From Gilbert Baker's original 8 stripes to the modern Progress Pride Flag, each color tells a story of struggle, joy, and identity.
The rainbow flag is one of the most recognizable symbols of our time. It’s a vibrant beacon of hope, a declaration of identity, and a universal sign of a safe space. But the story of our community's flags is so much richer and more nuanced than a single rainbow. It's an ever-evolving tapestry, with new threads constantly being woven in to ensure every identity is seen and celebrated.
In a world where visual language is everything, understanding the meaning behind these flags is a powerful act of allyship and self-discovery. Let’s take a brief journey through the history and meaning of some of the most significant Pride flags.
The Original Rainbow: Gilbert Baker's 1978 Creation
It all started with artist and activist Gilbert Baker. Tasked by Harvey Milk to create a new symbol for the gay community, Baker envisioned a rainbow. He rejected the pink triangle—a symbol reclaimed from Nazi persecution—in favor of something born from joy and nature.
His original 1978 flag had eight stripes, each with a specific meaning:
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Hot Pink: Sex
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Red: Life
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Orange: Healing
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Yellow: Sunlight
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Green: Nature
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Turquoise: Magic/Art
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Indigo: Serenity
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Violet: Spirit
Practical production issues famously led to the removal of hot pink and turquoise, resulting in the six-stripe rainbow flag we know and love today.
Evolution and Inclusion: The Rise of New Flags
As our understanding of identity grew more nuanced, so did our symbols. The six-stripe flag was a beautiful start, but many felt it didn't fully represent the vast spectrum of the LGBTQIA+ community. This led to the creation of many new, specific flags.
The Transgender Pride Flag
Designed by transgender woman Monica Helms in 1999, this flag is a beautiful symbol of the transgender experience.
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Light Blue: Represents the traditional color for baby boys.
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Light Pink: Represents the traditional color for baby girls.
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White: Represents those who are intersex, transitioning, or see themselves as having a neutral or undefined gender.
The pattern is symmetrical, so no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct—a powerful metaphor for finding your own correctness.
The Bisexual Pride Flag
Created by Michael Page in 1998, this flag visually represents the concept of bisexuality. The pink stripe represents same-gender attraction, the blue stripe represents different-gender attraction, and the purple stripe in the middle is the beautiful overlap, representing the attraction to two or more genders.
The Hot Topic of Today: Daniel Quasar's Progress Pride Flag
The most significant recent evolution is the Progress Pride Flag, designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018. This is the flag you are increasingly seeing everywhere, and for good reason. It addresses a crucial conversation within the community: the need to highlight and uplift the voices of marginalized members.
Quasar added a five-colored chevron to the classic six-stripe flag:
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Black and Brown Stripes: Represent marginalized People of Color (POC) within the community.
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White, Pink, and Light Blue Stripes: Incorporate the Transgender Pride Flag.
The chevron arrow shape signifies forward movement, while placing these colors at the hoist indicates that we must always prioritize the progress of our most marginalized members.
A Canvas for Your Colors: Expressing Your Own Pride
At CasePride, we see these flags as more than symbols; we see them as art. They are the visual language of our identities. They are a testament to our history and a blueprint for our future.
Just as the community created new flags to better represent itself, our artists deconstruct and reinterpret these powerful colors and symbols. Whether it’s in Isa Costa's bold and joyful "The Summer of Love" case, which echoes the energy of those early Pride parades, or in the subtle, coded language of a piece from our Archive Collection, the spirit of these flags is woven into everything we do.
Your phone is the most personal piece of technology you own. The case you put on it is a daily declaration of who you are. It’s a way to carry your colors—whichever they may be—with you, every single day. It’s a personal, wearable flag of your own making.
Conclusion: A Legacy in Every Stripe
From eight stripes to a progressive chevron, the evolution of Pride flags tells a powerful story of a community that refuses to be static. It’s a community that listens, learns, and grows—always making more room under the rainbow.
Understanding these symbols is a way to honor the shoulders we stand on and to hold space for the identities yet to come. It’s a visual promise that progress, like the rainbow itself, is a beautiful and constant spectrum.
Ready to find a piece of art that tells your story?
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