LGBTQI Pride and the Evolution of the Rainbow Flag

Figure 1: One of the original rainbow flags, which represents LGBTQI individuals and identities

 

In a previous blog post Sherry Ortner’s work on cultural symbols was discussed.  This post is being brought up because June is considered Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) Pride Month, and one of the prevailing and important summarizing symbols of this identity group is their rainbow flag.  This is just one of many summarizing symbols that has existed to represent LGBTQI individuals and communities over the past century.  Today’s blog post is going to attempt to summarize this history, addressing the various summarizing symbols that have existed to represent the LGBTQI groups, followed by a discussion of the origins, purpose, and evolving nature of the rainbow flag.

 

LGBTQI individuals and identities have existed for millennia across the globe and in many different cultural groups (for more information check out the various blog posts previously posted on this blog).  Their acceptance or rejection within and among cultural groups has varied, leading to a need, particularly in times of rejection, for specific symbols to be created to represent individual and the group’s identity.  The use of these symbols will vary across time and space, as well as among individuals, leading to these symbols carrying various meanings.  Often these symbols are used to promote the acknowledgement and recognition of LGBTQI individuals, signally to others one’s identity and/or the ability to display that identity freely and safely.  For example, LGBTQI symbols that carry these meanings, even in a small way, include but are not limited to piercings, color of handkerchiefs, green carnations, and hairstyles.  These and other LGBTQI symbols can be and often have sociopolitical meanings that reflect the struggles faced by individuals within these groups.  This is demonstrated by the use of the pink triangle, which was originally worn by LGBTQI individuals imprisoned in concentration camps during the Holocaust in World War II, as well as purple handprints, which represent the injuries and arrests of LGBTQI individuals during the Stone Wall Riots.

 

Figure 2: Pride flags for various sexual orientations and identities

 

Today one of the most iconic and universally recognized symbol of LGBTQI identities is the rainbow flag.  The rainbow flag was created by Gilbert Baker at the request of well-known gay politician Harvey Milk.  Baker worked with Lynn Segerblom in the creation of the flag.  Together they sewed together eight different colored strips of cloth, with each color representing what they felt was or should be a specific core value of the LGBTQI community.  These colors included pink (for sex), red (for life), orange (for healing), yellow (for sunlight), green (for nature), blue or turquoise (for magic and art), indigo (for serenity), and violet or purple (for spirit).  They debuted their flag at the Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco in 1978, and the flag was quickly adopted as the group’s newest symbol.  As the flag was mass produced two colors, pink and indigo, were ultimately abandoned because they were too costly to manufacture, leading to the iconic six colored rainbow flag (Figure 1).

 

Since its introduction the rainbow flag has maintained its popularity as a symbol of LGBTQI identities, but not without several legitimate criticisms.  As the LGBTQI Civil Rights Movement gained traction many members rightfully spoke out because they felt that the political directions of the movement were too focused on white members.  This led to various splits within the political groups and into various social and sociopolitical groups.  Various identity groups adopted their own pride flags (Figure 2), which were used alone or in conjunction with the rainbow flag.  

 

Figure 3: Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs updated Pride flag

 

It was not until recently (specifically in 2017) that the rainbow flag received a much-needed change.  The Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs added black and brown stripes to the top of the rainbow flag in recognition of LGBTQI people of color, who face additional discrimination and oppression due to their racial and ethnic identities (Figure 3).  The next year, in 2018, Daniel Quasar of Portland, Oregon, made an additional adjustment when he included white, blue, and pink stripes, in acknowledgement of transgendered individuals and their contributions to the sociopolitical actions throughout the groups’ histories.  A more recent change to the rainbow flag came about in 2021 with the inclusion of intersex flag colors and symbols (Figure 4).  This came about by Valentino Vecchietti who took Morgan Carpenters purple circle over a yellow triangle, representative of intersex individuals.  This action was taken to increase the representation of the I in the LGBTQI identities, which denotes intersexed individuals who were and continue to be underrepresented (if acknowledged at all). 

 

Ultimately, the rainbow flag carries with it various meanings.  These can and do vary from social to political and everything in between, much like the members of the LGBTQI identity groups.  The meaning will also be dependent on individuals, which is reflected in this symbol’s rich and dynamic history.  

 

Figure 4: Progress Pride flag that acknowledges transgender and intersex identities

 

Works Cited

Hagen-Smith, Lisa. "Politics and Celebration: Manifesting the Rainbow Flag." Ethnologies (1997): 113-121. Print.

Hauksson-Tresch, Nathalie. "The Rainbow Flag as Signal, Icon, Index and Symbol of Collective and Individual Gay Identity." Wagner, Anne and Sarah Marusek. Flags, Color, and the Legal Narrative: Public Memory, Identity, and Critique. Cham: Springer Link, 2021. 553-572. Print.

LACDMH Blog. "A Brief History of Our LGBTQIA2-S Pride Flag." 16 June 2022. Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Electronic. 11 May 2023.

Sanders, Douglas, and AsiaPacificQueer Network. "Flying the rainbow flag in Asia." (2011).

Wolowic, Jennifer M., et al. "Chasing the rainbow: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth and pride semiotics." Culture, Health, Sexuality (2017): 557-571. Print.