LGBTQIAP+ Flags and Terms

Agender Flag

A person with no (or very little) connection to the traditional system of gender and/or someone who sees themselves as not having a gender at all.

Flag Meaning:

• Black and White - the absence of gender
• Gray - semi-genderless
• Green - nonbinary genders

Bigender Flag

A person who sees themselves as having two or "double" genders, either at the same time or fluctuating between them. These two gender can be man and woman but may also include nonbinary identities.

Flag Meaning:

• Dark pink - femininity
• Light pink - feminine-leaning
• Purple - androgyny; mixture of femininity and masculinity
• White - nonbinary identities
• Light blue - masculine-leaning
• Dark blue - masculinity

Demiboy Flag

A person who identified partly, but not completely, as a man or boy, regardless of their sex assigned at birth.

Flag Meaning:

• Blue - masculinity, manhood, boyhood
• White - nonbinary or agender identity
• Light and Dark Gray - the partial connection to masculinity, manhood, or boyhood

Demigirl Flag

A person who identified partly, but not completely, as a woman or girl, regardless of their sex assigned at birth.

Flag Meaning:

• Pink - femininity, womanhood, or girlhood
• White - nonbinary or agender identity
• Light and Dark Gray - the partial connection to femininity, womanhood, or girlhood

Genderfluid Flag

A person with a dynamic or changing gender identity. This person's gender may alternate between two or more genders. The shifts may be within or outside of societal gender norms.

Flag Meaning:

• Pink - femininity
• White - lack of gender
• Purple - a combination of femininity and masculinity
• Black - nonbinary or outside of binary genders
• Blue - masculinity

Genderqueer Flag

A person whose gender identity does not fit within the societal gender binary, the concept of womanhood, or the concept of manhood. This may present as a combination of genders.

Flag Meaning:

• Purple - mix of masculinity and femininity
• White - agender identities
• Green - outside of the binary

Intersex Flag

A person born with physical sex characteristics that don't fit the traditional understanding of male or female bodies. This may present as chromosomal makeup, hormone concentrations, and organs.

Flag Meaning:

• The circle represents "completeness" and feeling whole.
• Yellow and purple were chosen specifically to avoid using pink and blue, colors traditionally associated with female and male.

Nonbinary Flag

A person who does not identify within the the societal gender binary, the concept of womanhood, or the concept of manhood. This term has been used both for resistance to gender norms and as a separate gender identity.

Flag Meaning:

• Yellow - gender outside the binary
• White - all genders
• Purple - mix of female and male
• Black - agender

Transgender Flag

An umbrella term for people whose gender differs from their sex assigned at birth. A transgender or trans person may choose to partake in various forms of transition (changing their name, pronouns, hair style, taking hormone replacement therapy, gender-affirming surgery, etc.), however this is not required.

Flag Meaning:

• Blue - traditional color for boys, masculinity
• Pink - traditional color for girls, femininity
• White - transitioning, neutral or no gender

Two-Spirit Flag

An umbrella term for gender and sexuality in indigenous, Native American communities.

Flag Meaning:

• The rainbow flag utilized to largely represent the LGBTQIAP+ community.
• The two feathers represent woman and man.
• The circle represents unity, sometimes in the form of another gender identity.

Aromantic Flag

A person who experiences little to no desire for a romantic connection. Aromantic people are often still interested in platonic, sexual, familial, etc. forms of connection. Often shortened to "aro" (pronounced like "arrow").

Aromantic is also an umbrella term for a variety of identities that experience varying levels of romantic attraction.

Flag Meaning:

• Green - aromanticism
• Light green - the aromantic spectrum
• White - platonic love & relationships
• Gray - greyromantic and demiromantic people
• Black - the sexuality spectrum

Asexual Flag

A person who experiences little to no sexual attraction or desire for sexuality. Asexuality is not the same at celibacy or abstinence as those terms still connect with sexual desire. Asexual people are often still interested in platonic, romantic, familial, etc. connections. Often shortened to "ace."

Asexuality is also an umbrella term for a variety of identities that experience varying levels of sexual attraction.

Flag Meaning:

• Black - asexuality
• Gray - graysexuality, demisexuality
• White - non-asexual partners and allies
• Purple - community

Bisexual Flag

A person who experiences sexual attraction to those with genders similar to and different from their own. Often shortened to "bi" (pronounced "bye").

Flag Meaning:

• Pink - same-gender attraction; attraction to femininity and/or women
• Purple - attraction to two genders; the combination of attraction to masculinity/femininity and/or men/women
• Blue - different-gender attraction; attraction to masculinity and/or men

Demisexual Flag

A person who experiences sexual attraction to another person only after developing a strong emotional connection with them.

Demisexuality is part of the asexual spectrum.

Flag Meaning:

• The colors are the same colors as the asexual flag, with shared meanings, with the exception of white.
• Black - asexuality
• Gray - graysexuality, demisexuality
• White - sexuality
• Purple - community

Gay Flag

A person who experiences attraction to members of the same gender. This term can be used specifically for people who identify as men who are attracted to the same gender. As a note, there are nonbinary people who identify as gay, typically due to a connection and attraction to men or manhood.

Gay is often also used as an umbrella term for the LGBTQIAP+ community.

Flag Meaning:

• The above flag is used for men who are attracted to men. The LGBTQIAP+ flag (various rainbow flags) are listed separately.
• The meaning behind the colors was adapted from the Lesbian flag.
• Green - gender nonconformity
• Dark teal - independence
• Light teal - community
• Silver - relationships unique to manhood
• Light blue - serenity, peace
• Blue - love and sex
• Dark blue - masculinity

Lesbian Flag

Usually, a person who identifies as a woman whose primary attraction is to people of the same gender. As a note, there are nonbinary people who identify as lesbian, typically due to a connection and attraction to women or womanhood.

Flag Meaning:

• Red - gender nonconformity
• Dark orange - independence
• Light orange - community
• Silver - relationships unique to womanhood
• Light pink - serenity, peace
• Pink - love and sex
• Dark pink - femininity

An acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Aromantic, Agender and Pansexual populations. The plus “+” is used to respectfully and sensitively recognize all populations within the community.

There have been many version of the LGBTQIAP+ or Pride Flag over the years.

The first flag was created by Gilbert Baker and flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978.

Original Pride Flag

Flag Meaning:

• Pink - sex
• Red - life
• Orange - healing
• Yellow - sunlight
• Green - nature
• Teal - magic & art
• Blue - serenity
• Purple - spirit

Due to a shortage in pink fabric, the pink and teal stripes were dropped, to create the classic rainbow flag that is frequently used today.

LGBTQIAP+ Pride Flag

In 2017. the city of Philadelphia, PA added two stripes. The black and brown stripes were added to the rainbow flag to provide more visual representation in the community for LGBTQIAP+ people of color.

Philadelphia Pride Flag

Then in 2018. the Progress Pride Flag was created. This flag was updated to be even more inclusive, using the rainbow colors plus an added chevron on the left side. The chevron itself represents progress. The colors of the chevron are the colors of the transgender flag and the black and brown to represent LGBTQIAP+ people of color. The goal of this addition was to point focus towards communities within the larger LGBTQIAP+ community who need more support and emphasis.

Progress Pride Flag

Pansexual Flag

A person who experiences attraction to others, regardless of their gender and/or sex. Note, this is not the same as polyamory. Often shortened to "pan."

Flag Meaning:

• Pink - femininity
• Yellow - nonbinary
• Blue - masculinity