LGBTQ flags fly high: Celebrate Pride Month with these powerful symbols
Pride Month offers the opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQ community, and we’re saluting Pride flags for their powerful symbolism!
During June, we honor the LGBTQ community, and it’s also the month when we celebrate Flag Day. We’re bringing these celebrations together to pay tribute to the flags of the LGBTQ community and what they mean, from the asexual flag to the rainbow flag.
Rainbow flag
International LGBT flag with 6 bands (since 1979). Image via Wikimedia Commons.
The rainbow flag is recognized as the unifying symbol of the gay community. The creator, Gilbert Baker, told ABC 7 News that activist Harvey Milk was the one who requested the community needed a symbol in the first place. Baker decided that it should be a flag, recognizing that flags “are about power.”
Every color has a special meaning, with Baker revealing that “pink is for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun, green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for serenity and purple for the spirit.” The rainbow flag’s creator views these elements “as in every person, everyone shares that.”
Transgender flag
Transgender Pride flag. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Monica Helms, an openly transgender woman, shared that the transgender flag was designed so “that no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives.”
"[The transgender flag’s] stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the traditional color for baby boys. The stripes next to them are pink,the traditional color for baby girls. The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender."
Asexuality flag
“The asexual flag, adopted 2010.” Image via Wikimedia Commons.
The asexuality flag pattern was determined with a vote among various asexuality sites. The black in the flag symbolizes asexuality, while the grey represents individuals who identify as gray-asexual or demi-sexual. White represents non-asexual partners and allies, while purple stands for community.
Bisexual flag
Bisexual pride flag. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
What’s Pride Month really about? Twitter is in love with this grandma who ironed her granddaughter’s bisexual flag.
The colors of the bisexual flag include pink for attraction to the same sex, blue for attraction to the opposite sex, purple to unite the two, and lavender for a link to the LGBTQ community.
Pansexual flag
“Pansexual pride flag. Three horizontal stripes of color, from the top: pink, yellow, light blue.” Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
The pansexual flag consists of three stripes. Pink symbolizes those who identify as female, gold or yellow represents mixed gender or third gender. Blue is for those who identify as the male gender.
Genderqueer flag
Genderqueer Flag, designed by Marilyn Roxie. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Designed by Marilyn Roxie, the genderqueer flag features lavender for “androgynes and androgyny,” white to represent the “agender identity,” and dark green to symbolize “those identities which are defined outside of and without reference to the binary.”
Genderfluid flag
This flag represents the fluctuations and the flexibility of gender in genderfluid people. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
The genderfluid flag showcases the diversity of the community. White symbolizes the lack of gender, while pink symbolizes femininity and blue stands for masculinity. Purple combines masculine and feminine elements, while black represents all genders.
Many more flags exist, and there’s even a project spearheaded by Daniel Quasar to update the rainbow flag. Whatever symbol you choose to celebrate during Pride Month and all year round, we hope you feel surrounded by the same love and support as that granddaughter whose grandma carefully pressed and ironed her flag.