Similarly, some agender individuals feel a lack of gender is sufficient to make them not cisgender, but does not make them transgender either. For example, some are nonbinary or genderfluid and feel that neither cisgender nor transgender accurately conveys their experience. Metagender has been defined as “A not insignificant quantity of people consider themselves neither cis nor trans. The combination of the black and white stripes and the rainbow represent the allies’ support of the LGBTQ+ community. And I made a couple flags actually, but this one I submitted to a blog on Tumblr about genderfluidity and gender fluid people. “I wouldn’t call myself an artist, but I’ve dabbled with drawing and bits of Photoshop, so I decided to create it myself. I found genderfluid to be fitting but was disappointed with the lack of symbolic representation,” Poole said. At the time I knew genderqueer fit me, but it still felt too broad.
“I had been trying to find an identity that fit me. In an interview with Majestic Mess Designs, Poole said they created the flag because genderfluidity lacked a symbol and the term “genderqueer” didn’t exactly fit. Purple: Represents both masculinity and feminity The flag was created by JJ Poole in 2012 according to OutRight Action International. How often someone’s identity shifts depends on the individual. People who are genderfluid don’t identify with one gender, but rather their gender identity shifts between male, female, or somewhere else on the spectrum. Have you got a Big Question you'd like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us at. The next time you come across something rainbow-colored as a sign of solidarity for Pride Month, look beyond the rainbow itself and see the colors that reflect the inclusive nature of the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, the light blue, pink, and white shades are meant to celebrate transgender and nonbinary communities, which is an ode to the transgender flag created by Monica Helms in 1999.Īlthough the Progress Pride Flag hasn’t completely replaced the six-striped Pride Flag, it did draw attention to the importance of diversity and the need to bring folks from marginalized and often discriminated communities to the forefront. On top of the classic rainbow design, the Progress Pride Flag incorporated black and brown stripes to represent queer people of color the black stripe is also meant to honor individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and those who have lost their lives to the disease. In 2018, Daniel Quasar created the Progress Pride Flag by adding five new colored stripes in the shape of an arrow pointing to the right, illustrating forward movement. From Baker’s original design, the flag continued to evolve to become more inclusive. The resulting six-stripe version became the Pride Flag that people know and recognize today. The turquoise stripe was eventually removed as well, to make the flag appear more symmetrical. Shortly after its creation, the hot pink stripe was dropped because of how difficult it was to find fabric in that specific color. The flag became a hit, but the increase in demand made it harder to keep the supply up. Serenity and calmness are represented by the cool tone of indigo, while the last color, violet, stands for spirit. Green-the unmistakable color of nature-comes right before turquoise, which stands for magic and art. The warm orange hue represents healing, and the radiance and brightness of the sun are conveyed in yellow. Moreover, each of the colored stripes in the original flag carried meaning, too.įor instance, hot pink stands for sexuality while red represents life and vitality. It all began in 1978, when Gilbert Baker created a custom-made, eight-striped rainbow banner as a symbol of liberation and hope for queer people around the world. The rainbow has become an easily recognizable symbol for the LGBTQ+ community in large part due to the Pride Flag (also known as the Rainbow Flag). You’re bound to come across rainbow-themed paraphernalia one way or another, whether you’re walking in a quiet neighborhood or along a busy, crowded street. Whenever June rolls around, it’s common to see rainbows everywhere in celebration of Pride Month.