Meaning of the colors of the lgbt flag

Pride Flags

Flags are often used as symbols of pride. It is no surprise then that numerous pride flags have been created to represent the sexual and gender diversity of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Explore all the different flags and their meanings.

Interested in exploring further? Take the online Positive Space: Foundations course to learn more about sex, sexuality, and gender diversity.

This resource is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of pride flags. If you own a suggestion for a flag to add or have any feedback on the information provided, please contact us.

 

  • Achillean Flag

    Achillean: Men or men-aligned individuals who are attracted to other men and men-aligned people. It is sometimes known as men loving men (MLM). Achillean individuals may or may not be attracted to other genders. While this label isn’t exclusive, it is used to unify men-aligned people or men who passion other men.

    Date:
    Creator: Redesigned by DeviantArt (Tumblr user)
    Flag meaning: The first iteration was created by pridenpositivity (Tumblr user). The flag contains the color blu

    25 LGBTQ+ Pride Flags and What They Mean

    1

    Original Pride Flag

    The late artist Gilbert Baker is credited with creating the first pride flag, which he designed in for Gay Pride Day in San Francisco, per CNN.

    Baker's iteration of the flag gives a unique meaning to each color: "hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, grassy for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for harmony, and violet for spirit," he explained.

    "We needed something to express our joy, our beauty, our power. And the rainbow did that,” Baker told CNN in “We’re an ancient, wonderful tribe of people. We picked something from nature. We picked something beautiful."

    2

    Rainbow Pride Flag

    This iteration of the flag, which omits the pink stripe, has been famous since Per Old Dominion University, Pride flags were in high demand following the assassination of San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, and Baker opted to omit the pink stripe because the fabric color was difficult to find.

    For a time, the Paramount Flag Company sold a seven-stripe flag, t

    Flags of the LGBTIQ Community

    Flags have always been an integral part of the LGBTIQ+ movement. They are a noticeable representation meant to celebrate progress, advocate for representation, and amplify the request and drive for collective action. There have been many LGBTIQ+ flags over the years. Some hold evolved, while others are constantly being conceptualized and created.

    Rainbow Flag

    Created in by Gilbert Baker, the iconic Pride Rainbow flag originally had eight stripes. The colors included pink to represent sexuality, red for healing, yellow for heat, green for serenity with nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. In the years since, the flag now has six colors. It no longer has a pink stripe, and the turquoise and indigo stripes were replaced with royal blue.

    Progress Pride Flag

    Created in by nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar, the Progress Pride flag is based on the iconic rainbow flag. With stripes of black and brown to represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of color and the triad of blue, pink, and colorless from the trans flag, the desig

    The Progress Pride flag was developed in by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns). Based on the iconic rainbow flag from , the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and calls for a more inclusive society. In , the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Pride flag that can be seen on display in the Design – Now gallery.

    'Progress' is a reinterpretation of multiple iterations of the pride flag. The original 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in to celebrate members of the gay and lesbian political movement. It comprised eight coloured stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of hope. Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic, indigo for serenity and violet for spirit. A year later the pink and turquoise stripes were dropped owing to a shortage of pink fabric at the time and legibility concerns, resulting in the six-colour rainbow flag most commo