Various lesbian flags have been used to symbolise the lesbian community. Since 1999, many designs have been proposed and used. Although personal preferences exist, as well as various controversies, no design has been widely accepted by the community as the lesbian flag.
History
Labrys flag
The labrys lesbian flag was created in 1999 by graphic designer Sean Campbell, and published in June 2000 in the Palm Springs edition of the Gay and Lesbian Times Pride issue.[1][2] The design consists of a labrys, a type of double-headed axe, superimposed on the inverted black triangle, set against a violet background. The labrys is associated as a weapon used by the Amazons of greek mythology.[3][4] In the 1970s it was adopted as a symbol of empowerment by the lesbian feminist community.[5]Women considered asocial by Nazi Germany for not conforming to the Nazi ideal of a woman, which included homosexual females, were condemned to concentration camps[6] and wore an inverted black triangle badge to identify them.[7] Some lesbians reclaimed this symbol as gay men reclaimed the pink triangle (many lesbians also reclaimed the pink triangle although lesbians were not included in Paragraph 175 of the German criminal code).[7] The color violet became associated with lesbians via the poetry of Sappho.[8]
Lipstick flag
The lipstick lesbian flag was designed by Natalie McCray, and released on her blog This Lesbian Life.[9][10] The design has seven stripes in a gradient from purple (at the top) to white (in the center) to red (at the bottom), with a red kiss mark superimposed in the top left corner.[11][12] The flag symbolizes lipstick lesbians—slang for lesbians with a feminine expression. However, it has not been widely adopted.[1] Some lesbians have argued that the flag excludes butch lesbians, while others oppose its use due to remarks made by McCray deemed racist, biphobic, and transphobic.[13][14]
Pink flag
The "pink" lesbian flag was derived from the colors of the lipstick lesbian flag, with the kiss mark removed.[12] The pink flag attracted more use as a general lesbian pride flag.[15]
Orange-Pink flag
The "orange-pink" lesbian flag, modeled after the seven-band pink flag, was introduced on Tumblr by blogger Emily Gwen in 2018.[16][17] The colors include dark orange for "gender non-conformity", orange for "independence", light orange for "community", white for "unique relationships to womanhood", pink for "serenity and peace", dusty pink for "love and sex", and dark rose for "femininity".[17]
A five-stripes version was soon derived from the 2018 colors.[18]
Gallery
Illustration of Lipstick lesbian flag created in 2010[10]
Pink lesbian flag with colors copied from the lipstick lesbian flag[15]
Orange-pink lesbian flag derived from the pink flag in 2018[17]
Five-stripes variant of orange-pink flag[18]
Flags at events
Double-Venus rainbow flag at London Pride parade, England, 2011
Double-Venus rainbow flag at Istanbul Pride solidarity demonstration, Berlin, Germany, 2018
Labrys flag at Berlin Dyke March, Germany, 2019
Labrys flag at Pride March, Rouen, France, 2019
Labrys flag at Pride Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia, 2019
Double-Venus rainbow flag at Berlin Dyke March, Germany, 2020
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See also
References
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