Flags are a familiar symbol in our society, signifying everything from patriotic spirit to political causes and even support for or solidarity with social or cultural groups. And while you may already know about the brightly colored Pride flag that's often flown to signify that wherever it appears is a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people, a number of other LGBTQ+ flags have been created to represent specific segments of the queer community.
Much like the rainbow of identities they encompass, lots of different flags and configurations exist, and they may signify different things to different people. The LGBTQ+ population is a diverse one that encompasses a wide array of identities, so the number of flags for trans, bisexual, asexual, lesbian, agender, genderqueer and other identities allow people to express themselves or show public support for loved ones and the community at large in a more specific way.
Below, we've gathered some of the most common LGBTQ+ flags you may see around your community, as well as their names, history and meanings.
1
Gilbert Baker Pride Flag
The most recognizable of the Pride Flags, the Gilbert Baker Pride Flag unfurled for the first time at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978, according to MOMA. Gilbert Baker, an openly gay veteran, artist and activist, created the flag to encompass meaningful aspects of his community. The colors signify:
- Pink: Sex
- Red: Life
- Orange: Healing
- Yellow: Sunlight
- Green: Nature
- Turquoise: Magic
- Blue: Harmony
- Violet: Spirit
2
LGBTQ+ Pride Flag
"A Rainbow Flag was a conscious choice, natural and necessary," Gilbert said, of the original Pride flag. "The rainbow came from earliest recorded history as a symbol of hope." Once demand for Baker's flag continued to grow, the pink and turquoise stripes were removed to make it easier to mass-produce. This is the flag you'll probably see the most frequently.
3
Philadelphia Pride Flag
While the original 1978 flag represented a number of aspects of the LGBTQ+ community, its BIPOC members were not historically included. In 2017, a new flag was unveiled at Philadelphia City Hall. This flag included black and brown stripes to symbolize people of color. The Philly Pride flag was commissioned in partnership between Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs and design agency Tierney, according to the Philadelphia Enquirer.
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4
Progress Pride Flag
In the interest of wider inclusion, the Progress Pride Flag includes not only black and brown stripes, but also the colors of the trans flag. The man behind the flag, Oregon-based designer Daniel Quasar, explained that the design is intended to improve its unity. “I wanted to see if there could be more emphasis in the design of the flag to give it more meaning,” he explained in his 2018 kickstarter campaign.
5
Queer People of Color Pride Flag
While the designer of this inclusive pride flag is unknown, it first rose to prominence after the widespread racial justice protests in 2020. The raised fist in the center represents solidarity with BIPOC LGBTQ+ people, surrounded by the trans flag colors to signify their inclusion, as well.
RELATED: What Does BIPOC Mean
6
Trans Flag
The trans pride flag, which has baby blue, pink and white stripes, was designed by trans woman Monica Helms in August 1999, according to Point of Pride. It first flew at a Phoenix, Arizona LGBTQ+ pride celebration the following year. The stripes' colors signify the traditional colors for baby boys and girls, as well as a white stripe, "for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender," Helms explained. "The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives.”
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7
Lesbian Pride Flag
While several different lesbian flags exist, this one is the most inclusive and has risen in popularity in recent years. In 2018, artist Emily Gwen designed the flag to encompass lesbians, including trans lesbians, from across the spectrum of identities. Its colors represent:
- Gender nonconformity
- Independence
- Community
- Unique relationships to womanhood
- Serenity and peace
- Love and sex
- Femininity
8
Labrys Lesbian Pride Flag
In Greek mythology, the double-headed battleaxe known as a labrys was the symbol of the Greek goddess Demeter and the Amazons, a tribe of warrior women. The lesbian radical feminist movement of the 1970s adopted it as a symbol of empowerment, and the symbol still appears on flags today.
9
Bisexual Pride Flag
The bisexual pride flag was designed by Michael Page and unveiled in 1998, according to Pride.com. The top 40% of the flag is pink, the middle 20% is purple and the bottom 40% is blue, representing attraction to multiple genders as well as the overlap between the two traditional "boy and girl" colors. The pink also references the pink triangles later adopted by AIDS activist group ACT UP in the 1980s. And the purple can also be seen as a nod to the "purple menace," a slang term for bisexual people.
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10
Pansexual Pride Flag
The flag that represents people who are pansexual, or attracted to all genders, was designed by Jasper V in 2010, who posted it to tumblr. Its colors represent:
- Pink for attraction to femme-identifying people
- Blue for attraction to male-identifying people
- Yellow for attraction to non-binary and/or genderqueer people
11
Polysexual Pride Flag
A polysexual person is attracted to many — but not all — genders. It was designed by tumblr user Samlin and posted there in 2012. “I, as a poly individual, was greatly saddened by the fact that we don’t have a flag…so I made one," they wrote. "I made it similar to the bi and pan flags, since they’re all in under the multisexual umbrella." The colors and design of the flag are based off the bisexual and pansexual flags, borrowing the blue and pink, and replacing the purple and yellow stripes with a green one.
12
Asexual Pride Flag
Asexual individuals, who do not experience sexual attraction to all genders, got their own flag in 2010 after a contest held by the Asexual Visibility and Education Network to create a flag for the asexual community. Each of its stripes signifies a different segment of the ACE spectrum and values it holds dear:
- Black: Asexuality
- Gray: Gray-asexuality and demisexuality
- White: Non-asexual partners and allies
- Purple: Community
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13
Demisexual Pride Flag
The demisexual flag has the same colors as the asexual flag, but its own configuration to differentiate it. While it's unclear where the flag itself came from, user sonofzeal coined the term in 2006 on the forums of AVEN. The writer explained that he felt neither completely asexual nor completely non-asexual, so "demisexual" helped him more accurately describe the experience of needing an emotional connection in order to experience sexual attraction.
14
Agender Pride Flag
In 2014, an agender artist from New York named Salem designed the agender pride flag in response to a growing number of identities that they didn't feel were represented by the existing flags. “I figured if there was a time to come up with a flag for genderless people, this was it!” The colors represent:
- Black and white: An absence of gender
- Gray: Semi-genderlessness
- Green: Non-binary identities
15
Aromantic Pride Flag
We also have tumblr to thank for the aromantic flag, which was first created and posted by Tumblr user cameronwhimsy in 2014. The creator explained that the colors symbolize:
- Greens: Aromanticism and the aro-spectrum
- White: The “platonic” stripe covering all non-romantic relationships
- Gray and black: The full sexuality spectrum, including “aro-aces, allosexuals and everything in between"
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16
Intersex Pride Flag
In 2013, the Morgan Carpenter of Intersex Human Rights Australia chose yellow and purple as the intersex flag colors because they aren't traditionally associated with any one gender, according to Queerintheworld.com. The circle is described by the center as “unbroken and unornamented, symbolizing wholeness and completeness and our potentialities. We are still fighting for bodily autonomy and genital integrity, and this symbolizes the right to be who and how we want to be."
17
Genderfluidity Pride Flag
Genderfluid people's gender identity can fluctuate depending on the day or circumstance, and the different colors of this flag represent that. It was created in 2012 by JJ Poole, an agender pansexual advocate who wanted it to encompass all gender identities. Its colors represent:
- Pink for femininity
- Blue for masculinity
- Purple for femininity and masculinity
- Black for lack of gender
- White for all genders
18
Nonbinary Pride Flag
Kye Rowan, 17, created the nonbinary pride flag in 2014 to represent nonbinary folk who did not feel that the genderqueer flag fully represented them. The flag consists of four stripes:
- Yellow for those whose gender exists outside of and without reference to the binary
- White for those who have many or all genders
- Purple for those who feel their gender is between or a mix of female and male
- Black for those who identify as having no particular gender
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19
Polyamory Pride Flag
While there are several flags representing polyamory, or those who form ethnically non-monogamous relationships with multiple people simultaneously, this is the original. It was created by Jim Evans in 1995. The colors symbolize:
- Blue, representing the openness and honesty among all partners
- Red, representing love and passion
- Black, representing solidarity with those who must hide their polyamorous relationships from the outside world due to societal pressures
The gold "pi" symbol in the center of the flag represents the value poly people place on emotional attachment, as well as physical relationships.
20
New Polyamory Pride Flag
A different version of the polyamory pride flag came on the scene in 2017, after the University of Northern Colorado Poly Community redesigned it with an infinity symbol in the middle instead of the original pi. In the poly and ENM community, the infinity symbol represents the infinite love for multiple partners at the same time.
Lizz Schumer
Senior Editor
Lizz (she/her) is a senior editor at Good Housekeeping, where she runs the GH Book Club, edits essays and long-form features and writes about pets, books and lifestyle topics. A journalist for almost two decades, she is the author of Biography of a Body and Buffalo Steel. She also teaches journalism as an adjunct professor at New York University's School of Professional Studies and creative nonfiction at the Muse Writing Center, and coaches with the New York Writing Room.
FAQs
What does this flag mean 🏳 🌈? ›
The rainbow flag🏳️🌈 (also known as the LGBT pride flag) is a flag that is used as a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) pride and LGBTQ social movements.
What does each color of the pride flag mean? ›Gilbert Baker designed the rainbow flag for the 1978 San Francisco's Gay Freedom Celebration. In the original eight-color version, pink stood for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony and violet for the soul.
What does Lgbtqia+ stand for? ›LGBTIQA+ 'LGBTIQA+' is an evolving acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual. Many other terms (such as non-binary and pansexual) that people use to describe their experiences of their gender, sexuality and physiological sex characteristics.
What does the pink white and blue flag mean? ›Transgender Flag
The flag was first flown at a Pride Parade in Phoenix in 2000. The light blue represents boys, and the pink represents girls. The white is used to symbolize those who are transitioning, those who feel they have a neutral gender or no gender and those who are intersex.
Flag For United Kingdom emoji.
What flag is this 🏳 ⚧? ›🏳️⚧️ Transgender Flag emoji. The Transgender Flag emoji 🏳️⚧️ portrays a flag with pink, blue, and white stripes. This particular flag is used to represent the transgender community and is used to express transgender Pride.
What does black mean in a flag? ›Black: Normally represents defeated enemies, a people's ethnicity, or determination. It may also mean mourning or death. White: The international symbol of peace, used even in times of war to call a truce or surrender. Red: Signifies war, vibrancy, revolution, and power.
What is the orange white and green flag? ›The Flag of India
The flag of India was adopted on July 22, 1947, and features the colors orange, white, and green in a horizontal arrangement (from top to bottom). The flag's green stripe stands for honesty and loyalty, the orange stands for bravery and sacrifice, and the white band stands for truth and peace.
The national flag of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Прапор України, romanized: Prapor Ukrayiny) consists of equally sized horizontal bands of blue and yellow.
What is lgbtqia 2s? ›What does LGBTQIA2S+ mean? LGTBQIA2S+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify.
Is it Lgbtqia or Lgbtqia? ›
LGBTQIA is an abbreviation for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex,, asexual/aromantic/agender." The “A" in LGBTQIA may also refer to “ally" or “allied," meaning someone who does not identify as LGBTQIA but supports those who do.
What does a purple flag mean? ›Purple flag means dangerous marine life spotted.
What does a black flag with a purple stripe mean? ›Black represents asexuality and gray signifies the gray area between sexuality and asexuality. The white stripe denotes non-asexual partners, and the purple stands for community. Genderfluid Flag. Featuring five stripes, the genderfluid flag was created in 2012 by JJ Poole.
Which country has a purple flag? ›Purple is one of the least used colours in vexillology and heraldry. Currently, the colour appears in only three national flags: that of Dominica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, and one co-official national flag, the Wiphala (co-official national flag of Bolivia).
What does 🇵 🇷 mean? ›🇵🇷 Flag For Puerto Rico emoji Meaning | Dictionary.com.
What flag is that 🇬 🇷? ›🇬🇷 Flag For Greece emoji Meaning | Dictionary.com.
What does 🇮 🇳 mean in texting? ›Emoji Meaning
The flag for India, which may show as the letters IN on some platforms. The Flag: India emoji is a flag sequence combining 🇮 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter I and 🇳 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter N. These display as a single emoji on supported platforms. Flag: India was added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.
A symbol commonly used to represent those in the transgender community. Used within the draft emoji sequence for the Transgender Flag emoji, and also given emoji presentation on Samsung devices.
What does 🇦 🇱 mean? ›Do you know the meaning of the 🇦🇱 flag? Albania's flag 🇦🇱 consists in a black 2 headed eagle 🦅 as a centerpiece, that symbolizes the power, dominance & the freedom on a red🚩, which represents the strength & the bloodshed of all, who died in the struggle for independence of 🇦🇱.
What are 76 flags? ›The Bennington flag features a large “76” in the canton, recalling the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed, 1776. In contrast to most iterations of the American flag, the stripes are arranged so that the white stripes are the outermost (instead of the red).
What green flag means? ›
We use the term “green flag” to highlight actions or traits that are positive. These are usually signs that someone has healthy behaviors, which can be a good sign that your potential relationship will start off positive and hopefully stay that way.
What does red symbolize? ›Red symbolizes many emotions, both positive and negative. Namely, it's associated with anger, rage, lust, passion, high energy, stimulation, and fear.
What does white on a flag mean? ›Answer: According to custom and tradition, white signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
What flag is red with a white cross? ›The flag of Switzerland consists of a symmetric white cross on red background (Figure 3A), and represents just one of two square-shaped national flags in the world (the other being the Vatican State) [2].
What flag is blue and white with a sun? ›Argentina Flag. Flag Description: three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May.
What flag has red white and blue? ›The Croatian flag consists of three horizontal stripes in red, white and blue.
What country has a teal flag? ›National Flag of Kazakhstan — Official website of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
What flag is blue with two stars? ›The blue symbolises the sea and sky (the bottom and top blue sections, respectively), divided by a yellow stroke representing the bright sun which bathes the island. The two stars represent Curaçao and Klein Curaçao, with the five points on each star symbolise the five continents from which Curaçao's people descend.
What flag has two yellow stars? ›The amalgamation of part of the British Cameroons into the country led to the addition of two yellow stars to the green stripe of the flag on October 1, 1961. The present design dates from May 20, 1975, when a central yellow star was substituted for the two stars, as a symbol of national unity.
What is the new acronym for LGBTQ2S+? ›2SLGBTQI+: An acronym for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex. See LGBTQ+/LGBTQ2S+. Agender: A term that often describes someone who falls under the nonbinary umbrella and does not have a gender.
What does the A and I stand for in Lgbtqia? ›
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual.
What are the 15 sexualities? ›- Heterosexual. Heterosexual, also known colloquially as straight, is a term that describes those that are attracted to the opposite sex. ...
- Gay. ...
- Lesbian. ...
- Bisexual. ...
- Asexual. ...
- Queer. ...
- Demisexual. ...
- Pansexual.
Traditionally, Native American two-spirit people were male, female, and sometimes intersexed individuals who combined activities of both men and women with traits unique to their status as two-spirit people. In most tribes, they were considered neither men nor women; they occupied a distinct, alternative gender status.
Can you swim with a yellow flag? ›A yellow flag indicates potentially high surf or dangerous currents and undertows, and means that swimmers should exercise extreme caution. If there is a yellow flag, swim only near lifeguards and heed all lifeguard warnings.
What is orange flag in relationship? ›And identifying green flags (things you actively look for in a partner), yellow flags (things that are neither desirable nor dealbreakers), and orange flags (things that rub you the wrong way) can help you assess the full picture of how you feel about a given relationship in question.
Can you get in the ocean with a red flag? ›Red flags mean dangerous rip current activity is expected. The rip currents would be likely to be stronger and more frequent. It's recommended to stay out of the water.
What are pink flags? ›Pink flags are common, especially in new relationships. Marriage therapists define them as gentle warnings that something is amiss between you and your partner; however, because they aren't as well-defined or blatant, we push them out of our minds or find excuses to explain them away.
What does a thin orange line mean? ›The Thin Orange Line is representative of all Search and Rescue Personnel. These teams use highly visible uniforms, typically Orange in color so they can be easily seen. The 'Thin Orange Line' is meant to represent the dangers that Search and Rescue teams face in the line of duty.
What does the thin yellow line mean? ›The Thin Yellow Line honors all those who serve in public safety telecommunication, including police dispatchers, fire dispatchers, and ambulance dispatchers.
Which color is not in any flag? ›There are 196 countries in the world today and virtually none of them have purple on their national flag. So what's wrong with purple?
What is the most common flag color? ›
What is the Most Common Flag Colour in the World? The most common colour used on national flags is red. In fact, it appears on 78% of all national flags in one way or another - that's 148 out of 196 flags!
What flag has the most colors? ›The country with the most colourful flag in the world is Belize with 12 colours – many of which make up the coat of arms that provide this relatively young flag (1981) with it's complexity. The Belize flag, like many others is steeped in political history and the prominent colours represent the political parties.
What flag is this 🚩? ›🚩 Red Flag emoji
On social media, the Red Flag emoji 🚩 often represents the sense of the term red flag that's used in the context of dating and relationships to refer to a sign that a person will turn out to be (or is) a bad or problematic partner.
🇼🇸 Flag: Samoa
The flag for Samoa, which may show as the letters WS on some platforms. The Flag: Samoa emoji is a flag sequence combining 🇼 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter W and 🇸 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter S.
Answer. A Flag icon indicates that the Student or Site has a special note attached to it.
What does flag this message mean? ›You can Flag an email message you receive to remind yourself to follow-up or take action at a later time. Your flagged message will appear in the To-Do Bar, in Tasks, and in the Daily Task List in Calendar. You can also click your Search Folder – For Follow Up to find the messages you've flagged. 1.
What flag is this 🇬 🇬? ›🇬🇬 Flag: Guernsey
The flag for Guernsey, which may show as the letters GG on some platforms. The Flag: Guernsey emoji is a flag sequence combining 🇬 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter G.
🇦🇷 Flag: Argentina.
What does this flag mean 🏁? ›The Chequered Flag emoji 🏁 depicts a flag with a black-and-white checkerboard pattern. It is commonly used to represent vehicle racing, races in general, challenges, or accomplishments.
What flag is this 🇵 🇳? ›🇵🇳 Flag: Pitcairn Islands
The Flag: Pitcairn Islands emoji is a flag sequence combining 🇵 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter P and 🇳 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter N. These display as a single emoji on supported platforms. Flag: Pitcairn Islands was added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.
What flag is 🇮 🇩? ›
🇮🇩 Flag: Indonesia.
What is the name of 🇳 🇵? ›🇳🇵 Flag: Nepal
The flag for Nepal, which may show as the letters NP on some platforms. The Flag: Nepal emoji is a flag sequence combining 🇳 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter N and 🇵 Regional Indicator Symbol Letter P.
What does an orange utility flag stand for? An orange utility flag stands for phone and telecommunication lines, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduits, and fiberoptics.
What is a red flag slang? ›A signal of danger or a problem can be referred to as a red flag, a usage that originated in the 18th century.
What are the different flag warnings? ›Red flag is high hazard meaning high surf and/or strong currents. Yellow flag is medium hazard meaning moderate surf and/or currents. Green flag is low hazard meaning calm conditions, exercise caution. Purple flag means dangerous marine life spotted.
What does green flag mean in text? ›We use the term “green flag” to highlight actions or traits that are positive. These are usually signs that someone has healthy behaviors, which can be a good sign that your potential relationship will start off positive and hopefully stay that way.
What does flagging mean in slang? ›If something is flagging, it's worn out or weak.