The Different LGBT Flags and Their Meanings
The LGBTQIA+ community is made up of a wide range of people with different gender identities and sexual orientations. Each color in the spectrum has its own meaning and symbolism, and the flags of the LGBTQIA+ community uniquely reflect this.
Here is a representation of most flags:
The rainbow flag
The rainbow flag is undoubtedly the best known flag of the LGBTQIA+ community. It was created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker to symbolize the unity and diversity of the community. Each color has a specific meaning: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony and violet for spirit.
And its latest version, the inclusive rainbow flag:
Flags associated with BDSM
The leather flag
Although originally representing members of the leather subculture, the leather flag has also been embraced by the wider BDSM and fetish community.
Designed by Tony DeBlase for the International Mr. Leather celebration in Chicago in 1989, the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the symbol represents those involved in kinking including those who are heterosexual and/or cisgender .
The BDSM Flag
The BDSM flag of the LGBTQ+ community represents the different facets of their sexuality as well as their membership in the BDSM community. The most common version of the BDSM flag is a horizontal band of colors with a Triskelion in the center, and consisting of three colors: black, blue and red.
Black represents domination and sado-masochism, blue represents role-playing and sexuality in general, while red represents passion filling the Triskel, a symbol of community.
The latex flag
The latex flag represents members of the rubber and latex fetish community.
The black color of the flag represents the leather itself, while the red symbolizes the band's passion for rubber and the yellow represents their desire to play and fantasize intensely with rubber.
It dates from 1995, created Peter Tolos and Scott Moats.
The black color of the flag represents the leather itself, while the red symbolizes the band's passion for rubber and the yellow represents their desire to play and fantasize intensely with rubber.
It dates from 1995, created Peter Tolos and Scott Moats.
The Puppy Flag
The puppy flag represents adult humans who like to embody and/or adopt the characteristics of dogs or puppies. Quite popular in the gay community, this practice is associated with Pet Play, falling under BDSM in the broad sense.
The pony flag
The Pony flag represents fans of PonyPlay, a category of PetPlay where practitioners embody and/or adopt the characteristics of an equine. It is found in BDSM in the broad sense and can contain practices of Discipline with dressage, Domination/submission, or even Bondage with certain constraints.
The Master/Slave Flag
The Master/Slave flag represents the Domination/submission dynamic within consensual slavery. The vision of this dynamic differs in the community, it is commonly accepted that it represents an even greater involvement than the submissive person. Some groups see in this relationship the total submission of the slave's will, property and body.
It was designed by Master Tallen for the Master/Slave Conference in Washington, DC, July 29, 2005
The Little Flag
The Little flag represents an adult person taking on a childlike appearance and/or behavior, from infant to adolescent in particular times.
There are different categories of Little
- Adult Baby representing babies
- Littles representing children
- Middles representing teenagers
The DDlg Flag
The DDLG (Daddy Dom, Little Girl) flag represents people in a Domination/Submission dynamic, in which one plays the role of Daddy (also called Caregiver) and the other that of 'a child. The relationship between the Daddy and the Little may or may not be sexual.
The ABDL flag
The ABDL flag (Adult Baby Diaper Lover) represents people who love age regression games and infantilization, and/or who like to wear diapers.
The Bootblacking Flag
The "Bootblack" or "Bootblacking" flag represents people who enjoy cleaning, polishing, and sometimes blackening a pair of boots, usually that of a Dominant or Master/Mistress. It's a common service in BDSM circles, especially in leather fetish communities.
Most famous flags
The transgender flag
The transgender flag (often abbreviated as trans) represents people whose gender identity does not match the gender assigned to them at birth.
It was created in 1999 by Monica Helms.
The bisexual flag
The bisexual flag (often abbreviated as bi) represents people who are attracted to more than one gender, from 2 to all genders, with or without preference. These genres may or may not be binary.
This flag was designed by a team led by LGBT activist Michael Page in 1998.
This flag was designed by a team led by LGBT activist Michael Page in 1998.
The pansexual flag
The pansexual flag (often abbreviated as pan) represents people who experience sexual attraction to individuals regardless of gender identity.
Although pansexual people may have a sexual preference for a certain gender identity, gender is not a pull factor.
Although pansexual people may have a sexual preference for a certain gender identity, gender is not a pull factor.
This flag was created in 2010 by shrikeabyssals., from an organization called Pansexual Pride Flag
The asexual flag
The asexual flag (often abbreviated as ace) represents people with a lack of sexual attraction. Asexuality can include not wanting to have sex, not being interested in sex, not having a libido, or being repulsed by sex.
This flag was created on June 30, 2010 by Asexual Visibility and Education Network user Standup.
This flag was created on June 30, 2010 by Asexual Visibility and Education Network user Standup.
The intersex flag
The intersex flag represents people born with physical sex characteristics that cannot traditionally be classified as "male" or "female".
Variations can appear in chromosomes, hormones, genitals, gonads, secondary sex characteristics, or a combination of these.
Some intersex traits are identified at birth, while others may not be discovered until puberty or later in life.
Intersex people can have any gender identity, including male, female, non-binary, etc. Intersex is not an identity, but a birth characteristic.
This flag was created by Morgan Carpenter in 2013.
Variations can appear in chromosomes, hormones, genitals, gonads, secondary sex characteristics, or a combination of these.
Some intersex traits are identified at birth, while others may not be discovered until puberty or later in life.
Intersex people can have any gender identity, including male, female, non-binary, etc. Intersex is not an identity, but a birth characteristic.
This flag was created by Morgan Carpenter in 2013.
The lesbian flag
The lesbian flag represents a person who experiences sexual or romantic attraction to other women or between women. The term normally applies to women, but some non-binary people also identify with this term.
The original Labrys lesbian flag was created in 1999.
The first "modern" lesbian flag was designed in 2010 with the "Lipstick" lesbian flag, this flag was later modified by removing the kiss and was used more as a lesbian pride flag.
There is also the "Butch" flag
Other forms: Labrys, Lipstick and Butch
Lesser known flags
The Gay Man Flag
This flag represents male gay pride, it is a reimagining of a previous gay pride flag with a variety of blue tones. This new flag includes a broader spectrum of LGBT men, including transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming men, among others.
However, it is fair to say that most gay men prefer to use the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag which is more representative of the whole community.
However, it is fair to say that most gay men prefer to use the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag which is more representative of the whole community.
The bear flag
The bear flag represents gay men with a specific set of physical traits, including facial hair and heavy build, they got their own flag in 1995. The dark brown, orange/rust, golden yellow, tan, white stripes , gray and black of the flag represent the colors of the animal's fur.
The twink flag
The twink flag represents a subset of often bottom gay (but also some non-binary) men who challenge traditional masculinity by embracing gendered and feminine characteristics.
A twink is often depicted as a thin man, with no facial hair and often no body hair, who may or may not dress in a non-traditionally masculine manner.
The genderfluid flag
The genderfluid flag represents people whose gender identity and/or expression is fluid and can fluctuate at different times or under different circumstances.
This flag was created by JJ Poole in 2013
The aromantic flag
The aromantic flag represents people who do not experience romantic attraction or experience it in a non-traditional way
This flag was created in 2014
The half boy flag
Tumblr user Transrants designed the demiboy flag in 2015.
The Half-Girl Flag
The demigirl or "demigirl" flag represents people who identify with some aspect of femininity, regardless of the gender they were assigned at birth.
It was designed by Tumblr user Transrants in July 2015.
It was designed by Tumblr user Transrants in July 2015.
The half-gender flag
The demi-gender flag comes from demi "half" + "gender", it is an umbrella term for non-binary gender identities and refers to people who only feel partially connected to a particular gender identity. The term encompasses half-boy and half-girl, as well as a variety of other half-gender identities.
The androgynous flag
The androgynous flag features three vertical stripes and was created on July 24, 2014 by Tumblr user saveferris.
The polyamory flag
The polyamory flag represents people who desire or engage in multiple romantic and usually sexual relationships, with the consent of everyone involved.
Jim Evans created the first polyamorous pride flag in 1995. This flag consists of blue, red and black bars, with the Greek letter pi in the middle.
There are many explanations for the pi symbol in the middle of the flag. However, the one that is most logical and most accepted by most people is that it represents the infinite love between partners.
Like other LGBTQ+ flags, the polyamorous flag has seen many variations after various members of the community deemed the original flag undesirable, but this original flag remains the most accepted and commonly seen.
New version :
The bi-curious flag
The bicurious flag represents predominantly monosexual people who are curious or open to relationships with people of a different gender than their usual partners. They are generally seen as a state of exploring sexuality or questioning bisexuality.
It was created by Tumblr user Arco-Pluris on July 5, 2018.
The Omnisexual Flag
The omnisex flag represents people with a multisex orientation defined as sexual, romantic, or other attraction to all genders, although gender generally plays a role in this attraction. Some omnisexuals have a gender preference, some don't.
The Omnisexual Flag was designed by Pastelmemer on or before July 4, 2015
The Omnisexual Flag was designed by Pastelmemer on or before July 4, 2015
The polysexual flag
The polysexual flag represents people with sexual attraction to many genders, but not necessarily all. A polysexual person can be attracted to almost any gender with a few exceptions, this implies attraction to more than two genders and less than all genders is possible.
The flag was created by Tumblr user Samlin in 2012
The Demisexual Flag
The demisexual flag represents people with a sexual orientation on the asexual spectrum, not experiencing sexual attraction until they have established a deep emotional connection with someone.
Demisexuality can be a sexual orientation in itself or be combined with other orientations.
It is not known when the demisexual flag was created or by whom.
Demisexuality can be a sexual orientation in itself or be combined with other orientations.
It is not known when the demisexual flag was created or by whom.
The demi-romantic flag
The demiromantic flag represents people with an aromatic spectrum romantic orientation, defined as someone who does not experience romantic attraction until they have established a deep emotional connection with someone.
Demiromanticism can be a romantic orientation on its own or combined with other orientations.
These people may be sexually attracted to strangers or other people, but romantically only to the one or those with whom they have developed a deep sentimental chemistry.
Demiromanticism can be a romantic orientation on its own or combined with other orientations.
These people may be sexually attracted to strangers or other people, but romantically only to the one or those with whom they have developed a deep sentimental chemistry.
The trigender flag
Trigender is a form of multigender in which a person has three distinct gender identities. These three gender identities can be any gender, binary or non-binary, as long as there are three of them. Trigender people can experience these genders simultaneously or alternately.
The trigender flag was created by an unknown person on or before July 4, 2015.
The abrosexual flag
The abrosexual flag represents people whose sexuality is changeable or fluid. A person can switch from one sexuality to another, whether they are monosexual, multisexual, allosexual or asexual, etc.
The flag was created by Mod Chad of pride-flags-for-us at the request of another anonymous user, it exists since July 3, 2015
The flag was created by Mod Chad of pride-flags-for-us at the request of another anonymous user, it exists since July 3, 2015
The Straight Allied Flag
The straight ally flag designates a cisgender, heteroromantic heterosexual, alloromantic queer person who is not part of the LGBT+ community but supports it. An ally recognizes that LGBT+ people are discriminated against and are therefore socially disadvantaged, supports LGBT+ rights and fights against homophobia, transphobia, etc.
This flag was created in the late 2000s, but its origin is unknown.
This flag was created in the late 2000s, but its origin is unknown.