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.
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.
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?
(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.
The iconic symbol for the LGBT community, the rainbow flag made its debut.
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.
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The flag was designed by Gilbert Baker. Since its introduction, it has gone under several design reviews and had colours removed and then re-added.
Is the original rainbow flag available to see anywhere?
The original flag can now be viewed at the Design Museum London which acquired the flag as part of a series of new objects for its permanent collection. It was acquired by the museum in 2017.
Why did Gilbert Baker create the rainbow flag for gay pride?
Speaking about the rainbow as a symbol for LGBT+ folx 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”.
What do they colours in the Rainbow Flag mean?
Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag with each colour representing a different area of life.
The organisers of the campaign, to drive awareness of some of the issues faced by communities of colour, added an extra brown and black stripe to the flag and used the hashtag #MoreColorMorePride.
It has proved to be both adored and controversial since its reveal.
While some maintain that the standard Rainbow Flag was supposed to be inclusive of everybody, regardless of race, colour or creed, others have suggested that for far too long, people of colour have been precluded from LGBT+ history nor given proper credit for some of the culture that has developed and enjoyed by the wider LGBT+ community.
Since its introduction in 2017, numerous Pride events across the UK, have adopted that version of the flag, particularly in cities where there is a large BAME (Black Asian and minority ethnic) community.
“Fuelling an important conversation”
A statement on the campaign’s website says,
“In 1978, artist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag.
“An iconic symbol of LGBTQ+ unity. So much has happened since then. A lot of good, but there’s more we can do. Especially when it comes to recognizing people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. To fuel this important conversation, we’ve expanded the colors of the flag to include black and brown.
“It may seem like a small step. But together we can make big strides toward a truly inclusive community”.
It’s probably become one of the most famous symbols in the world. It’s internationally recognised and brings hope to millions of LGBT+ across the globe.
But where is and who created the first rainbow flag?
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The original rainbow flag was created in 1978 in San Franciso by an artist called Gilbert Baker.
The flag has been identified as one of the defining designs of the modern age, the flag was part of an original series of ten that Baker designed and created in 1978.
Where is the original gay pride flag now?
The original flag can now be viewed at the Design Museum London which acquired the flag as part of a series of new objects for its permanent collection.
Why did Gilbert Baker create the rainbow flag for gay pride?
Speaking about the rainbow as a symbol for LGBT+ folx 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”.
