Which Rainbow Flag Is "Correct"?

Every other year it seems like there’s a new iteration of the rainbow pride flag, and it might be confusing to figure out which is the “correct” or “most up-to-date” one. Well, good news! You literally can’t go wrong, they’re all correct!

Each rainbow pride flag was created out of love for the people within the LGBTQIA+ community, with more recent iterations highlighting those that might experience marginalization or even discrimination within the community itself.

Gilbert Baker Rainbow Flag - 8 Stripes

The original flag by Gilbert Baker with eight stripes from 1978 lost the hot pink and turquoise stripes early on due to scarcity of materials. This and other events led to the iconic 6-stripe rainbow flag. “Updated” Rainbow Pride flags have been coming out since the 1980s. Before his death, Baker added a 9th lavender stripe to represent diversity.

Victory Over AIDS Flag

One of the first occurrences of adding additional inclusion via new stripes after the 6-stripe rainbow flag became the norm was the Victory Over AIDS flag that was flown during the height of the AIDS epidemic. A black stripe was added to the bottom of the flag to remember and honor those lost to AIDS.

Philadelphia Pride Flag - 2017

In 2017 the city of Philadelphia added black and brown stripes to the top of the rainbow uplift the people of color that were being dismissed in their local LGBTQIA+ community. The creation of the flag by the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for LGBT Affairs in Philadelphia, led by Amber Hikes, was met with quite a lot of backlash that only served to highlight the need for a more explicitly inclusive flag for queer people of color.

Progress Pride Flag - 2018

Soon after in 2018, designer Daniel Quasar took the designs from the original Gilbert Baker flag, the Victory Over AIDS flag, the Philadelphia flag, and the Transgender pride flag to create the "Progress Flag" - a symbol to emphasize voices in the LGBTQIA+ community that still tend to get drowned out in the noise and for the work that still needs to be done. This flag was widely adopted in the following years and can now be seen in almost every major city on earth.

Intersex Progress Flag - 2021

The most recent rainbow flag variation you’ve probably started seeing was created by the founder of Intersex Equality Rights UK, Valentino Vecchietti. Adding the yellow Intersex flag into the triangle of the Progress Flag in 2021 was Valentino’s way of bringing intersex people to the front of the LGBTQIA+ conversation where they tend to be widely ignored. They still face discrimination and abuse that can come in many forms such as unwanted medical interventions and other human rights violations, so it was a brilliant move on Valentino’s part to make such a big wave and bring focus to the intersex community.

Conclusion

In this day and age, there tends to be a lot of emphasis on not being left behind or having the latest version of a thing. But the pride flag is timeless. It doesn’t matter if your flag has 6 stripes or 12- they all stand for love and acceptance and progress. Just make sure that when you wave it, you mean it.

 Learn More

Lesbian Flag History  |  Bisexual Flag History  |  Aromantic Flag History 

Frequently Asked Questions About the Rainbow Pride Flag

What is the original rainbow pride flag?

The original rainbow pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978 for the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. It had eight stripes: hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, indigo, and violet. Each color carried a meaning — hot 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. You can still buy the 8-stripe Baker flag today.

Why does the rainbow flag have 6 stripes instead of 8?

Two stripes got dropped over the years, both for practical reasons. Hot pink was removed because the fabric wasn't commercially available at scale. Turquoise came out when the flag needed to be split evenly for street banners (an odd number of stripes made that impossible). That left the six-stripe rainbow flag (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet)  most people recognize today.

What is the difference between the rainbow flag and the Progress Pride flag?

The six-stripe rainbow flag is the original and still the most widely recognized symbol. The Progress Pride flag, designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018, adds a chevron on the left side with black and brown stripes (representing BIPOC community members) and the transgender flag colors (light blue, pink, and white). It's a deliberate statement that the movement hasn't finished its work. Neither is wrong. They just say different things.

What is the Philadelphia pride flag?

The Philadelphia pride flag added black and brown stripes above the six rainbow stripes in 2017, as part of a campaign called "More Color More Pride." It was a direct call to address racism within LGBTQ+ spaces. The Progress flag followed a year later and incorporated a similar idea into a more widely adopted design. Both are still in use. Flags For Good carries the Philadelphia pride flag if you're looking for it.

What is the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag?

The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag builds on Quasar's design by adding a yellow triangle with a purple circle at the tip of the chevron. The yellow and purple come from the intersex flag, designed by Morgan Carpenter in 2013. Valentino Vecchietti adapted it into the Progress design in 2021. It's now the most widely used version across much of Europe.

Which rainbow flag is most commonly used today?

It depends on context. The six-stripe flag is still the broadest symbol, recognized almost everywhere. The Progress flag has become common at Pride events and in institutional settings across the US and UK. There's no official body that decides which is correct. Use the one that reflects what you want to say.

Where can I buy rainbow pride flags?

Flags For Good carries a full range of rainbow flags, including the six-stripe classic, the original 8-stripe Baker flag, the 2017 9-stripe Baker flag, the Philadelphia flag, the Progress flag, and the Intersex-Inclusive Progress flag. Every purchase donates $1 to an LGBTQ+ affirming organization of your choice!