The Philadelphia Pride Flag, also known as the "More Colour, More Pride" flag, is a variation of the traditional rainbow pride flag that includes black and brown stripes at the top.
Here's a breakdown of its key aspects:
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Design: It adds black and brown stripes to the standard six-colour rainbow flag (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet).
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Creation: The flag was created in 2017 through a partnership between Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs and the advertising agency Tierney.
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Purpose: The addition of the black and brown stripes is to specifically represent and acknowledge Black and Brown LGBTQ+ individuals within the community. This was in response to concerns about racism and lack of inclusivity within the broader LGBTQ+ movement. The flag aims to highlight that the fight for equality includes racial diversity and to ensure that queer and trans people of colour feel seen and valued.
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Symbolism: While the original rainbow stripes represent the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community as a whole, the black and brown stripes specifically draw attention to the unique challenges and historical contributions of LGBTQ+ people of colour.
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Impact: The Philadelphia Pride Flag was a significant step towards greater inclusivity within the LGBTQ+ community and sparked conversations about intersectionality in Pride celebrations and activism worldwide. It served as an inspiration for later inclusive flag designs like the Progress Pride Flag.
In essence, the Philadelphia Pride Flag is a symbol of recognising and including LGBTQ+ people of colour within the broader Pride movement, emphasising that the community is diverse in terms of both sexual orientation, gender identity, and race.