The rainbow pride flag is widely recognized as the symbol of the LGBTQ community. However, within the LGBTQ group, there’s a wide variety of subcultures, genders, and identities, who all have their own flags. These flags provide representation for the individual LGBTQ communities and also tell us a bit about their unique stories, perspectives, histories, and experiences.
Here’s our inclusive list of 30 LGBTQ+ pride flags and their color meanings:
- Gilbert Baker Pride Flag
- Rainbow Pride Flag
- Philadelphia’s People of Color Inclusive Flag
- Progress Pride Flag
- Bisexual Pride Flag
- Pansexual Flag
- Polysexual Flag
- Asexual Flag
- Demisexual Flag
- Labrys Lesbian Pride Flag
- Orange-Pink Lesbian Pride Flag
- Genderfluid Pride Flag
- Genderqueer Pride Flag
- Non-Binary Pride Flag
- Polyamory Pride Flag
- Intersex Pride Flag
- Transgender Pride Flag
- Agender Pride Flag
- Aromantic Pride Flag
- Bear Pride Flag
- Straight Ally Pride Flag
- Two-Spirit Pride Flag
- Leather Pride Flag
- BDSM Rights Flag
- Hijra Pride Flag
- Omnisexual Pride Flag
- Trigender Pride Flag
- Maverique Pride Flag
- Neutrois Pride Flag
- Demifluid Pride Flag
1. Gilbert Baker Pride Flag
The Gilbert Baker Pride Flag was the first-ever rainbow pride flag. It was designed by gay artist and activist Gilbert Baker when his friend Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay elected official in California, asked him to design a symbol for the LGBTQ community. Baker was inspired in his design by the celebrations for America’s bicentennial anniversary in 1976.
Since the LGBTQ community consists of people from all races, genders, and ages, he based his flag on the rainbow. The colors of the flag are roughly sequenced in the same order as those displayed in a rainbow. It was first showcased on San Francisco’s Gay Pride Day on June 25, 1978. As opposed to later versions of the rainbow pride flag, the first flag had eight colors, which had the following meaning:
- Pink: Sex
- Red: Life
- Orange: Healing
- Yellow: Sunlight
- Green: Nature
- Turquoise: Magic
- Blue: Harmony
- Violet: Spirit
2. Rainbow Pride Flag
After Harvey Milk was assassinated in 1978, demand for Baker’s flag increased. The Paramount Flag Company decided to cash in on the rising popularity of the flag and started producing a flag that was made from stock rainbow fabric with seven colors, which meant that pink was dropped. Baker, who was also ramping up the production of his flag, also dropped pink because hot pink dye was hard to come by.
The turquoise stripe was also dropped in 1979 when Baker wanted to decorate street lamps along the parade route with rainbow banners. He decided to split the motif in two, which meant that he needed an even number of stripes. The result was the six-colored rainbow flag, which has become the main symbol for the LGBTQ community.
3. Philadelphia’s People of Color Inclusive Flag
When Philadelphia launched its own Philly pride flag in 2017, it put the city in the global spotlight. Since then, the flag has enjoyed widespread recognition. With the addition of a brown and a black stripe to the six colors of the traditional rainbow flag, the Philly pride flag is meant to provide recognition for the black and brown people in the LGBTQ community.
Much like any other Pride flag, the Philly pride flag was borne of protest. After a number of high-profile stories exposed the rampant racism in Philly’s Gayborhood, people of color started demanding more inclusion in the city’s LGBTQ community. The flag was created to recognize the legacy of the fight for more inclusive rights for black and brown people in the community and to ensure that inclusion becomes an essential aspect of Philly Pride.
4. Progress Pride Flag
In response to Philly’s pride flag, Portland-based designer Daniel Quasar created the progress pride flag. Quasar chose this name for his flag to emphasize the fact that although much has been achieved to highlight the plight of the LGBTQ community and also marginalized people within that community, more progress is needed.
The arrow shape of the chevron that he added to the left side of the flag represents the progress that still needs to be made. Apart from the black and brown stripes of the Philly pride flag, the chevron also contains the colors of the transgender pride flag, which consists of white, pink, and blue stripes.
5. Bisexual Pride Flag
Michael Page designed the bisexual pride flag in 1998 since he wished to increase the visibility and representation of bisexuals both within the LGBTQ community and society at large. For his design, he drew on the existing bisexual symbol, called the “biangles” symbol, which consists of a blue and pink triangle and a purple section where they intersect. The pink color in the flag represents sexual attraction to the same sex, whereas the blue one represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex. The overlapping purple color represents bisexuality. The flag was first unveiled at BiCafe’s first-anniversary celebration on Dec. 5, 1998.
6. Pansexual Flag
It’s not clear who designed the pansexual pride flag, but it started to appear on the internet around the mid-2010s. The flag is meant to increase awareness of pansexuality and to distinguish this community from the bisexual community, since pansexual people are attracted to people of different genders and sexualities. The colors of the flag represent the following:
- Blue: Sexual attraction to those who identify as male
- Pink: Sexual attraction to those who identify as female
- Yellow: Sexual attraction to non-binary people, such as agender and genderfluid people
7. Polysexual Flag
Polysexuality is, in turn, different from pansexuality, since polysexuals are attracted to multiple, but not all genders. A Tumblr user designed the polysexual flag in 2021 to provide polysexual people with their own symbol. Since polysexuality falls within the multi-sexual spectrum together with other sexual orientations such as bisexuality and pansexuality, the flag incorporates the colors of the bisexual and pansexual flags. The designer borrowed the blue and pink from the two flags and replaced the purple and yellow stripes with a green one. The meaning of the colors is the following:
- Pink: Sexual attraction to people who identify as female
- Green: Sexual attraction to non-binary people
- Blue: Sexual attraction to people who identify as male
8. Asexual Flag
When AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network) decided to create a pride flag for those who identify as asexual, they held a contest on its forum boards to see who came up with the best design. On June 30, 2010, AVEN chose the winning design, which was created by an AVEN user named Standup. The colors of the flag are the same as those on AVEN’s logo. Asexuality is an umbrella term for many asexual identities and generally refers to a desire not to act upon attraction or a complete lack of sexual attraction. The colors of the flag mean the following:
- Black: Asexuality
- Gray: The gray area between sexuality and asexuality
- White: Sexuality
- Purple: Community
9. Demisexual Flag
The term “demisexual” was coined by user Sonofzeal in 2006 on the forums of AVEN. Since 2008, the term has gained traction and widespread recognition. Demisexuality refers to a sexual orientation where a person only feels sexual attraction once they’ve formed a deep emotional bond with another person. Since demisexuality falls within the asexual spectrum, the flag contains the same colors as the asexual flag, and the colors also have the same meaning. When and by whom the demisexual flag was created is unknown.
10. Labrys Lesbian Pride Flag
The labrys lesbian pride flag was designed in 1999 by graphic designer Sean Campbell, and it was first published in the Palm Springs edition of the Gay and Lesbian Times Pride issue. According to myth, the Amazons used labryses (double-headed axes) as weapons, which is why the lesbian feminist community adopted the labrys as a symbol of empowerment in the 1970s. The inverted black triangle is a reference to the black triangle badges that hom*osexual females were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps, while the violet background has become associated with lesbians due to the poetry of Sappho.
11. Orange-Pink Lesbian Pride Flag
The lesbian pride flag is derived from the lipstick lesbian flag, which contained a red kiss on the top left-hand corner. Introduced in a blog called The Lesbian Life in 2010, the lipstick lesbian flag was meant to represent “feminine” lesbians. The different shades of red and pink on the flag apparently represented different shades of lipstick. Probably due to the exclusivity of a “feminine” lesbian community, the flag was not widely adopted. The orange-pink lesbian pride flag, which is basically the same flag without the red kiss, rotated, and with a little bit different color tones, has been far more popular.
12. Genderfluid Pride Flag
The genderfluid pride flag is the creation of J. J. Poole and was presented to the public in 2013. With this flag, Poole wanted to create awareness of the genderfluid community. Genderfluid people have a gender expression that isn’t constant or fixed. They may or may not identify as part of the non-binary, multigender, or transgender community, and may have multiple gender identities and expressions. The colors of the flag have the following symbolism:
- Pink: Femininity
- White: Lack of gender
- Purple: A combination of masculinity and femininity
- Black: All genders, including non-binary genders
- Blue: Masculinity
13. Genderqueer Pride Flag
Genderqueer people deliberately subvert stereotypical norms where gender expression is concerned. For them, gender is a personal decision that should not be prescribed by society. Marilyn Roxie created the genderqueer pride flag in 2011 to provide visibility and representation for the genderqueer community. Although the flag was originally meant to represent both non-binary and genderqueer communities, it became synonymous specifically with the genderqueer group. The colors of the flag mean the following:
- Lavender: Androgyny, since it’s a mixture of pink and blue, which are traditionally associated with girls and boys
- White: Agender identities
- Dark green: Third-gender identities, which fall outside of gender binaries
14. Non-Binary Pride Flag
Owing to the fact that non-binary people didn’t feel adequately represented by the genderqueer pride flag, the community wanted their own flag. 17-year-old Kye Rowan came to the rescue by creating a flag that didn’t so much replace the genderqueer pride flag, but rather complemented it. The colors on the flag symbolize the gender expression of non-binary people, who don’t fit into the traditional male/female gender binary. The following meanings are attributed to the colors:
- Yellow: People who identify outside of binary genders
- White: People who identify with many or all genders
- Purple: People who consider their identity a mix of binary genders, or whose identity falls somewhere in between the two binaries
- Black: People who don’t feel an attachment to any gender
15. Polyamory Pride Flag
Polyamory refers to a sexual orientation where people prefer to be involved in multiple relationships within a context of honesty and mutual consent. Since the polyamorous community tends to be frowned upon by more traditionally oriented people, there was a need for an anonymous symbol that polyamorous people could use as an acknowledgment among themselves. For this reason, Jim Evans designed the polyamory pride flag in 1995.
The flag originally included the pi symbol, since it is an irrational number that can contain an infinite number of decimal places. In 2017, the University of Northern Colorado Poly Community replaced the pi symbol with the infinity hearts symbol. The colors of the flag contain the following symbolism:
- Blue: Openness and honesty
- Red: Love and passion
- Black: Solidarity with those who need to hide their polyamory from the outside world
- Yellow: The value placed on emotional attachment to others
16. Intersex Pride Flag
Intersex is a term that refers to people who have physical characteristics that don’t fit the typical definition of male and female bodies. Morgan Carpenter designed a flag for the intersex community that he felt was a more adequate representation of the group than other attempts, which he deemed derivative.
The intersex pride flag was unveiled in 2013 and has ever since served as the symbol of the community. The two colors of the unique flag, namely yellow and purple, are both considered gender-neutral colors. With the circle, Carpenter aimed to symbolize wholeness, completeness, and the right of intersex people to be who and how they choose to be.
17. Transgender Pride Flag
The transgender flag was created by Monica Helms, who is a transgender navy veteran, in 1999. Since then, it has become the main symbol for the transgender community. The flag was first unveiled in the pride parade in Phoenix in 2000, after which it was showcased in San Francisco’s Castro District in 2012 for the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and also the White House during Pride Month in 2016. Today, the original flag can be found at the Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History. The design of the flag symbolizes the sexual identity of the transgender community, which is a group of people who don’t identify with their sex. The colors of the flag represent the following:
- Light Blue: Traditionally the color for boys
- Light Pink: Traditionally the color for girls
- White: People who are transitioning, consider themselves gender-neutral, or are intersex
18. Agender Pride Flag
The agender pride flag was created in 2014 by a Tumblr user called Salem in response to the constantly new definitions of sexual identities that keep popping up. With this flag, Salem wanted to raise awareness of the completely genderless identity of the agender community. The colors in the flag symbolize the following:
- Black and white: The absence of gender
- Gray: An in-between state of semi-genderlessness
- Green: Non-binary genders
19. Aromantic Pride Flag
The aromantic community is a group of people who don’t experience romance in the way that it’s traditionally interpreted, or they don’t experience the feeling at all. There have been multiple flags that represent this community. The creator of the first aromantic pride flag is unknown. It contains four stripes, which symbolize the following:
- Green: The opposite of the color red, which is the color of romance
- Yellow: In this context, yellow is associated with yellow flowers, and represents friendship
- Orange: The color of gray-romantics, since it’s a mixture of red and yellow
- Black: Alloromantics, who reject traditional ideas of romance
The second aromantic pride flag, which was designed by Tumblr user Cameron in 2014, contains five stripes, which are dark green, light green, yellow, gray, and black. Cameron also designed the third flag, which is the version that’s gained the most traction. With this flag, he replaced the yellow stripe of the second flag with a white stripe. The colors in this flag mean the following:
- Dark green: Aromanticism
- Light green: The aromantic spectrum
- White: Platonic attraction and relationships
- Gray: Gray-aromantic people
- Black: The sexuality of the spectrum
20. Bear Pride Flag
In the LGBTQ community, a “bear” refers to a larger and often hairy male who has a rugged, masculine look, which is typically associated with “straight” men. The International Bear Brotherhood Flag was designed by Craig Byrnes in 1995 to provide a symbol for this bear subculture in the LGBTQ community. Byrnes probably drew inspiration from the rainbow and the leather pride flags for his design.
The colors in the flag represent the different fur colors of bears found all over the world, namely dark brown, rust, golden yellow, tan, white, gray, and black. The inclusion of different types of bears symbolizes the idea of inclusivity and that all kinds of behaviors are allowed within the LGBTQ community.
21. Straight Ally Pride Flag
The ally pride flag was created in the 2000s, but its creator is unknown. The straight ally community consists of heterosexual or cisgender people who support the civil rights and gender equality of the LGBTQ community. They are against all forms of discrimination, including hom*ophobia, transphobia, and biphobia. The black and white stripes on the flag represent heterosexual or cisgender people, while the rainbow colors in the chevron represent the LGBTQ community. The “A” shape of the chevron stands for “allies.”
22. Two-Spirit Pride Flag
The term “two spirits” refers to the traditional understanding of gender roles and identities in the Native American culture. Although the precise interpretation varied across the different tribes, they all described the concept of two-spirit people. The latter was a term used to refer to people whose sexual identity fell outside of the gender binary. They were viewed by tribe members as people who had both a masculine and feminine spirit.
For them, two-spirit people resulted from supernatural intervention and their presence aligned with tribal mythology, which means that they were completely accepted as members of a tribe. Some of them even formed intimate relationships with heterosexual people of the same sex.
There are multiple two-spirit flags. The one with the two feathers was designed by a user named 2Sanon and was submitted to ask-pride color schemes in 2016. The flag contains the following symbolism:
- Two feathers: Masculine and feminine identities
- Circle: Unity
- Rainbow flag: The LGBTQ community
23. Leather Pride Flag
The leather pride flag was created by Tony DeBlase as a symbol for the leather subculture of the gay community. It was first presented at International Mister Leather in 1989, and has since become associated with leather in general, and also other groups, such as the BDSM community. DeBlase has provided no meaning for the symbolism included in the flag and has stated that the public should interpret the flag for themselves.
There are a few variations on the leather pride flag. Clive Platman, for instance, created a version in 1990 that included the southern cross from the Australian national flag. A Canadian version, which added a row of red maple leaves across the white stripe, was presented in 1991 at the opening ceremony of Living in Leather.
24. BDSM Rights Flag
The BDSM Rights Flag was created to raise awareness for the BDSM community and as a means to express support for the idea that people whose sexual orientation includes BDSM deserve the same human rights as everyone else. The flag was created by a user named Tanos around 2005, and is loosely based on the leather pride flag and Steve Quagmyr’s BDSM emblem.
25. Hijra Pride Flag
In south-east Asian countries such as India and Pakistan, the term Hijra refers to people who were born as males but identify with a female role. In these cultures, Hijras are recognized as a separate or third gender. Before the period of colonization, Hijras were respected members of society and were asked to perform blessings and assist with childbirth. After colonization, however, Hijras were vilified and discriminated against.
There are two Hijra pride flags that have been created as representation for the Hijra community. The first flag was created in 2016 by a user called HijrAnon and is based on Ardhanarishvara, which is a deity who is a combination of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. The second flag, which is the one featured on this page, was created by Tumblr user Samira in 2018. The colors on the flag mean the following:
- Pink and blue: People who identify with binary genders
- White: People who identify with non-binary genders
- Red: The divinity of Rama
26. Omnisexual Pride Flag
Omnisexuality describes a sexual orientation that involves being attracted to people of all sexes and genders. This orientation overlaps with that of pansexuality, which is also an orientation in which a person is attracted to all genders. However, pansexual people are attracted to others regardless of gender and are, as such, “gender blind.” In omnisexuality, on the other hand, gender plays a role in sexual attraction. The creator of the omnisexual pride flag is unknown and so is the interpretation of the colors. However, the colors are commonly interpreted as the following:
- Lighter outside tones: The gender spectrum
- Pink: Femininity and attraction to women
- Blue: Masculinity and attraction to men
- Dark center stripe: Attraction to non-binary genders
27. Trigender Pride Flag
The trigender pride flag was created by an unknown person in 2015 to provide representation for the trigender community. Trigender people have three gender identities. These can be binary or non-binary identities, and they may be expressed simultaneously or fluidly. The colors of the flag mean the following:
- Pink: Feminine genders
- Blue: Masculine genders
- Green: Androgyny and third genders
28. Maverique Pride Flag
The term Maverique was coined by Tumblr user Vesper H. in 2014, who felt unsatisfied with the term neutrois to describe the identity of his community. Maverique refers to a gender identity that falls under the non-binary umbrella term. Maverique people do have a sexual identity, but it is neither feminine, masculine, or neutral. However, they may at times associate with a masculine, feminine, or neutral identity. Vesper H. also designed the Maverique pride flag, and the colors mean the following:
- Yellow: Non-binary identities
- White: Autonomy and independence
- Orange: Inner conviction
29. Neutrois Pride Flag
The term “neutrois” was coined in 1995 by H. A. Burnham. The word is possibly a combination of the French word “neutre,” which means neutral, and “trois,” which means three. Neutrois describes a sexual identity that’s neutral or genderless. Although the designer of the neutrois pride flag is unknown, the colors on the flag are commonly interpreted as the following:
- White: Neutral or unidentified
- Dark green: Non-binary gender
- Black: Genderlessness or agender
30. Demifluid Pride Flag
Demifluid is a gender identity in which a person is partially genderfluid while also having a static gender. The static part of the gender can be any gender, that is, female, male, neutral, or non-binary. For instance, a demifluid girl has a static female gender identity and also a fluid gender identity, which can involve multiple binary or non-binary identities. The creator of the flag is unknown and so is the interpretation of the colors. However, pink may represent femininity, yellow a non-binary identity, and blue, masculinity. Gray could be the area where the genders mix.
Collection of All Pride Flags
Here’s an illustration of all the different pride flags. Feel free to share it with your friends.
