclusive ever

    A brand new Pride Flag has been created with the aim of being even more inclusive than previous versions.

    The flag, which was created by sex-worker rights and PrEP advocate Jason Domino includes a red umbrella symbol which has been used by sex-workers across the globe as a way to remember sex-workers who were victims of abuse and violence.

    In the new design, the red umbrella has been superimposed on top of what is known as the “progressive pride flag” which incorporates the trans flag’s blue, white and pink stripes and a graduated black and brown stripe to represent LGBT+ people of colour.

    Domino says that he collaborated on the flag along with HIV activist Shamal Waraich to “to be more accurate for skin tones of more POC/BAME.”

    Flag carriers reach the Atlantic Ocean Sunday, June 15, 2003, as they finish carrying a 1 1/4-mile-long rainbow flag down Duval Street in Key West, Fla. The mammoth banner was created by Gilbert Baker and commemorated the 25th anniversary of the gay and lesbian icon that Baker, a San Francisco resident, conceived in 1978. The flag required 17,600 linear yards of fabric, weighs more than 5,000 pounds and was a highlight event of the PrideFest Key West celebration. Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau

    The original eight-stripe Pride flag was created in 1978 by artist Gilbert Baker who said that he created the flag as there was “no other international symbol for [the LGBT+ community] than the pink triangle which the Nazis used to identify homosexuals in concentration camps,

    “Even though the pink triangle was and still is a very powerful symbol, it was very much forced upon us”.

    What is the history of the Pride Flag?

    The original flag was an 8 stripe flag, but over time two colours were removed, the Pink and Cyan, to become the 6-flag stripe that is best-known across the globe to represent the LGBT+ community.

    In 2017 activists in the US city of Philadelphia introduced a “more pride” flag which incorporated a black and brown stripe.

    On Twitter, the new flag has met with positive reaction with people thanking Jason for including sex-workers.

  • Nearly 40 per cent of companies who have co-opted the Rainbow Flag are not supporting any LGBT+ organisations

    Nearly 40 per cent of companies who have co-opted the Rainbow Flag are not supporting any LGBT+ organisations

    Shocking new research shows that 36 per cent of corporations that are utilizing the rainbow flag for Pride month are not giving back to the LGBT+ community.

    filmbetrachterin / Pixabay

    Research conducted by marketing experts, Rebootonline.com have noticed that only 64 per cent of companies undertaking promotional activity surrounding Pride are giving back to the community – while the research shows that nearly 90 per cent of the LGBT+ community feel that all brands using Pride should donate to LGBT+ causes.

    Marketing experts Rebootonline.com noticed this spike in Pride campaigns by brands and decided to investigate their commitment to the LGBT+ cause, and how those in the community feel about the increase in ‘corporate Pride’. To do this they looked at 122 companies, of varying sizes, to see what LGBT+-related marketing they were doing, whether this was the first time they have done something for Price, and whether they were donating any proceeds to relevant charities.

    Rainbow Capitalism

    rihaij / Pixabay

    The marketing agency also took into account a survey of 250 LGBT+ respondents, answering questions on how they felt about ‘Rainbow Capitalism’.

    There has indeed been an increase in 2019 of brands taking part in Pride month. The results revealed that almost a third of the companies (29%) analysed had never done an LGBT-related marketing campaign before 2019.

    Furthermore, only 64% of those with a campaign for Pride this year donated to charitable LGBT+ causes. This has caused a stir in the LGBT+ community, with 87% of those questioned stating that ALL corporations should be donating proceeds to relevant charities.

    The survey also revealed that 9% of participants stated that they would go as far as purposefully NOT purchasing brand Pride tie-ins.

    This is perhaps a wise choice as, upon further investigation of each company’s CEI (Corporate Equality Index) score (when available), over 1 in 10 companies scored less than 80% for their “steps to ensure greater equity for LGBT+ workers and their families in the form of comprehensive policies, benefits and practices”, with the majority of these failing to provide “equivalency in same and different-sex domestic partner medical and soft benefits”  and showing a lack of “equal health coverage for transgender individuals without exclusion for medically necessary care.”

    Rainbow Bandwagon

    Rainbow laces
    CREDIT: TheGayUK

    Clothing brand H&M was given a meagre CEI score of 45% by HRC. Yet they have participated in “corporate pride” this year, with their ‘pride collection’- although they are donating 10% of their proceeds to “support the work of the United Nations’ Free & Equal campaign”- unlike 34% of other companies jumping on the rainbow bandwagon without giving back.

    Other findings from the survey conducted revealed that 84% felt that they felt “positively” about these branded Pride campaigns, with one stating “celebration of LGBTQ is great to raise awareness, especially to younger generations”.

    The LGBT+ community were unanimous in thinking that corporations should “do more throughout the year to help LGBT+ causes, rather than just for Pride month”, with 96% of respondents agreeing with this sentiment.

  • Here’s why you shouldn’t buy Rainbow Flags on the street at Pride

    Here’s why you shouldn’t buy Rainbow Flags on the street at Pride

    Pride season is well underway here in the UK – and you’ll notice that street peddlers are selling rainbow merch, but before you buy anything from them, here’s why you shouldn’t

    rihaij / Pixabay

    They don’t support the local pride

    More often than not the street peddlers (not the sellers inside the pride event) don’t support the pride events at which they are selling at. None of that money they take goes back into supporting the pride or local LGBT+ charities. Not a penny. They pay an incredibly small sum of money to the government for a license which allows them to pop up all over the country. None of that money goes back into Pride.

    Pride stalls pay the prides

    Sellers and organisations who are at pride events officially pay the pride to be there. This means that their pitch fee has gone into helping maintain that pride. It’s a vital revenue raiser for pride. Let’s support the official retailers and sellers, rather than those who are just profiteering off the pride movement.

    Over priced

    Swindon and Wiltshire Pride 2015

    At one pride we heard that street peddlers were selling Rainbow pride flags for £10 to £20 (in London!)- which is a complete rip-off, especially when inside the Pride stalls area you’re likely to find rainbow flags going on sale much less than that.

    Don’t pay their over inflated prices! Better still why not go online first and get yourself a bargain! You can order all sorts of pride flags from our retail partner, THEPRIDESHOP.co.uk.

    They don’t have the range

    TuendeBede / Pixabay

    It’s all rainbow – and as pretty as that is if you don’t see your identity represented there’s the issue of erasure. Bisexuals, pansexuals, trans, asexual and non-binary people matter too. So check out inside the pride for a proper LGBT+ stall that will sell the full range of LGBT+ flags.

    Not members of the LGBT+ community

    Whilst we’re at it, wouldn’t it be great if Pride was a time to support LGBT+ and queer companies. The corporate world is on full jump on the pride bandwagon at the moment, which on one hand is a positive step, but don’t forget to support your queer business family. Those gift and merchandise sellers inside pride parks and event spaces are usually owned and operated by LGBT+ people. Show them your love this pride season.

  • Turns out the “paedophiles” flag was just a “troll experiment” hoax

    Turns out the “paedophiles” flag was just a “troll experiment” hoax

    In 2018 a flag that purported to be a pride flag for paedophiles made headlines, but it turns out it was just a hoax.

    A pride flag, with colourful stripes, made the rounds in 2018 and it was reported by many outlets, including THEGAYUK, that it was the pride flag for MAPS (minor-attracted people) however the rumours are simply untrue and turns out that it was a “troll experiment” that started on Tumblr.

    We are happy to set the record straight.

    The fact-finding website, Snopes has declared the reports, untrue.

    In its report, Snopes.com remarked, “A number of fear-mongering campaigns over the years have attempted to link paedophilia to the LGBTQ community, despite an utter lack of scientific proof of any such connection. In December 2017, for instance, internet trolls spread a false rumour that the letter “P,” representing “pedosexual,” was being added to the initialism LGBT (for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender”).

    “An eerily similar rumour was spread via social media in June 2018 in the form of an image purportedly showing a “MAPs (Minor-Attracted Persons) Pride Flag” supposedly created for Gay Pride Month.

    “This picture does not represent a “MAPs Pride Flag.” Rather, the image was created as part of a troll experiment on Tumblr.”

    So there you have it, there is no flag for paedophiles and they are not part of the LGBT+ community.

  • There’s now a seven stripe pride flag

    There’s now a seven stripe pride flag

    The Mayor of Brent showcases a brand new seven stripe rainbow flag – which features a single black stripe.

    There’s been much said on the design of the rainbow flag, originally designed by Gilbert Baker with the flag being redesigned by various third parties to reflect different issues facing various intersections of the LGBT+ community.

    Most famously, in 2017 the city of Philadelphia showcased a new flag which contained black and brown stripes in a bid open up a conversation about racial inclusion in the LGBT+ community.

    However, a new seven stripe flag has been adopted by Brent council in London and it’s a brand new, never seen before design, which features a single black stripe between the blue and purple stripe.

    The Mayor of Brent, Cllr Arshad Mahmood, raised the rainbow flag outside the Brent Civic Centre in honour of LGBT+ History Month, which takes places in the UK in the month of February. He was joined by Councillors and members of the local community.

    The London Borough of Brent is home to a large BAME community, with around 63 percent of residents identifying as non-white. Although it’s not clear if the inclusion of the black stripe is to represent race within the LGBT+ community.

    A spokesperson for the council told THEGAYUK, “This particular rainbow flag has been a part of our celebration of the LGBT community in Brent for over 10 years. It is the spectrum which gives the flag its special symbolism, rather than the individual colours, but we’re pleased that it has opened up new conversations about the intersections between the LGBT community and BAME groups.”

     

  • Disgustingly, paedophiles have created their own Pride flag

    Disgustingly, paedophiles have created their own Pride flag

    This is an update to this story, click here to read.

    Gross.

    A group called MAPS which stands for Minor Attracted Person, a term which aims to destigmatising paedophiles has apparently created their own pride flag in a bid to legitimise their sexual preference.

    Some news outlets are claiming that the group insists that paedophiles are misunderstood and that they do not act on their attraction to children.

    The flag opts for pastel blues, yellows and pinks.

    A Twitter user put out a warning in June telling all minors if they saw the flag being flown to be warned.

    It is not known who designed the flag or whether you can actually buy the flag anywhere.

    It goes without saying that any sexual relationships with a minor is illegal in most countries across the globe. In the UK the age of consent is equalised between same and opposite-sex couples at 16-year-old.

    The rise of identity flags.

    In recent years there has been an explosion of gender and sexual identities and along with that diversity within the LGBT+ community has been the proliferation of pride flags. Almost every identity has its own flag.

    One of the first subsets to create their own flag away from the traditional rainbow flag was the bear community, who created the brown/orange and paw print flag in 1995. The flag was designed by Craig Brynes.

    The rainbow flag was designed by renowned artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. The world’s largest version of the rainbow flag was unveiled in Key West in 2004.

  • Where is the world’s biggest Pride flag?

    The world’s biggest pride flag was revealed in Key West in Florida.

    Where is the world's biggest Pride flag?

    In 2003 Key West was the staging ground for the world’s largest Pride flag, which measured 1.25 miles. It ran the length of Duval Street – 14 blocks to be precise. Duval Street is where most of the island’s gay venues are situated.

    The flag was created by the original designer Gilbert Baker who spent three months in Key West assembling the flag. It weighed a massive 3 tons and took about 17600 linear yards of fabric.  It took 2000 volunteers to raise the flag in 2003.

    Where is the world’s biggest Pride flag now?

    The flag has, since 2003, had sections displayed at global events, including the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, and Australia’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. They have been shown internationally in Canada, Sweden, Norway, Germany, England and Australia; and domestically in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Atlanta.

    Where’s the biggest pride flag in the UK?

    The UK’s biggest pride flag was revealed by Cornwall Pride and was extensively photographed at the world’s first pride tour, which stopped by 11 towns and cities in England’s southernmost county. Here it is being displayed by St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.