Walk into any city center in June and you’ll see it. A literal sea of rainbows. But if you look closer, you'll notice the classic six-stripe flag isn't the only one flying anymore. There are triangles, circles, chevrons, and colors like lavender, mint, and black appearing in the mix.
It's a lot to keep track of.
People sometimes get frustrated. They ask, "Why do we need fifty different flags?" Honestly, it’s a fair question if you’re looking at it from the outside. But the evolution of pride flags and what they mean isn't just about adding more stripes for the sake of it. It’s about visibility. It’s about people finally seeing themselves represented after decades of being lumped into a generic "other" category.
The OG: How Gilbert Baker Started It All
Before 1978, the symbol for the gay community was pretty grim. It was the pink triangle—a badge used by Nazis in concentration camps. Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, wanted something better. He wanted a "soul."
He turned to Gilbert Baker. Baker was an artist and a drag queen who knew his way around a sewing machine. He didn't just want a logo; he wanted a flag because flags are about power. They say, "This is a nation" or "This is a people."
The original 1978 flag had eight stripes. Most people don't know that. It had hot pink for sex and turquoise for magic/art. Those stripes got dropped pretty quickly because, frankly, hot pink fabric was hard to find and expensive to mass-produce back then. So, we ended up with the six-stripe version we see everywhere today: Red (life), Orange (healing), Yellow (sunlight), Green (nature), Blue (serenity), and Violet (spirit).
It’s simple. It’s iconic. But for many, it started to feel like it didn't tell the whole story.
The Modern Shift: The Progress Pride Flag
You've probably seen the flag with the chevron (the arrow shape) on the left side. This is the Progress Pride Flag, designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018.
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Why the change? Because the community realized that even within the "rainbow," some people were being left behind. The black and brown stripes represent LGBTQ+ people of color. The light blue, pink, and white represent the transgender community. By putting these in an arrow shape pointing to the right, the flag says: "We’re moving forward, but we have work to do for the most marginalized among us."
It’s a visual reminder that "Pride" isn't a finished project.
Breaking Down the Specifics: What Those Other Colors Actually Mean
If you’ve been to a festival lately, you’ve likely seen the Bisexual Pride Flag. Created by Michael Page in 1998, it’s got three stripes. Pink represents same-sex attraction, blue represents opposite-sex attraction, and that purple stripe in the middle? That’s the overlap. It’s the "blur" of attraction to more than one gender.
Then there’s the Transgender Pride Flag. Monica Helms, a trans woman and Navy veteran, designed this in 1999. It’s symmetrical. Two light blue stripes, two pink, and one white in the center. Helms was very intentional about this: no matter which way you fly it, it’s always "correct," signifying the search for correctness and wholeness in one's own life.
The Rise of the Pansexual and Asexual Flags
Pansexuality and asexuality are often misunderstood, and their flags help reclaim that narrative.
The Pansexual flag uses pink, yellow, and blue. While the bisexual flag focuses on "more than one," the pansexual flag emphasizes attraction to people regardless of gender. The yellow represents non-binary or gender-diverse people.
The Asexual (Ace) flag is a bit moodier, but in a cool way. Black, grey, white, and purple.
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- Black: Asexuality (lack of sexual attraction).
- Grey: Gray-asexuality or demisexuality (attraction only under specific circumstances).
- White: Allosexuality (the rest of the world) or allies.
- Purple: Community.
Non-Binary and Genderqueer Identities
Gender isn't just "man" or "woman" for everyone. The Non-Binary flag (created by Kye Rowan in 2014) uses yellow, white, purple, and black.
Yellow is huge here. Why? Because in color theory, yellow is a primary color that doesn't "contain" pink or blue. It exists entirely on its own, much like a non-binary identity exists outside the traditional gender binary.
The Genderqueer flag is different—lavender, white, and chartreuse green. Lavender is that mix of blue and pink (androgyny), while green is the "inverse" of lavender, representing those who identify outside the binary altogether.
Why the Intersex Circle Matters
The most recent "major" update to the main pride flag happened in 2021 when Valentino Vecchietti integrated the Intersex flag into the Progress design. This is the yellow flag with the purple circle.
Yellow and purple are used because they are gender-neutral colors. The circle represents wholeness and the right to bodily autonomy. For a long time, intersex people (those born with biological traits that don't fit typical binary definitions) were ignored in the pride movement. Seeing that purple circle on the main flag now is a massive deal for visibility.
The Lesbians Have a Few Versions
If you see a flag with shades of orange, white, and pink, that’s the "Sunset" Lesbian flag. It replaced an older version that was mostly shades of pink (often called the "Lipstick Lesbian" flag), which many felt was too feminine-centric and didn't include butch or gender-nonconforming lesbians. The orange stripes represent "gender non-conformity" and "independence," while the pinks represent "femininity" and "peace."
The "Vexillology" of Pride: Why People Argue Over Fabric
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. People argue about these flags. A lot.
Some traditionalists think the original six-stripe flag was already inclusive because a rainbow, by definition, includes everyone. They worry that adding more stripes makes the flag cluttered or "too political" (ironic, considering the original flag was an act of political defiance).
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On the flip side, proponents of the newer flags argue that if "everyone" was included in the rainbow, we wouldn't have seen such high rates of discrimination against trans people of color within the queer community. The new flags aren't just decorations; they’re accountability tools.
What Most People Get Wrong
One big misconception? That these flags are "official" in a legal sense. There is no "International Department of Pride Flags" approving designs. These are grassroots symbols. They gain traction because people start using them on Etsy, at parades, and in social media bios.
Another error is thinking that one flag replaces another. You can fly the 1978 Baker flag and the 2021 Intersex-Inclusive Progress flag side-by-side. They represent different eras and different focuses of the same movement.
Taking Action: How to Use These Symbols Respectfully
Understanding pride flags and what they mean is only the first step. If you're a business owner or an ally, hanging a flag is a signal, but it has to be backed up by something real.
If you're going to fly the Progress Pride Flag, make sure your organization actually supports the people represented in the chevron. Check your bathroom policies for trans individuals or look at your diversity and inclusion metrics for people of color. A flag without action is just "rainbow washing."
Practical Next Steps
- Check your local history. Many cities have their own specific pride symbols or variations. Look up the history of Pride in your specific region to see how local activists have adapted these colors.
- Support the creators. Many of these flags were designed by independent artists. If you're buying a flag for your home or office, try to purchase from queer-owned businesses or those that donate a portion of proceeds to LGBTQ+ charities like The Trevor Project or Marsha P. Johnson Institute.
- Use the right flag for the right context. If you're hosting an event specifically for the trans community, use the trans flag. If you're celebrating the broad spectrum of the community, the Progress Pride Flag is currently the most widely accepted "standard" for total inclusion.
- Educate, don't gatekeep. If someone uses an "outdated" flag, don't jump down their throat. Most people are just trying to show support. Use it as an opportunity to talk about how the symbols have evolved.
The rainbow isn't static. It’s a living, breathing thing that grows as our understanding of human identity grows. Whether there are six stripes or sixteen, the core message remains the same: we are here, and we aren't going anywhere.