Pride flag colors: What genderqueer, gender-fluid and nonbinary flags represent
Clare MulroyWith June pride parades approaching, it’s time to refresh your knowledge of the many pride flags you may see waving in windows and on the street.
It’s more than the classic rainbow flag – variations and updated versions of the original design represent the vastness of the LGBTQ+ community.
Some flags represent pride in gender identity diversity, including the nonbinary, genderqueer and gender-fluid communities. Here's a guide to those flags.
What do the colors of the nonbinary flag mean?
The nonbinary flag was created by Kye Rowan in 2014 as an addition to the genderqueer flag, not a replacement. People who are nonbinary don’t identify exclusively as female or male.
The flag has four stripes – yellow, white, purple and black:
- Yellow: Those who exist outside of and without reference to the binary
- White: All or multiple genders
- Purple: A mix of the traditional binary colors for boys and girls to represent those who feel their gender falls somewhere between the gender binary
- Black: Those without gender
What do the colors of the genderqueer flag mean?
The genderqueer flag was created in 2011 by artist Marilyn Roxie. People who are genderqueer reject conventional gender categories in favor of fluidity. Their gender identity could be both male and female, neither male nor female, or a combination.
The flag has three stripes of lavender, white and dark green chartreuse. Lavender has been historically associated with queerness.
- Lavender: Mixes together the blue and pink of the traditional gender binary and represents androgyny
- White: Represents agender identity, gender neutrality
- Dark green: Represents identities outside of the gender binary, the inverse of lavender
“The three colors are not meant to indicate that any of these identities are entirely separate or opposites of one another conceptually,” Roxie wrote on their website. “They are all interrelated as well as key concepts in their own right.”
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What do the colors of the gender-fluid flag mean?
The gender-fluid flag was designed by JJ Poole in 2012. Someone who identifies as gender-fluid doesn’t identify with a single, fixed gender – their identity and expression may change over time.
The flag contains five colored stripes: pink, white, purple, black and blue.
- Pink: Femininity
- Blue: Masculinity
- Purple: Both femininity and masculinity
- White: All genders
- Black: Lack of gender
More pride flags explained
Pride flag | Lesbian flag | Transgender flag | Bisexual flag | Pansexual flag | Asexual flag | Intersex flag | Progress flags
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