During virtual Pride month, you may have noticed some colorful flags decorating the outsides of homes and businesses in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Some may be recognizable, such as the rainbow gay pride flag. Others maybe not so much. So what do these beautifully vibrant flags represent?
The colored stripes on many of these flags signify an aspect of a community. The “pansexual pride flag is comprised of magenta, yellow, and cyan which are the CMYK primary colors widely used in color printing worldwide. It is meant to paint every color possible, which represents just how colorful our sexuality is,” Zolanski Genta, a member of the pansexual community, explained. “Every portion of mixture from each of them will create a whole new shade, which translates that our sexuality and experience is valid and is tailor-made for us with its own dedicated color.”
For others, a flag represents a form of validation. “When I think of the nonbinary flag, I think of hope,” Kris Atienza said. “It wasn’t until I found this community that I realized that I am that thing for somebody, for so many people … I know a lot of people don’t recognize this flag. But for those of us who do, we know. We know we exist, we know we matter. We know we deserve to be here.”
Explore a handful of pride flags and their descriptions in the above interactive space. Does one resonate with you? Have a friend take a photo of you with the flag and share with us with the hashtag #PrideReimagined.