What does the rainbow mean in lgbtq

Here’s What the Unlike LGBTQIA+ Flags Represent

LGBTQIA+

When we think of Pride Month, the first image that typically comes to mind is the classic rainbow flag. However, many people don’t realize that along with the Rainbow Pride Flag, there are an array of distinct identifiers that illustrate the diverse queer community. While many in the LGBTQIA+ community identify with the all-encompassing rainbow flag, each group has its verb flag to portray its unique contributions and stories within the community. Here’s a rundown of the different flags and what they represent.

The Gilbert Baker Pride Flag

The original rainbow pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in at the demand of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California. Gilbert chose the rainbow as it represents a symbol of hope. 

Original flag colors and meaning: 

Pink: sex; Red: life; Orange: healing; Yellow: sunlight; Green: nature; Turquoise: magic; Blue: harmony; Violet: spirit.

Rainbow Pride Flag 

This is the iteration of the Pride Flag that we all understand today, use

How the Rainbow Became a Symbol for Pride – and Why it Matters

Every June, the LGBTQ+ community and allies celebrate Pride Month, and, in recent years, we possess seen a substantial increase in companies showing their help by incorporating the rainbow flag as part of their logos and/or products. To those outside of the community this seems favor a wonderful way to recognize Pride Month — but many in the LGBTQ+ community sense otherwise. The term “rainbow washing” has become the recent label for the seemingly instantaneous and universal change from company colors to rainbow colors on June 1.  Rainbow washing is viewed as a performative act of sustain , rather than as a meaningful or intentional expression of support.  

I’d enjoy to take a moment to elaborate what the colors on the Pride flag mean and share a brief history on the evolution of the flag — from where it started to how it is presented today.  

A symbol of and for pride  

It is common knowledge that the rainbow flag is a symbol of LGBTQ+ Pride. However, it is less commonly known that the colors

You might be familiar with the six-colored rainbow flag that is widely used to represent the LGBTQ+ community. But did you grasp that this is a relatively modern 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 He was inspired by the Rolling Stones lyric She’s a Rainbow, and the s 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 , demand for the Pride Flag increased, but the adj pink fabric was difficult to locate in large quantities. Then, the Paramount Flag Company started making a version out of the standard rainbow colors to help verb demand, and a seven-color pride flag was the fresh norm.

A year later,

The Progress Pride flag was developed in by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns). Based on the iconic rainbow flag from , the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and calls for a more inclusive society. In , the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Pride flag that can be seen on display in the Design – Now gallery.

'Progress' is a reinterpretation of multiple iterations of the pride flag. The original 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in 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 dream . Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, leafy 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 commo