The Progressive Pride Flag is a redesign of the traditional rainbow pride flag that incorporates additional stripes to explicitly represent and include marginalised groups within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender individuals and LGBTQ+ people of colour.
Here's a breakdown of its key features and meaning:
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Design: It builds upon the rainbow flag by adding:
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Black and brown stripes: These are placed along the hoist (left) side of the flag and are taken from the Philadelphia Pride Flag (2017). They represent marginalised LGBTQ+ people of colour.
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White, pink, and light blue stripes: These are also placed along the hoist and are taken from the transgender pride flag. They represent transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.
- The traditional six rainbow stripes (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet) remain on the right side of the flag.
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Creation: The most widely recognised version of the Progressive Pride Flag was designed in 2018 by Daniel Quasar (they/them), a non-binary artist and designer. There may have been earlier iterations with similar goals.
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Purpose: The flag aims to be more inclusive and explicitly highlight the experiences and needs of often marginalised subgroups within the LGBTQ+ community. It acknowledges that the fight for LGBTQ+ equality must also address issues of race, ethnicity, and gender identity.
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Symbolism:
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Black and Brown Stripes: Represent LGBTQ+ people of colour and acknowledge the racism and marginalisation they have historically faced within both the LGBTQ+ community and society at large.
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White, Pink, and Light Blue Stripes: Represent transgender and gender non-conforming individuals and their unique struggles and contributions.
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Rainbow Stripes: Continue to represent the broader LGBTQ+ community, encompassing diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities.
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Chevron Shape: The black, brown, white, pink, and blue stripes are arranged in a chevron (arrowhead) shape pointing to the right. This is meant to symbolise forward movement and the ongoing progress towards greater inclusivity and equality.
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Impact and Usage: The Progressive Pride Flag has gained significant popularity and is increasingly used in Pride events, by organisations, and by individuals to demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity within the LGBTQ+ community. It serves as a visual reminder that the fight for equality is interconnected and must include all its members.
In essence, the Progressive Pride Flag is a powerful symbol of intersectionality within the LGBTQ+ movement, explicitly acknowledging and celebrating the inclusion of transgender individuals and LGBTQ+ people of colour alongside the broader community represented by the traditional rainbow flag. The forward-pointing chevron emphasises the ongoing need for progress and inclusivity.