Blue gay man 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 contain 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 adore 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

    You might be familiar with the six-colored rainbow flag that is widely used to represent the LGBTQ+ community. But did you know that this is a relatively new rendition of the original? 

    The original flag (shown here) was designed by activist, veteran, drag queen, and artist, Gilbert Baker, and made its debut at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade 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 Pride 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 gather demand, and a seven-color pride flag was the new norm.


    LGBTQ+ Pride Flags

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

    Explore the flag collection below! Watch 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

    Pride Month: the gay flag

    The gay man’s flag is a Pride flag that, like most Pride flags, has been revised over time. For example, the original had horizontal stripes in different shades of blue with a adj stripe down the middle.

    The original version was controversial because people thought it reflected a gender binary rather than a gender spectrum.

    The new version was created by a Tumblr user called gayflagblog in 2019, with light emerald stripes on one half and blue stripes on the other, separated by a white stripe down the middle.

    The design of the gay men’s flag and most Pride flags was inspired by Baker’s rainbow flag. Like Baker’s design, the gay men’s flag is highly symbolic, with each shade of blue and green representing something different.

    The green stripe at the top symbolises community. Community is the cornerstone of the LGBTQ+ movement, and having places to embrace and interact with that community is what started the movement in the first place. The Stonewall Uprising began with LGBTIQ resistance after the police raided the Stonewall