Evolution of the Pride Flag

[Bokomaru]

Pride month is almost upon us. I’m curious how this forum feels about the evolution of the Pride flag. First it had 2 stripes added for people of color. Then the triangle with three more stripes to add transgender support. Then a circle added for intersex. Wasn’t the point of the first flag that it has all the colors of the rainbow, in an attempt at inclusiveness? How do you feel when you see the newer pride flags? 

[+ FrankR]

20 minutes ago, Bokomaru said:

Pride month is almost upon us. I’m curious how this forum feels about the evolution of the Pride flag. First it had 2 stripes added for people of color. Then the triangle with three more stripes to add transgender support. Then a circle added for intersex. Wasn’t the point of the first flag that it has all the colors of the rainbow, in an attempt at inclusiveness? How do you feel when you see the newer pride flags? 

No comment from me. I am set in my ways and still catch myself saying “GLBT”… 🙈

[+ azdr0710]

for anyone interested......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBT)

and @FrankR   there is what some call the "Gay Smithsonian":

GLBT Historical Society

WWW.GLBTHISTORY.ORG

---

Founded in 1985, the GLBT Historical Society is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our Federal Tax Identification Number is 94-2989004.

 

[+ nycman]

It feels like cultural appropriation, but I believe the intentions are good.

So….meh.

I try not to get butt-hurt about things like flags, and save my energy for real issues. 

[pubic_assistance]

6 hours ago, Bokomaru said:

Wasn’t the point of the first flag that it has all the colors of the rainbow, in an attempt at inclusiveness?

Correct.

The alterations ignore that message of unity and instead keeps segregating people into their own sub groups.

LGBTXYZQPDFTUHRWV

[+ Balthazar]

I'm not a big fan of the progress pride flag. This flag takes the rainbow pride flag and adds a chevron with black and brown reflecting queer people of color, black additionally representing people with HIV/AIDS, and the colors from the trans flag (baby blue, pink, white). The colors of the rainbow pride flag do not reflect specific identities. They represented concepts such as life, healing, sunlight, and nature. When you add specific identities to the flag, you exclude other identities, which is why we have seen additions to the progress pride flag (including yellow with a purple circle for intersex people).

There are plenty of flags that represent specific queer identities, but it seems like the progress pride flag is becoming or has become the default. I see it more and more in advertising,  for example, during pride month. I, however, recognize that there are people who have felt excluded in queer spaces/discussions and that the progress pride flag might resonate with them. I'm a gay, Black man, and I've never been a fan of adding a black/brown stripe to symbols to reflect people of color/diversity (e.g., Philadelphia pride flag), but I only speak for myself. It seems like a symbol might become so crowded and messy in its attempts to represent a diversity of people that it ends up not resonating with the people it was meant to represent. 

Edited June 2, 2024 by Balthazar

[pubic_assistance]

42 minutes ago, Balthazar said:

It seems like a symbol might become so crowded and messy in it's attempts to represent a diversity of people that it ends up not resonating with the people it was meant to represent. 

I agree. For me, its the inclusion of the bisexual flag, that although I am part of that community, its inclusion seems completely superfluous. I always understood the rainbow to represent everyone in the Gay-Lesbian and Bisexual community. Colors representing sub groups of the community start to add the whole box of crayons and obliterate the intention of the original.

 

[Stormy]

Simplicity works better in a flag.  New Mexico has it right 

[+ azdr0710]

The colors were never ever meant to represent a demographic or subgroup!!!!!!  Let's get back to the original design!!!

[Manhattan]

The "progress" Pride design is sadly obvious, using new colors in an arrow to divide the rainbow. 
 

I support equal rights for all, but PRIDE is for those of us who are same-sex attracted. White, black, and brown don't exist in a rainbow. Something beyond our skin color unites us. 
 

This month I will wear my old-fashioned Pride t-shirts and celebrate the gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals (some of whom cross-dressed) who fought for our rights. 

 

[soloyo215]

On 5/30/2024 at 4:33 PM, Bokomaru said:

Pride month is almost upon us. I’m curious how this forum feels about the evolution of the Pride flag. First it had 2 stripes added for people of color. Then the triangle with three more stripes to add transgender support. Then a circle added for intersex. Wasn’t the point of the first flag that it has all the colors of the rainbow, in an attempt at inclusiveness? How do you feel when you see the newer pride flags? 

It's not an evolution. I reject the new flag altogether. It's company and marketing based, doesn't make sense at all, and above everything, it does not represent me. End of the story for me.

Edited June 3, 2024 by soloyo215

[+ Pensant]

15 minutes ago, soloyo215 said:

It's company and marketing based

The corporate takeover of Pride.

[kingsley88]

I prefer the simple rainbow flag. It's inclusive of everything. 

[marylander1940]

On 5/30/2024 at 4:33 PM, Bokomaru said:

Pride month is almost upon us. I’m curious how this forum feels about the evolution of the Pride flag. First it had 2 stripes added for people of color. Then the triangle with three more stripes to add transgender support. Then a circle added for intersex. Wasn’t the point of the first flag that it has all the colors of the rainbow, in an attempt at inclusiveness? How do you feel when you see the newer pride flags? 

There were other previous changes within just a few years. 

Original eight-stripe rainbow flag for the 1978 Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco

Seven-striped rainbow flag for the november 1978 march in San Francisco in memory of Harvey Milk, as produced by Paramount Flag Co. Drawn by Fibonacci.

The Rainbow flag 

[marylander1940]

 

2017 Philadelphia eight-stripe flag

 

2018 Progress Pride Flag by Daniel Quasar

 

2018 Social Justice Pride Flag by queer activist Moulee

 

Other design:

 

2021 Intersex-inclusive redesign of the Progress Pride Flag by Valentino Vecchietti

 

[+ azdr0710]

Funny. One of the history sources said they had to drop the hot pink color early on because it was difficult to find at fabric stores!  

[marylander1940]

Just now, azdr0710 said:

Funny. One of the history sources said they had to drop the hot pink color early on because it was difficult to find at fabric stores!  

Remember there was no internet (Ebay, Amazon, Temu) China was a shithole country... a whole different world!

[marylander1940]

23 hours ago, azdr0710 said:

The colors were never ever meant to represent a demographic or subgroup!!!!!!  Let's get back to the original design!!!

I hope you mean the 1979 redesign by Baker!

I also like the proportions 2 x 3, unlike the American flag official proportions of 10 x 19

Edited June 3, 2024 by marylander1940

[Bokomaru]

I’m going to issue my own version I think. It will be a muddy gradient of every color blending into the others because sexuality is a spectrum. I’m certain all of you will be mightily impressed and won over. Why hasn’t anyone thought of it before? Stripes are so “them and us” with their discrete borders. (Finally… someone got to use the word “discrete” correctly 😆.)

[wsc]

It seems the flag has gotten to a point where it was first meant to celebrate our unity and common purpose but now just lets us exhibit and wallow in our differences. Eventually we'll adopt the Amazon symbol, everything from A to Z, but without the depth. (To the subtlety-challenged, that was sarcasm.)

[Danny-Darko]

[+ Pensant]

Endless schisms. I had to google abrosexual and demisexual.

[+ José Soplanucas]

1 hour ago, Pensant said:

Endless schisms. I had to google abrosexual and demisexual.

That's why I would love if we move away from the alphabetic acronym system and we just switch to the simpler and more inclusive Queer. But then again, the issue is not the flag, but the fact that too often we seem to hate and discriminate against each other. 

[Manhattan]

On 6/4/2024 at 9:15 AM, Bokomaru said:

I’m going to issue my own version I think. It will be a muddy gradient of every color blending into the others because sexuality is a spectrum. I’m certain all of you will be mightily impressed and won over. Why hasn’t anyone thought of it before? Stripes are so “them and us” with their discrete borders. (Finally… someone got to use the word “discrete” correctly 😆.)

I don't want to sound like I don't get the humor. I do, but remember -

The rainbow is a spectrum of visible light. 

There may be divisions at first glance, but they blend into each other to create one perfect sign of joy and hope after a storm. 

That's why it's so sad to mess with it.

[+ José Soplanucas]

I have mixed feelings about this proliferation of identities. On the one hand I share some friends' concerns about the potencial divisiveness, if we understand these labels as rigid identities with conflicting interests and needs.

On the other hand, I find much to celebrate in this diversity if we move away from the rigid mindset. Many of these labels, rather than frozen identities, describe options many of us navigate.