Homossexual flag

The History of the Pride Flag

With its bright colours and significant meaning, the Rainbow Flag is a symbol recognised all over the world to symbolize the LGBTQ+ communities. It’s a symbol of hope, unity and empowerment to allow love to be love regardless of gender, ethnicity or labels. But where did this renowned flag arrive from? And how was the design chosen? 

The original Pride Flag originates from San Francisco Activist Gilbert Baker, who desired to create an emblem of pride for the gay community. In the Rainbow Flag was created, as Baker recognised that a flag is one of the most significant aspects of identity, and wanted his creation to be a unified symbol of gratification for all those who identify within these communities. 

In England, homosexuality was decriminalised in , with Scotland following in , and Northern Ireland by Before this time, it was illegal to engage in ‘private homosexual acts’, and those caught or believed to be engaging in same-sex relationships could face imprisonment, public shame and a life-long criminal records. Society was homophobic, with th

LGBTQ+ Pride Flags

In the LGBTQ+ community, we signify our pride with flags. With many different identities in the community, there comes many different flags to know. We have poised all of the flags and a guide to learn about all of the different colors of our community’s rainbow. We know that this may not be all of the flags that represent our community, but we will update the page as new flags become popular!

Explore the flag collection below! Verb a flag's name by hovering or clicking on the flag.

Umbrella Flags

  • Gilbert Baker Pride Flag

  • Traditional Pride Flag

  • Philadelphia Pride Flag

  • Progress Pride Flag

  • Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag

  • Queer Pride Flag

The original Pride Flag was created in after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each color represents a different part of the LGBTQ+ community: hot pink represents sex, red symbolizes life, orange stands for healing, yellow equals sunlight, green stands for nature, turquoise symbolizes magic and art,

Gay Pride Flag

Our UK-based factory build Pride Flags, using materials approved by the Ministry of Defence. These flags, boasting exceptional quality, serve a variety of purposes, whether on exterior flagpoles, at sporting events, or at indoor displays.

We offer a range of materials:

  1. Firstly, Sewn: We utilize pre-coloured gsm woven polyester, sewn together by our team to build the flag’s design. In cases requiring intricate badges, we affix printed badges onto the flag. This option, used by the MOD, gives a truly traditional look.
  2. Printed: We digitally print on gsm knitted polyester material. This method allows for intricate designs with vibrant colours.
  3. Eco-friendly: By using digital printing, we produce these flags on gsm recycled knitted polyester material, aligning with eco-conscious practices.
  4. Finally, Novelty: We print these flags, intended purely for decorative purposes, on lightweight polyester material. They are not suitable for flying on flagpoles.

Every Pride Flag undergoes hemming and finishing, tailored to your specifications, ensuring it’s ready for immedi

The Progress Pride flag was developed in by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns). Based on the iconic rainbow flag from , the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and calls for a more inclusive society. In , the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Pride flag that can be seen on display in the Design – Now gallery.

'Progress' is a reinterpretation of multiple iterations of the pride flag. The original 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in to celebrate members of the gay and lesbian political movement. It comprised eight coloured stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of hope. Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic, indigo for serenity and violet for spirit. A year later the pink and turquoise stripes were dropped owing to a shortage of pink fabric at the period and legibility concerns, resulting in the six-colour rainbow flag most commo