Gay man rainbow
In 2017, in response to a slew of racist incidents in the Gayborhood, Philadelphia added black and brown stripes to the traditional six-color LGBT rainbow flag. The backlash was severe. Many rejected the alteration of such a supposedly sacred symbol. Apart from failing to identify the intersectional interests of queer and trans people of color, critics invoked the rainbow flag as something constant and abiding. You can’t just alter it . . . can you? Well, it turns out that the rainbow as a symbol has appeared in many places and in many forms over the past century.
Where did the so-called “pride” flag come from anyway? I went on a research journey to find out, exploring works of fiction, newspaper articles, autobiographies, political parties, rock bands, a certain Technicolor movie, and more. Here are the highlights of what I learned about this colorful, often-changing symbol.
The origin myth
Queer iconography once included pink and inky triangles—re-appropriated by the LGBT community after the Nazis used them to label gay men and lesbians in concentration camps—and the labrys—a double-headed ax linked with the mythological, matriarchal Amazons. A Los Angeles Times
You might be familiar with the six-colored rainbow flag that is widely used to represent the Gay community. But did you know that this is a relatively new rendition of the original?
The authentic flag (shown here) was designed by activist, veteran, drag queen, and designer, Gilbert Baker, and made its debut at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Pride in 1978. He was inspired by the Rolling Stones song She’s a Rainbow, and the 1960s hippies movement, assigning each color with a specific meaning:
Pink: Sex (later removed)
Red: Life
Orange: Healing
Yellow: Sunlight
Green: Nature
Turquoise: Magic (later removed)
Indigo: Serenity
Violet: Spirit
The evolution to the six-colored flag used today happened out of practicality.
After the parade in 1978, demand for the Event Flag increased, but the hot pink fabric was difficult to find in large quantities. Then, the Paramount Flag Company started making a version out of the standard rainbow colors to help encounter demand, and a seven-color pride flag was the new norm.
A year later, the flag evolved once more…
LGBTQ+ Pride Flags
In the LGBTQ+ community, we signify our pride with flags. With many unlike identities in the society, there comes many unlike 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 brand-new flags become popular!
Explore the flag collection below! Observe 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 diverse part of the
The Progress Pride flag was developed in 2018 by non-binary 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 people and calls for a more inclusive society. In 2020, the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Lgbtq+ fest flag that can be seen on display in the Design 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 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 wish. 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 commonly used in the first decades of the 21st century.
Baker's flag was emb
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