I’ve been asked many times why there need to be so many different pride flags, and I have two answers for this. Each flags stripes have symbolic meaning as well, such as the transgender flag with traditional blue and pink colors used to represent boys and girls and white to represent the process or state of transitioning. You might also have seen the progress rainbow flag, which adds colors from the transgender flag and also has arrow imagery to represent moving forward and making progress toward equality for all.Īt a pride parade or festival, you might see many other flags. The black stripe often represents diversity and the brown represents inclusivity. In 2017, Philadelphia added two new stripes to the top of the rainbow flag to specifically include the Black and Brown members of the community.
There have been different versions of this flag over the years, blending it with country flags or other symbols, but the rainbow is an unmistakable symbol to represent pride and the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. The result is the pride flag with which many of us are familiar today. Pink fabric was soon difficult to find, and because parade organizers in San Francisco apparently wanted an even number of stripes (I respect that decision), turquoise was dropped as well. He explains that it is also a symbol in many cultures around the world, found in Chinese, Egyptian, and First Nation histories, to name a few. It is the symbol of hope and healing that appears after the great flood. In his memoir, he tells us that it’s in the Bible. Gilbert Baker chose the rainbow as a symbol because it represented the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, because it came from nature, and because it was a familiar symbol for many. It featured eight colorful stripes, each with its own meaning: The result was the original rainbow pride flag, created in 1978. Politician and activist Harvey Milk decided the community needed a more positive symbol with which to identify and commissioned an activist and artist named Gilbert Baker to create that.
Like the word “queer,” it is an excellent example of reappropriation, taking something negative and making it good, because pink triangles were used by Nazis to label and identify gays during WWII. The pink triangle was a symbol used within the gay community for decades. Every flag the LGBTQ+ community uses has meaning. Why are there so many? The short answer is: because we want everyone to feel seen and represented. There have also been a number of different versions of the rainbow flag over the years. But there are dozens more representing different genders, sexualities, and subcommunities. Most everyone is familiar with the rainbow pride flag, which serves as a central symbol for the LGBTQ+ community. I’m just 1 person who loves how many different pride flags exist.