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Variations of the Gay Pride / Rainbow Flag

Last modified: 2006-06-24 by antonio martins
Keywords: rainbow flag | stripes: 6 | smiley | labrys | globe | map: globe | hat: cowboy | aids | pirate | crossed bones | heart | aids | matlovich (leonard) |
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Miscellaneous reports

The rainbow flag forms the basis for many different, in part localized, variants.
Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001

This seems to be a fairly consistent pattern — taking an existing flag and “merging” it with the Rainbow Flag or various GLBT [gay, lesbian, bissexual and transgendered] symbols to represent GLBT members of the group the existing flag represents.
Steve Kramer, 16 Mar 1999

I suppose there will be many more [rainbow variation flags] like the Maryland one at that will to be known or developed and then known.
Steve Stringfellow, 16 Mar 1999

This web page GayJourney.COM has an awful lot of gay flags, which are mostly variations on other flags, including all US states, all Canadian provinces, and many nations. Most of these, with «GJ» underneath, were designed by the site’s author, Greg Gomes. It is hard to say how many of these are flying somewhere.
Richard Knipel, 14 Jun 2004

At GayJourney.COM, lots of rainbows: from Argentina to Wales, EU, UNO, US states, Canadian provinces and general gay flags. Perhaps not all of these flags are actually used in the real word.
Francisco Santos, 14 May 2003

In Amsterdam one can’t help noticing in the Red Light quarter gay and lesbian flags. They are apparently used to give info to potential customers:

  • the rainbow flag with a naked male torso: gay;
  • the rainbow flag with a naked female torso: lesbian.
  • The rainbow flag with a heart on it: leather = SM.
Jarig Bakker, 29 Nov 2000

Some variations in adornment include:

  • pink triangle in the upper hoist, usually point upward
  • pink triangle in a canton of blue or black. Blue is an obvious play off the U.S. flag; black is a color associated with lesbianism — a black triangle on pink is also sometimes used as a lesbian symbol.
  • white stripe vertically in the hoist, to denote that «all are included».
  • a labrys (double-headed axe) is another lesbian symbol and is sometimes included, usually centered on the field
  • a U.S. flag canton
Steve Kramer, 06 May 1996

A pink triangle is sometimes located in the hoist of the Pride Flag.
Don Hagemann, 04 May 1996

During the renovation of Montreal’s (Canada) metro (subway) system in 1999-2000, the access to Beaudry metro, the station serving the gay village, was torn down and replaced with a beautiful new building with the colours of the gay pride flag integrated into it. To my knowledge this is one of the only public buildings in the world so decorated. You can see a picture of it here.
Matt McLauchlin, 11 Dec 2001


Victory over AIDS
(black stripe)

Rainbow triangle
image by Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001

This is the rainbow flag with an added black stripe to be aware of AIDS called «Victory over AIDS» flag. See for example here and here.
Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001

Black: AIDS awareness; this stripe will be removed, as soon as a cure is found against AIDS.
Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001, translating from EuroGay.NET

The Victory Over AIDS Flag modifies the rainbow flag by adding a black stripe at the bottom. Suggested by a San Francisco group, the black stripe commemorates those we have lost to AIDS. Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, a much-decorated Vietnam Veteran dying of AIDS, proposed that when a cure is eventually found the black stripes should be removed from all the flags and ceremoniously burned in Washington, D.C.
Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001,
quoting from http://www.enqueue.com/ria/rainbow.html


Leathermen’s black stripe

Lethaer rainbow flag
image by Marcus Schmöger, 24 Aug 2001

Reportedly, gay leather aficionados might also modify a rainbow flag to have a black stripe instead of a violet one. (However, this version might be confused with the «Victory Over AIDS» version of the rainbow flag, as they are similar.)
Marcus Schmöger, 24 Aug 2001,
quoting from http://www.enqueue.com/ria/rainbow.html

A variant of the rainbow flag for “leathermen”. The two lower stripes (blue and black) refer to the respective colours of the leather pride flag.
Marcus Schmöger, 24 Aug 2001,
quoting from http://www.enqueue.com/ria/leather.html


White stripe

at the hoist

Rainbow flag
image by António Martins, 12 Jan 2000

Raibow flag with white stripe vertically in the hoist, to denote that «all are included».
Steve Kramer, 06 May 1996

at the fly

A flag used during Stockholm Pride Festival in Stockholm, Sweden, was like the Rainbow flag with red on top but with a white vertical stripe along the fly with the text "STOCKHOLM PRIDE" in sans serif letters of which the word "PRIDE" was in bold letters.
Elias Granqvist, 02 Aug 2004


Rainbow triangle

Rainbow triangle
image by Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001

This the rainbow flag with an inserted triangle in the same colours. The (usually pink) triangle is one of the well-known symbols of the gay community. This flag thus combines the rainbow colours with the triangle. See examples here and here.
Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001


Labrys

A labrys (double-headed axe) is another lesbian symbol and is sometimes included, usually centered on the field of the rainbow flag.
Steve Kramer, 06 May 1996


Globe

Rainbow flag
image by António Martins, 30 Mar 2005

Gay flag variant: rainbow flag with circle in center containing a a natural (not map) world globe showing America, Europa and Africa. (Communication from José Luís Cepero.)
Jaume Ollé, 05 Jun 2000 and 24 Jun 2000


Smiley

Rainbow flag
image by António Martins, 22 Jul 1999

Chicago held it’s Northalsted Market Days this weekend, the largest of Chicago’s summer street fairs. There were a lot of flags to see. The most prevelent was the gay Rainbow flag in several different varieties (including one with a smiley face on it) and a few other gay flags (since this is the gay mecca of the city).
Steve Stringfellow, 10 Aug 1998


Cowboy hat

Cowboy hat rainbow flag
image by Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001

This is the rainbow flag with a cowboy hat for “gay cowboys”. This was created by “Cowboy Frank”. See CowboyFrank.NET.
Marcus Schmöger, 26 Aug 2001


Heart and crossed bones

Pirate rainbow flag
image by Marcus Schmöger, 24 Aug 2001

This is a variant of the rainbow flag with a black heart and black bones (like in the Jolly Roger). Seen at the Christopher Street Day Parade 2001 in Munich; it seemed to me home-made.
Marcus Schmöger, 24 Aug 2001


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