Gay man flags

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The flag has five horizontal stripes of different colors representing femininity (pink), lack of gender (white), a combination of both masculinity and femininity (purple), all genders anywhere on the spectrum (black), and masculinity (blue).

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Genderqueer Pride Flag

There is also a Genderqueer Pride Flag, which writer and activist Marilyn Roxie designed in 2011 with input from the readers of the website Genderqueer Identities.

The pink represents attraction to those of the same gender identity, while the blue stands for attraction to people who identify as a different gender. The flag itself is open to interpretation, composed of nine horizontal stripes alternating in color between black and blue, a white stripe in the middle, and a red heart in the upper left-hand corner.

There are a total of seven stripes: two black, two gray, two white, and one green, with each color having its own meaning:

  • Black: The absence of gender
  • White: The absence of gender
  • Gray: Semi-genderless
  • Green: Nonbinary genders

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That’s because it’s similar to the Demisexual Pride Flag—white top half, gray bottom half, and black triangle to the left—with one key difference: The stripe between the halves is green.

Designed by Tony DeBlase for Chicago’s International Mr. Leather celebration in 1989 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the symbol represents people involved with kink—including those who are heterosexual and/or cisgender. 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.

Light blue and pink are featured because they’re the traditional colors associated with baby boys and girls, respectively.

gay man flags

The QPOC flag also represents how intertwined the queer community and people of color have been over the years in their fight for equality, including in the early days of the queer liberation movement and the work of activist Marsha P. Johnson.

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Intersex-Inclusive Pride Flag

Over the years, the rainbow LGBTQ flag has evolved to become increasingly inclusive.

Because it employed colors that were stereotypical of the gender binary, that edition was problematic This new flag includes a broader spectrum of LGBT men, including transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming males, among others.

However, it is fair to say that most gay men prefer to simply use an iteration of the rainbow LGBTQ+ flag that is more representative of the entire queer community.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

With June as our official Pride Month in the United States, we typically see a wealth of in-person parades and events during this time (but different cities have celebrations at different times, so check to see what's local to you).

Its iconic stripes and hues can be found on flagpoles, front porches, and lapel pins (not to mention plenty of other merchandise). Members of the rubber and latex fetish community did as well, courtesy of co-designers Peter Tolos and Scott Moats. Unimpressed with some of the other symbols for intersex individuals, Carpenter wanted a flag “that is not derivative but is yet firmly grounded in meaning,” and he eventually landed on the version we know today, which features a purple circle on a yellow background.

The “A” in the center of the flag stands for the word ally and features the six colors of the rainbow pride flag. Before making its way onto this flag, the labrys was seen as a symbol of empowerment for cisgender women, and it was adopted by some lesbian radical feminist groups in the 1970s. Its colors symbolize those whose gender falls outside of and without reference to the binary (yellow), people with many or all genders (white), those whose gender identity falls somewhere between male/female or is a mix of them (purple), and people who feel they are without a gender (black).

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Pride of Africa Flag

In 2019, Pride of Africa, which describes itself as a “diversity and empowerment foundation,” launched a new LGBTQ flag at Johannesburg Pride, the continent’s longest-running LGBTQ Pride event.

Many of the following flags (intersex, asexual, non-binary, etc.) embody different identities that exist within Q (queer) and/or outside this acronym.

Progress Pride Flag

(Image credit: Getty Images/Boston Globe)

This flag was designed to be a reboot of the original Pride flag taking inclusion even further, thanks to queer, nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar (xe/they).

An alternative version of the flag was also created in 2017, which replaces the pi symbol with the infinity hearts symbol.

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Intersex Pride Flag

The Intersex Pride Flag has been in existence since 2013, when Morgan Carpenter, then cochair of Intersex Human Rights Australia, created and launched it.

In addition to the original six stripes, this flag includes black and brown, symbolizing people of color. 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.

This year as you celebrate Pride Month, don’t miss these must-see LGBTQ movies.

Progress Pride Flag

A year after the debut of the Philadelphia Pride Flag, Oregon-based designer Daniel Quasar introduced a reworked version of the more inclusive flag. But what's powerful is that the breadth of LGBTQIA+ representation continues to evolve, a nod to the vast diversity of sex, orientation, attraction, and gender.

Read on to learn more about Pride flags, their origins, and their meanings.

Gilbert Baker Pride Flag

(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

In 1977, gay politician Harvey Milk tasked veteran Gilbert Baker to come up with a Pride flag.

The black stripe has a dual meaning: It also honors those lost to HIV/AIDS and is a nod to the stigma surrounding those still living with HIV.

Bisexual Pride Flag

Florida-based LGBTQ activist Michael Page created the Bisexual Pride Flag in 1998 to increase the visibility of bisexual individuals—who are attracted to two genders—in both the LGBTQ community and society as a whole.

It’s unknown when, exactly, the flag was created, but it includes four colors: black (representing asexuality), gray (asexuality and demisexuality), white (sexuality), and purple (community).

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Lesbian Pride Flag

Although there are multiple versions of the Lesbian Pride Flag, this one—which has been around since 2018—appears to be the one that’s most widely embraced.

The background of the flag has three stripes, each of which has a specific meaning: blue (the openness and honesty of all parties involved in the relationships), red (love and passion), and black (solidarity with those who must hide their polyamorous relationships from the outside world).

Evans placed a yellow pi symbol in the center of his flag, with the infinite number representing the infinite options for partners available to polyamorous people.