Pride month: The real meaning behind the colours in the pride flag
| Updated: Jun 4, 2020, 16:08 IST
Pride month is here and this means we will be seeing pride parades, rallies and a series of activities to recognise the impact the LGBTQ and “+” community all over the world. While you don’t necessarily have to be someone from the community to celebrate this month-long festival, you can take part in these events as much as possible. And, while you do so, you will notice one thing everywhere. Yes, you guessed it right, it’s the pride flag. Clad in rainbow colours, pride flags are an essential part of pride month celebration. But, do you know what really does it mean? The hidden meaning behind the colours in the pride flag is the symbol of the historical and cultural struggle that the people from the community had to face.
In 1978, the first pride flag was made by a gay artist and civil rights activist Gilbert Baker in the US against the anti-gay community flag which had pink triangles used by Nazis to identify gay people. The very first flag was handmade with hand-dye using a combination of eight vibrant shades-pink, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue and purple. All of these shades were inspired by the rainbow to represent the variety among the people in the community. Later, the flag evolved to meet the demand and changed into a six-coloured flag as the official symbol for gay pride. Here’s what each colour mean:
Red: Red forms the topmost band of the pride flag that represents life. It’s powerful and gives courage.
Yellow: The yellow shade denotes sun or sunlight with the hidden meaning of being yourself instead of hiding in the shadows and suppressing your feelings.
Green: The green colour in the flag represents nature.
Blue: Blue in the flag replaced the original turquoise stripe and stands for serenity.
Purple: Purple colour forms the last band of the flag to denote spirit. The shade is also often referred to lilac aka the last colour of the rainbow.
Photo credit: Google
In 1978, the first pride flag was made by a gay artist and civil rights activist Gilbert Baker in the US against the anti-gay community flag which had pink triangles used by Nazis to identify gay people. The very first flag was handmade with hand-dye using a combination of eight vibrant shades-pink, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue and purple. All of these shades were inspired by the rainbow to represent the variety among the people in the community. Later, the flag evolved to meet the demand and changed into a six-coloured flag as the official symbol for gay pride. Here’s what each colour mean:
Red: Red forms the topmost band of the pride flag that represents life. It’s powerful and gives courage.
Yellow: The yellow shade denotes sun or sunlight with the hidden meaning of being yourself instead of hiding in the shadows and suppressing your feelings.
Green: The green colour in the flag represents nature.
Blue: Blue in the flag replaced the original turquoise stripe and stands for serenity.
Purple: Purple colour forms the last band of the flag to denote spirit. The shade is also often referred to lilac aka the last colour of the rainbow.
Photo credit: Google