Traditional gay pride flag

The History of the Pride Flag

With its bright colours and significant definition, the Rainbow Flag is a symbol recognised all over the world to represent the Homosexual communities. It’s a symbol of expect, unity and empowerment to allow cherish to be treasure regardless of gender, ethnicity or labels. But where did this renowned flag come from? And how was the design chosen? 

The unique Pride Flag originates from San Francisco Activist Gilbert Baker, who desired to create an emblem of pride for the gay group. In 1978 the Rainbow Flag was created, as Baker recognised that a flag is one of the most significant aspects of identity, and wanted his creation to be a unified symbol of gratification for all those who identify within these communities. 

In England, homosexuality was decriminalised in 1967, with Scotland following in 1980, and Northern Ireland by 1982. Before this occasion, it was illegal to engage in ‘private homosexual acts’, and those caught or believed to be engaging in same-sex relationships could face imprisonment, widespread shame and a life-long criminal records. Society was homophobic, with those in same-sex relationships organism stripped of their basic freedom to love the p

Pride Flags

Flags are often used as symbols of event . It is no surprise then that numerous celebration 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 event flags. If you acquire 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 famous 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 affectionate other men.

    Date: 2016
    Creator: Redesigned by DeviantArt (Tumblr user)
    Flag meaning: The first iteration was created by pridenpositivity (Tumblr user). The flag contains the color navy to represent men and a lime-green carnation in the center, which was popularized by Oscar Wilde

    The Progress Pride flag was developed in 2018 by genderqueer American artist and designer Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns). Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ collective and calls for a more inclusive society. In 2020, the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Pride flag that can be seen on show in the Style 1900 – Now gallery.

    'Progress' is a reinterpretation of multiple iterations of the pride flag. The original 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 to observe members of the gay and dyke political movement. It comprised eight coloured stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of expect. Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, leafy for nature, turquoise for magic, indigo for serenity and violet for soul. 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 commonly used in the first decades of the 21st century.

    Baker's flag was embra

    Flags of the LGBTIQ Community

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

    Rainbow Flag

    Created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, the iconic Pride Rainbow flag originally had eight stripes. The colors included pink to represent sexuality, red for healing, yellow for sun, green for serenity with nature, turquoise for art, indigo for peace, and violet for energy. 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 2018 by nonbinary musician Daniel Quasar, the Progress Pride flag is based on the iconic 1978 rainbow flag. With stripes of black and brown to represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of color and the triad of azure, pink, and white from the trans flag, the design represents diversity and inclusion.

    Trans Flag

    Conceived by Monica Helms, an

    traditional gay pride flag

    LGBTQ+ Pride Flags

    In the LGBTQ+ community, we signify our pride with flags. With many other identities in the group, there comes many alternative flags to know. We have collected all of the flags and a guide to learn about all of the diverse colors of our community’s rainbow. We know that this may not be all of the flags that represent our group, but we will update the page as fresh flags become popular!

    Explore the flag collection below! Witness a flag's name by hovering or clicking on the flag.

    Umbrella Flags

    • Gilbert Baker Pride Flag

    • Traditional Pride Flag

    • Philadelphia Pride Flag

    • Progress Pride Flag

    • Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag

    • Queer Pride Flag

    The original Pride Flag was created in 1978 after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each color represents a alternative part of the Homosexual community: hot pink represents sex, red symbolizes animation, orange stands for healing, yellow equals sunlight, lush stands for nature, turquoise symbolizes magic and art, indigo represents serenity, while violet symbolizes the liveliness of LGBTQ+ people.

    After the assass