LGBTQ+ Pride Flags: The Complete Guide to 32 Flags & Their Meanings (2026)

Our pride pin display at Vancouver Pride, featuring over 35 identity-specific designs, all designed and packed by us in BC.

By Delwin Tan | Founder, Proud Zebra

Quick Answer: What You'll Find in This Guide

There are more than 30 widely recognized LGBTQ+ pride flags in active use today. This guide covers 32 of them, each with the designer who made it, the year it was created, what every colour stands for, and a quick note on the community it represents. We've sold these as enamel pins at pride festivals across BC since 2021 and shipped over 10,000 pins worldwide, so we've also added what real customers and festivalgoers tell us about each one.

Use the categories to jump straight to a flag, or scroll through and meet a few you've never seen before. We're a queer-owned Canadian small business, and we wrote this because the same question keeps coming up at our booth, in our DMs, and in customer emails: "What does that flag mean?"

Why these 32? They're the ones we get asked about most, at our booth at Kelowna Pride, Victoria Pride, Vancouver Pride, East Side Pride, Kamloops Pride, and Chilliwack Pride, in customer emails, and from hundreds of wholesale partners stocking our pins across Canada. There are dozens more pride flags out there for emerging identities, but these are the ones the community looks up first.

Jump to a Flag

Foundational flags: Rainbow · Progress Pride · Intersex-Inclusive Progress

Sexual orientation: Lesbian · Gay / MLM · Bisexual · Pansexual · Omnisexual · Polysexual · Asexual · Graysexual · Demisexual · Aromantic · Demiromantic · Aroace · Abrosexual · Trixic / Toric

Gender identity: Transgender · Non-Binary · Genderqueer · Genderfluid · Agender · Demiboy · Demigirl · Bigender · Androgyne · Intersex

Subculture & community: Two-Spirit · Polyamory · Leather · Bear · Straight Ally

Other sections: Comparison table · FAQ · A note from us

All 32 Pride Flags at a Glance

The full comparison table, flag, year, designer, and who it represents. Scroll past for the deep dive on each one.

Why Pride Flags Matter (And Why There Are So Many)

Flags do something that words alone can't. A flag is a shorthand, a way to say "I'm here, I belong, this is me" without having to explain. For a community that has spent decades being told to be quiet about who we are, that visual shorthand is a kind of freedom.

When Gilbert Baker stitched the original rainbow flag in San Francisco in 1978, he was creating a symbol for the entire LGBTQ+ community at once. But identity isn't one-size-fits-all. As more people started recognizing themselves in the spaces between or beyond existing labels, new flags emerged, designed by community members, often teenagers, often on Tumblr, often without a single dollar of funding. Each one is a small act of saying, "We deserve a flag, too."

A few quick notes before we dive in. Flags evolve. Some get redesigned (the polyamory flag was completely community-voted into a new design in 2022). Some get retired when their creators are revealed to hold harmful views (more on the lesbian flag below). Some have multiple versions in active use. We've tried to share the most accurate, current information, and we'll update this guide as the community evolves.

The Foundational Flags

These three flags are the umbrella symbols of the entire LGBTQ+ community. If you're at a Pride parade or you walk past an inclusive workplace, these are the flags you're most likely to see, and at our booth, the inclusive umbrella flags consistently account for around a third of every pin we sell. By a wide margin, these are the flags the most people will recognize.

1. The Rainbow Pride Flag (1978)

The Rainbow Pride Flag (Gilbert Baker, 1978)

The Rainbow Pride Flag is a six-stripe banner representing the entire LGBTQ+ community, designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978 for San Francisco's Gay Freedom Day Parade.

Designer: Gilbert Baker (1951–2017), with volunteers Lynn Segerblom and James McNamara. Year: 1978.

The original was eight stripes, hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, teal, indigo, and violet, each one assigned a meaning by Baker himself: sex, life, healing, sunlight, nature, magic, serenity, and spirit. Baker hand-dyed fabric in trash cans with volunteers and raised the first flags at San Francisco's UN Plaza for the 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade, commissioned by Harvey Milk.

After Milk's assassination later that year, demand for the flag exploded but the hot pink fabric became impossible to source. The result is the six-stripe flag we know today: red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), blue (harmony), and violet (spirit). Baker deliberately never trademarked the design, he wanted it to belong to the community. Read Britannica on the original design or browse the GLBT Historical Society's Baker archive.

The rainbow is the flag we sell more of than any single-identity design, though interestingly, our customers reach for the inclusive Progress variants more often when they're choosing one umbrella pin to wear. Casey H. left us a five-star review that captures why it still matters: "I was looking for pins for me and my coworkers that also support human rights and aren't just an international company trying to make money off of the LGBTQ+ community." That's the rainbow's job, it's the umbrella that holds everyone, and most of the people who pick it up at our booth are doing it for someone they love.

Shop our Rainbow Pride collection →

2. The Progress Pride Flag (2018)

The Progress Pride Flag (Daniel Quasar, 2018)

The Progress Pride Flag is the rainbow flag with a forward-pointing chevron added, representing the LGBTQ+ community with explicit centring of trans people and people of colour. It was designed by Daniel Quasar (xe/xem) in 2018.

Designer: Daniel Quasar (xe/xem). Year: 2018.

Quasar took the six-stripe rainbow and added a forward-pointing chevron on the left edge, made up of five stripes: light pink, white, and light blue (taken from the trans flag), plus black and brown (representing BIPOC communities and lives lost to HIV/AIDS). The chevron points to the right to symbolize the progress still being made. In Quasar's own words to The Trevor Project: the design is meant to make the explicit message that progress for trans people and people of colour is non-negotiable, not optional. It went viral overnight and is now flown by major LGBTQ+ organizations worldwide. Read our deeper dive on the Progress Pride flag's full story.

"It was never my intention for my flag to be a replacement for the original Pride flag. All of these flags matter to each person and they're flying them for their own reasons. It just shows the grand diversity and sheer individualism that we have within our community that is so beautiful."

Shop our inclusive flag pin (the design that incorporates the Progress chevron).

3. The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag (2021)

The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag (Valentino Vecchietti, 2021)

The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag is the most up-to-date version of the umbrella LGBTQ+ flag. It was designed by Valentino Vecchietti in 2021 and adds intersex representation to Daniel Quasar's Progress Pride design.

Designer: Valentino Vecchietti (Intersex Equality Rights UK). Year: 2021.

Three years after Quasar's design, Vecchietti added a yellow triangle with a purple circle, the elements from Morgan Carpenter's intersex flag, to the chevron. The yellow and purple were specifically chosen by Carpenter to be free from the gendered pink/blue history; the unbroken purple circle represents wholeness, completeness, and the right to bodily autonomy of intersex people. It's now in the Smithsonian's Cooper Hewitt collection. As of 2026, this is the most up-to-date version of the umbrella pride flag and the one we use most often when we want a single flag to represent everyone.

Here's the receipts on this one: the Inclusive Pride Flag Cube Pin has been our top-selling pin every single year we've tracked. Across more than 3,500 pins sold at festivals between 2022 and 2025, the inclusive umbrella designs (Progress + Intersex-Inclusive Progress) make up roughly a third of everything we move. The Love Cube alone moved over 120 units in 2024, our single best-selling SKU.

"I bought a family set of pride pins for Christmas in support of our trans son and couldn't resist this bag charm. All products have beautiful, vibrant colours and are of excellent quality. My son's reaction as we all dove into the collection was more than worth it."

A customer at Vancouver Pride 2025 said something that stuck with us: "This is the one I'd wear if I could only pick one. It doesn't make me leave anyone behind." That's why we make the cube pin in five different cuts and stock it deeper than any other design.

Shop our Inclusive Pride pins → (our top-selling category every year since 2022).

Pride Flags for Sexual Orientation

These flags represent who you're attracted to. Sexual orientation and gender identity are different things, gender identity flags come further down in this guide. The bisexual, lesbian, pansexual, and asexual flags consistently land in our top ten sellers; some of the others below are quieter but matter just as much to the people who reach for them.

4. The Lesbian Pride Flag (2018)

The Sunset Lesbian Pride Flag (Emily Gwen, 2018)

The Sunset Lesbian Pride Flag is a five-stripe (or seven-stripe) banner in oranges and pinks representing lesbian women and the wider sapphic spectrum. It was designed by Emily Gwen (they/them) in 2018.

There's a story behind why this flag exists in the form it does. An earlier "lipstick" lesbian flag from 2010 was widely used until its creator was revealed to hold transphobic and biphobic views, and the community largely retired it. Emily Gwen's design was a community response, drawn up by a non-binary lesbian, voted into adoption through a public Tumblr poll, and welcomed by sapphic, bi, and trans-inclusive lesbian spaces.

Designer: Emily Gwen (they/them). Year: 2018.

The current "sunset" version goes from dark orange at the top, through softer oranges and a white middle stripe, into pinks and dark rose at the bottom. In Gwen's original 7-stripe version each stripe has a meaning: gender non-conformity, independence, community, unique relationships to womanhood, serenity, love and sex, and femininity. A simplified 5-stripe version is the one most widely printed and worn today. Learn more about the lesbian flag's history on our blog.

Lesbian pins are a steady top-five category for us, never the biggest, never quiet either. We've sold over 350 lesbian-specific pins through our booth alone since 2022. Overheard at Victoria Pride 2024, while a customer was choosing between the Love Cube and the Flag Cube: "The thing I love about this one is it has room for all of us. Butch, femme, non-binary lesbians, all the shades." And Bri left us this gem of a review after we shipped a Christmas gift to the other side of the world in time: "Did it arrive on the other side of the world in time? Yas queen it did!"

Shop our Lesbian Pride pins → (a steady top-five category, over 350 sold since 2022).

5. The Gay Men / MLM Pride Flag

The Gay Men's / MLM Pride Flag

The Gay Men's (MLM) Pride Flag is a green-to-blue gradient with a white centre, representing men who love men. The current version is a community redesign of an older all-blue flag.

Designer: Anonymous Tumblr community redesign (~2019, replacing earlier blue versions).

"MLM" stands for "men loving men." The current flag uses a green-to-blue gradient with a white centre stripe, green tones at the top representing community, healing and joy, and blue tones at the bottom for love, fortitude and diversity. It's a redesign of an earlier all-blue gay men's flag that the community found drab and overly gendered. The newer green-and-blue version has become the standard at Pride events and on merch.

The MLM flag is a quieter pin in our line, many gay men still reach for the rainbow first, but the people who pick the MLM specifically tend to feel strongly about it. One customer at East Side Pride 2024 told us he liked having a flag that felt more specific than the umbrella, even though he wore the rainbow too: "Sometimes I want the whole community on my jacket. Sometimes I just want the men I love."

Browse our gay pride collection.

6. The Bisexual Pride Flag (1998)

The Bisexual Pride Flag (Michael Page, 1998)

The Bisexual Pride Flag is a three-stripe design in pink, purple, and blue, representing attraction to two or more genders. It was designed by Michael Page in 1998.

Designer: Michael Page. Year: Unveiled December 5, 1998.

Three horizontal stripes in unequal proportions: a thicker pink stripe on top, a thin purple stripe in the middle, and a thicker blue stripe on the bottom. Pink represents attraction to the same gender, blue represents attraction to different genders, and purple, the overlap, represents attraction to two or more genders. Page drew on Liz Nania's earlier "biangles" design from the 1987 Second National March on Washington. He explicitly chose to never trademark the flag, which mattered when BiNet USA later tried (unsuccessfully) to claim copyright in 2020. Read our companion piece on bisexual versus polysexual identity.

The bi flag is a rock-solid top-three identity for us, second only to the inclusive umbrella in 2025. Bi pins (across all our designs) accounted for roughly 15% of our 2025 booth sales. It's the flag people pick up when they finally decide to wear something visible. Amy left us this:

"I ordered this pin to finally express my sexuality and it was everything I'd hoped for, and more. Such amazing quality and I'm in awe!"

A customer at Kelowna Pride 2024 was explaining the flag to her friend and said something like, "the purple stripe is the whole point, it's the part where everything overlaps." That's it in one sentence.

Shop our Bisexual Pride pins → (top-three category in 2025, ~15% of all booth sales).

7. The Pansexual Pride Flag (2010)

The Pansexual Pride Flag (around 2010)

The Pansexual Pride Flag is a three-stripe design in pink, yellow, and blue, representing attraction regardless of gender. It emerged around 2010.

Designer: Disputed (often credited to Evie Varney or to anonymous Tumblr user Jasper V). Year: ~2010.

Three equal horizontal stripes: pink for attraction to women, yellow for attraction to non-binary and other genders, and blue for attraction to men. Pansexuality is often described as attraction regardless of gender, gender isn't a factor in attraction at all. The flag was specifically designed to distinguish pan from bi, though the two identities are closely related and many people use one or both terms. We have a full piece on pansexual versus omnisexual if you want to go deeper.

The pan flag is a steady top-seven category for us, and it's especially popular with younger customers buying their first pride pin. Garrett wrote a review that captures why people pick the more subtle Rubik's Cube version: "Those who know will recognize the colors, others will ask what it means. If you're not ready to be out and looking for something a bit discreet the Rubik's Cube Pin is perfect." A customer at Vancouver Pride 2024 was explaining her flag choice to her mom and said, "I just don't think about gender when I think about who I'm into. This one says it cleanest."

Browse our pansexual pride pins.

8. The Omnisexual Pride Flag (2015)

The Omnisexual Pride Flag (Pastelmemer, 2015)

The Omnisexual Pride Flag is a five-stripe design in shades of pink, deep purple, and blue, representing attraction to all genders with awareness of gender. It was created by Tumblr user Pastelmemer in 2015.

Designer: Tumblr user Pastelmemer. Year: July 4, 2015.

Five horizontal stripes: light pink, pink, deep purple, blue, and light blue. Where pansexuality is often described as gender-blind, omnisexuality is attraction to all genders, with awareness of gender, gender is a factor, but not a barrier. The light-and-deep colour pattern represents that nuanced spectrum of attraction. The omnisexual community has grown significantly in visibility over the last few years, and the flag with it.

Omni pins are a small slice of our line, fewer than a dozen sold at our booth across all of last festival season, but the people who choose this flag tend to be very deliberate about it. Someone at East Side Pride 2025 explained the difference to a friend like this: "It's not that gender doesn't matter to me. It's that gender doesn't stop me." That's the omni-vs-pan distinction in a single sentence.

Browse our omnisexual pride pins.

9. The Polysexual Pride Flag (2012)

The Polysexual Pride Flag (Samlin, 2012)

The Polysexual Pride Flag is a three-stripe design in pink, green, and blue, representing attraction to multiple but not all genders. It was created by Tumblr user Samlin in 2012.

Designer: Tumblr user Samlin. Year: 2012.

Three horizontal stripes, pink (attraction to women), green (attraction to non-binary people), and blue (attraction to men). Polysexual is attraction to multiple but not necessarily all genders. The "poly" in polysexual is short for "polysexual" the orientation, not to be confused with polyamory, which is a relationship structure (and gets its own flag below). It's a common mix-up.

Polysexual is one of our smallest pin categories, we make these for the people who specifically come looking for them. A customer at Kamloops Pride 2025 said something that summed it up: "I'm not into every gender, I have my own range. This flag actually reflects that, instead of pretending I'm into 'all.'"

Shop our polysexual flag pin.

10. The Asexual Pride Flag (2010)

The Asexual Pride Flag (AVEN community, 2010)

The Asexual Pride Flag is a four-stripe design in black, grey, white, and purple, representing the asexual spectrum. It was chosen by community vote within AVEN in 2010.

Designer: AVEN community member known as 'standup,' chosen by community vote. Year: Summer 2010.

Four equal horizontal stripes: black (asexuality), grey (the grey-asexual and demisexual spectrum), white (allosexuality and allies), and purple (community). Asexuality describes people who experience little or no sexual attraction. The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) ran a community design competition in 2010, and the winning entry has remained unchanged ever since, a rare example of a flag with crystal-clear, designer-stated meanings from day one.

Asexual pins consistently outperform what you'd expect from how often the ace community gets erased in mainstream pride spaces. We've heard variations of the same story for years, including this one at Vancouver Pride 2024, from someone in their thirties who'd just bought their first ace pin: "I didn't know being asexual was even a thing until last year. I'm here because finally there's a flag that says: it's real, you're not alone." Charlotte left us a review that hits a similar note: "Excellent product with such a great meaning, and I love to support a small business whenever possible. Plus super inclusive with their products!"

Browse our asexual pride pins.

11. The Graysexual Pride Flag (2013)

The Graysexual Pride Flag (Milith Rusignuolo, 2013)

The Graysexual Pride Flag is a three-stripe design in purple, grey, and white, representing the grey area between asexual and allosexual. It was designed by Milith Rusignuolo in 2013.

Designer: Milith Rusignuolo. Year: 2013.

Three equal stripes: purple (asexuality), grey (the spectrum between asexual and allosexual), and white (allosexuality and allies). Graysexual people experience sexual attraction rarely, conditionally, or at very low intensity, the grey area between "no attraction at all" and "regular attraction." Sometimes spelled "greysexual." Same flag, same meaning.

Graysexual pins are a small but loyal corner of our line. Overheard at Vancouver Pride 2025, from someone who'd been hovering at the ace section: "It's not nothing. It's just not… all the time, or for everyone. The grey is what fits."

Browse our graysexual pride pins.

12. The Demisexual Pride Flag (2010)

The Demisexual Pride Flag (around 2010)

The Demisexual Pride Flag features a black triangle on the left edge with horizontal stripes of white, purple, and grey. It represents people who only experience sexual attraction after forming a deep emotional bond.

Designer: Anonymous community design, c. 2010.

A black triangle on the hoist (left edge) and three horizontal stripes: white, purple, and grey. Demisexual people only experience sexual attraction after forming a deep emotional connection, it's a specific identity within the asexual spectrum, not a synonym for "takes things slowly." The triangle-plus-stripes design intentionally borrows from the asexual flag to show the relationship between the two identities. We've written more about the demisexual and demiromantic experience here.

Thomas L. left a review that doubles as a feature request: "The pins are of very high quality and better than expected... I would also like the ability to buy official standard design flag pins as well." Overheard at East Side Pride 2024, from a customer explaining demi to a curious friend: "It's not that I'm picky, it's that the chemistry only happens after I actually know you."

Shop our demisexual flag pin.

13. The Aromantic Pride Flag (2014)

The Aromantic Pride Flag (Cameron Whimsy, 2014)

The Aromantic Pride Flag is a five-stripe design in dark green, light green, white, grey, and black, representing people who experience little or no romantic attraction. It was designed by Cameron Whimsy in 2014.

Designer: Cameron Whimsy. Year: Current 5-stripe version, November 2014.

Five horizontal stripes: dark green and light green (the aromantic spectrum, green is the visual opposite of red, the colour we associate with romance), white (platonic and aesthetic attraction, queerplatonic relationships), grey (grey-romantic and demiromantic identities), and black (the sexuality spectrum, since aromantic people exist across all sexual orientations). Aromanticism describes people who experience little or no romantic attraction. It's a separate axis from sexuality, you can be aromantic and any sexual orientation. Worth saying clearly because brands constantly conflate aromantic and asexual identities into one thing.

Aromantic pins are a smaller but fiercely loyal part of our customer base. Overheard at Victoria Pride 2025, from a customer who'd come specifically for an aro pin: "There's nothing wrong with me for not wanting romance. I'm just built different, and this flag knows it." The aro community is also one of the most vocal about wanting representation in pride spaces, and we hear that loud and clear at every market.

Browse our aromantic pride pins.

14. The Demiromantic Pride Flag (2015)

The Demiromantic Pride Flag (Queer as Cat, 2015)

The Demiromantic Pride Flag features a black chevron on the left edge with horizontal stripes of white, green, and grey, representing people who only experience romantic attraction after a deep emotional bond. It was created by Tumblr user Queer as Cat in 2015.

Designer: Tumblr user Queer as Cat. Year: March 9, 2015.

A black chevron on the hoist plus three horizontal stripes: white, green, and grey. The structure mirrors the demisexual flag, but green replaces purple to signal the aromantic spectrum rather than the asexual one. Demiromantic people only experience romantic attraction after a strong emotional bond forms. Read our deeper guide to demiromantic attraction.

We sell only a handful of demiromantic pins each season, but the people who find us specifically for this flag tend to leave the warmest reviews. Darren C. wrote: "I super adore the pin! I'm glad that there's a local business that sold demi pins!"

Shop our demiromantic flag pin.

15. The Aroace Pride Flag (2018)

The Aroace Pride Flag (Aroaesflags collective, 2018)

The Aroace Pride Flag is a five-stripe design in orange, yellow, white, light blue, and dark blue, representing people who are both aromantic and asexual as a unified identity. It was created by the Aroaesflags collective in 2018.

Designer: The Aroaesflags Tumblr account. Year: December 2018.

Five horizontal stripes from top to bottom: orange (community), yellow (love and friendship in non-romantic, non-sexual forms), white (the wholeness of aroace identity as its own thing), light blue and dark blue (the aroace spectrum). The designers were explicit that this flag treats aroace as a unified identity in its own right, not just "asexual + aromantic stitched together." Some people informally call it the watermelon flag because of the colour gradient. The aroace community has gained huge visibility in the 2020s, and the flag with it.

Aroace is one of the identities we hear most often described as "finally." A customer at Vancouver Pride 2025 picked up an aroace cube and said, "Aroace isn't ace plus aro, it's its own thing. People keep trying to split it and I'm tired of explaining that." Steven left this review: "The pin I purchased is extremely well made. The colours are actually more vibrant in real life than they looked in the picture. 10/10 item."

Shop our Aroace Pride pins → (one of our fastest-growing identity categories).

16. The Abrosexual Pride Flag (2015)

The Abrosexual Pride Flag (Mod Chad, 2015)

The Abrosexual Pride Flag is a five-stripe gradient from green through white to pink, representing a sexual orientation that shifts and changes over time. It is attributed to Mod Chad on Tumblr in 2015.

Designer: Mod Chad on Tumblr. Year: 2015 (term coined ~2013).

Five stripes that fade from green at the top through white in the middle to pink at the bottom. The gradient itself is the meaning, abrosexuality is a sexual orientation that shifts and changes over time. The fade represents fluidity, the white centre represents the neutral or undefined state, and the green and pink ends represent different points along the attraction spectrum. We've written a longer piece on abrosexuality here.

Abrosexual is one of those flags we keep in stock for the few people who specifically come looking for it, and they always do. Tiffany on Etsy left us this: "Love them! Bright colors and super cute design! Always love seeing abro pride merch!"

Browse our abrosexual pride pins.

17. The Trixic and Toric Pride Flags

The Trixic Pride Flag (non-binary attracted to women)

The Toric Pride Flag (non-binary attracted to men)

The Trixic Pride Flag represents non-binary people attracted to women. The Toric Pride Flag represents non-binary people attracted to men. Both use yellow and purple from the non-binary flag combined with pink or blue tones.

These two flags name something the older labels often missed. Trixic describes non-binary people who are attracted to women. Toric describes non-binary people who are attracted to men. Both flags use yellow and purple, colours pulled from the non-binary flag, combined with the pink or blue tones associated with attraction to women or men respectively. They give non-binary folks language for their attractions without forcing them into "lesbian" or "gay" categories that may not fit. We've written a fuller piece on trixic and toric identities here.

These are some of the rarest pins we sell, most pride retailers don't carry them at all. Angeline P. wrote us a review that explains why we keep making them:

"The pins are absolutely gorgeous and include a seemingly rarely recognized orientation which made me feel really included and seen. I appreciate that so much. Thank you!"

Diesel on Etsy added: "Super cute pin, and it's so rare to find anything for toric flag!"

Shop our trixic flag pin or our toric flag pin.

Pride Flags for Gender Identity

Gender identity is your internal sense of your own gender, separate from who you're attracted to, separate from the sex you were assigned at birth. The flags in this section all represent ways of being that don't fit neatly into "man" or "woman." The trans and non-binary flags are consistently in our top ten; many of the others below are smaller categories with deeply loyal customers.

18. The Transgender Pride Flag (1999)

The Transgender Pride Flag (Monica Helms, 1999)

The Transgender Pride Flag is a five-stripe design in light blue, pink, white, pink, and light blue, representing all transgender people. It was designed by Monica Helms (she/her) in 1999.

Designer: Monica Helms (she/her), American Navy veteran. Year: 1999.

Five horizontal stripes, light blue, pink, white, pink, light blue. The light blue stripes (traditionally a "boy" colour) represent trans masculine people; the pink stripes (traditionally a "girl" colour) represent trans feminine people; and the white centre represents non-binary, intersex, and transitioning folks, and anyone existing outside or between the binary. Helms designed the flag to look correct no matter which way it's flown, a deliberate metaphor for trans people finding correctness in their lives. She donated the original to the Smithsonian in 2014. It's one of the most widely recognized and emotionally important flags in the LGBTQ+ community. Read our piece on transgender identity and expression.

The trans flag is one of our top-five identities every single year, over 270 trans-specific pins have crossed our booth tables since 2022. Kayri left us this on a coming-out anniversary: "I came out as trans to my friends and family on National Coming Out Day this year. As a celebration I got myself the three pack of Transbian Cube Pins. They are wonderful and every bit as amazing as I had hoped they would be." A customer at Kelowna Pride 2024 picked up a trans pin and said, almost to themselves, "Monica Helms got this in the Smithsonian. Monica Helms put us in the Smithsonian." Nicola F. captured what we hear over and over from trans customers: "Proud Zebra are a really cool little business passionate about the products they sell for the Rainbow community. I wear two of their pins, one on each of my jackets."

"I think that it is very important that we as trans elders help those who come after us. We have to let people know what our history is. We have to protect each other. Find other trans people, and make as many friends as possible."

Shop our Transgender Pride pins → (top-five category every year, over 270 sold since 2022).

19. The Non-Binary Pride Flag (2014)

The Non-Binary Pride Flag (Kye Rowan, 2014)

The Non-Binary Pride Flag is a four-stripe design in yellow, white, purple, and black, representing people whose gender exists outside the male-female binary. It was designed by Kye Rowan, age 17, in February 2014.

Here's a fact we love: this flag was designed by a teenager. Kye Rowan was 17. It's one of the most recognized gender identity flags in the world, and it came out of a Tumblr post.

Designer: Kye Rowan, age 17 at the time. Year: February 2014.

Four equal stripes: yellow (people whose gender exists outside the binary), white (people who identify with many or all genders), purple (people whose gender is a mix of, or between, masculine and feminine), and black (people who don't identify with any gender). Rowan was clear that the non-binary flag wasn't meant to replace the genderqueer flag, both still exist alongside each other. The flag has remained unchanged since 2014. We dig deeper in our blog on non-binary and genderqueer identity.

The non-binary flag is one of our top-three identity-specific pins and has been since 2022, over 350 NB pins sold at our booth across that span. Claire M. captured why the geometric Cube design works for so many: "These pins are super high quality, and all of the designs are amazing. My favorite is this one because it's quite geometric and I love math. It's a great way to subtly show off my enby Pride at school." Overheard at East Side Pride 2024, from a customer holding the yellow stripe up to the light: "Yellow because we're not on their pink-and-blue scale. We're a different colour."

Shop our Non-Binary Pride pins → (top-three identity-specific category, 350+ sold since 2022).

20. The Genderqueer Pride Flag (2011)

The Genderqueer Pride Flag (Marilyn Roxie, 2011)

The Genderqueer Pride Flag is a three-stripe design in lavender, white, and dark chartreuse green, representing genderqueer-spectrum identities. It was designed by Marilyn Roxie, with the final version released in June 2011.

Designer: Marilyn Roxie. Year: Final version, June 2011.

Three equal horizontal stripes: lavender (a blend of blue and pink, representing androgyny and queerness historically), white (agender and gender-neutral identities), and dark chartreuse green (the inverse of lavender, representing identities that are neither male nor female). Roxie went through three iterations of the design over a year, taking community feedback through the Genderqueer Identities Tumblr blog, and released the final version under a Creative Commons license, a quiet reminder that queer flags often grow up in collaborative public spaces.

Genderqueer is a flag that some folks pick over the non-binary flag specifically, they're related but not identical. Overheard at Victoria Pride 2025, from a customer who'd been considering both: "They're related but they're not the same thing. I'm glad both flags exist, I'd rather pick the one that fits me." Santiago left us this: "Insanely good quality, looks better than the photos, highly recommend."

Shop our genderqueer flag pin.

21. The Genderfluid Pride Flag (2012)

The Genderfluid Pride Flag (JJ Poole, 2012)

The Genderfluid Pride Flag is a five-stripe design in pink, white, purple, black, and blue, representing people whose gender identity shifts over time. It was designed by JJ Poole in 2012.

Designer: JJ Poole. Year: 2012.

Five horizontal stripes: pink (femininity), white (all genders), purple (a mix of masculinity and femininity), black (lack of gender), and blue (masculinity). Genderfluid people experience their gender as something that shifts and changes, over time, in different contexts, sometimes day to day. The five colours together make space for that movement instead of pinning it down. Read more about genderfluid identity.

Garrett O. wrote: "A subtle pin that makes a big statement. Love having it on my shirts." Overheard at East Side Pride 2025, from a customer talking with a friend: "It's not a phase. It's not me being indecisive. My gender just moves."

Browse our genderfluid pride pins.

22. The Agender Pride Flag (2014)

The Agender Pride Flag (Salem X, 2014)

The Agender Pride Flag is a seven-stripe design in mirrored symmetry, black, grey, white, green, white, grey, black, representing people who don't identify with any gender. It was designed by Salem X in 2014.

Designer: Salem X. Year: 2014.

Seven horizontal stripes in mirror symmetry, black, grey, white, green, white, grey, black. The mirroring is intentional: it represents balance and centering. Black and white stripes represent the absence of gender, grey represents semi-genderlessness, and the green stripe in the middle (the inverse of purple, the most common "gender" colour in flags) represents non-binary genders that exist outside the male-female spectrum. Agender people don't identify with any gender at all. We've written about agender and neutrois identities here.

Overheard at Vancouver Pride 2024, from a customer running a finger across the symmetric stripes: "It's mirrored. That's the whole point, it's balance, not blank." Zoe M. wrote: "The double-pin back is super sturdy! Super high quality and beautiful finish! I just love them!"

Browse our agender pride pins.

23. The Demiboy Pride Flag (2015)

The Demiboy Pride Flag (Transrants, 2015)

The Demiboy Pride Flag is a three-stripe design in blue, white, and grey, representing people who partially identify as men or with masculinity. It was created by Tumblr user Transrants in 2015.

Designer: Tumblr user Transrants. Year: 2015.

Three horizontal stripes: blue (manhood and masculinity), white (non-binary, agender, or gender-neutral identity), and grey (the partial connection to manhood and the possibility of other genders). Demiboy people partially identify as men or with masculinity, but not fully, and the flag's grey-and-white centre carries the rest of the picture. We have a piece dedicated to demiboy and demigirl identities.

Demiboy pins move slowly but steadily. Overheard at Kamloops Pride 2024, from a teenager picking out a flag with a parent: "It's not that I'm half a boy. It's that part of me is, and the rest is something else."

Browse our demiboy pride pins.

24. The Demigirl Pride Flag (2015)

The Demigirl Pride Flag (Transrants, 2015)

The Demigirl Pride Flag is a three-stripe design in pink, white, and grey, a mirror of the demiboy flag, representing people who partially identify as women or with femininity. It was created by Tumblr user Transrants in 2015.

Designer: Tumblr user Transrants. Year: 2015.

A mirror of the demiboy flag, three horizontal stripes in pink, white, and grey. Pink for womanhood and femininity, white for non-binary or agender identity, and grey for the partial connection to womanhood. Demigirl people partially identify as women or with femininity. The two demi flags are designed to sit side by side, sharing structure but switching colours.

Emily wrote a one-line review that says it all: "Beautiful little pin that I can wear with pride!" Overheard at Vancouver Pride 2025, from a customer chatting with their friend at our table: "I'm part girl and that's real. Doesn't have to be all or nothing."

Browse our demigirl pride pins.

25. The Bigender Pride Flag

The Bigender Pride Flag

The Bigender Pride Flag is a seven-stripe design in pinks, purples, white, and blues, representing people who identify with two distinct gender identities. It emerged from community consensus in the mid-2010s.

Designer: Community-emergent (no single creator credited). Year: Mid-2010s.

Seven horizontal stripes, dark pink, light pink, light purple, white, light purple, light blue, dark blue. Bigender people identify with two distinct gender identities, either at the same time or alternating between them. The two genders can be any combination, man and woman, woman and non-binary, two non-binary genders, and so on. The flag's outer stripes represent the two primary genders; the inner stripes and centre represent the blend and neutral space between them. Read more about bigender identity on our blog.

Bigender is a quieter category for us, we make these for the customers who specifically request them. Overheard at East Side Pride 2024: "It's two whole genders. Sometimes at once, sometimes one at a time. The flag has room for both."

Shop our bigender flag pin.

26. The Androgyne Pride Flag (2014)

The Androgyne Pride Flag (@saveferris, 2014)

The Androgyne Pride Flag is a three-stripe vertical design in pink, purple, and blue, representing people who simultaneously embody both masculinity and femininity. It was created by Tumblr user @saveferris in 2014.

Designer: Tumblr user @saveferris. Year: 2014.

Three vertical stripes, pink, purple, and blue. The vertical orientation matters: most pride flags have horizontal stripes, and the choice here is deliberate. Androgyne people simultaneously embody both masculinity and femininity (where genderfluid people shift over time and bigender people may switch between identities). The vertical stripes represent that simultaneity, masculine, feminine, and the blend, all present at once. Read more about the androgyny flag and identity.

Overheard at Victoria Pride 2024, from a customer comparing the androgyne flag to the genderfluid flag at our booth: "Mine doesn't shift, mine is both. The flag being vertical makes that click."

Shop our androgyny flag pin.

27. The Intersex Pride Flag (2013)

The Intersex Pride Flag (Morgan Carpenter, 2013)

The Intersex Pride Flag is a yellow field with an unbroken purple circle in the centre, representing intersex people. It was designed by Morgan Carpenter of Intersex Human Rights Australia in July 2013.

Designer: Morgan Carpenter, Intersex Human Rights Australia. Year: July 2013.

A yellow field with a purple unbroken circle in the centre. Carpenter chose yellow and purple specifically because they're free from the gendered pink-and-blue history. The unbroken circle represents wholeness, completeness, and the right to bodily autonomy of intersex people. Carpenter made the flag freely available in any "human rights affirming context." One important thing to be clear about: intersex isn't a gender identity, it's a natural variation in sex characteristics. Intersex people can be any gender. We've written more about intersex identity on our blog.

Overheard at Vancouver Pride 2025, from an intersex customer answering a curious question at our booth: "Intersex is a body thing, not a gender thing. People mix that up all the time. Yellow and purple, Carpenter picked them so we wouldn't get folded back into pink and blue."

"By intersex people, I mean people born with sex characteristics that don't fit medical norms for what it means to have a female body or a male body. There are many different ways in which sex characteristics can vary."

Shop our intersex flag pin.

Subculture and Community Flags

These flags represent communities and identities that overlap with, but aren't strictly defined by, sexual orientation or gender. Some are about relationship structure. Some are about subculture. Some are about heritage. Each one carries its own history. The ally flag in this section is one of our top sellers in any season; the others are quieter, but each one matters to the community that claims it.

28. The Two-Spirit Pride Flag (1990)

The Two-Spirit Pride Flag (Elder Dr. Myra Laramee, 1990)

The Two-Spirit Pride Flag features two feathers (one masculine, one feminine) forming a circle over a rainbow base. It represents Indigenous North American people whose gender, spiritual role, or sexuality doesn't fit Western binary categories. The term and flag were introduced by Elder Dr. Myra Laramee in 1990.

Designer: Elder Dr. Myra Laramee proposed the term and flag. Year: 1990, at the Third Annual Inter-Tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference.

Two feathers, one masculine, one feminine, forming a circle, typically overlaid on a rainbow base. Two-Spirit is a sacred, pan-Indigenous term for Indigenous North American people whose gender, spiritual role, or sexuality doesn't fit Western binary categories. It predates colonial gender concepts and is rooted in specific Indigenous traditions that vary from nation to nation. An important note: Two-Spirit is an Indigenous-only identity term. As a non-Indigenous brand, we can recognize and honour the flag, but the identity itself isn't ours to use. If you'd like to learn more, the 2SLGBTQ+ resources at Outright International are a good place to start.

29. The Polyamory Pride Flag (1995, redesigned 2022)

The current Polyamory Pride Flag (Red Howell, 2022)

The original Polyamory Pride Flag (Jim Evans, 1995)

The Polyamory Pride Flag has two recognized versions: Jim Evans' original 1995 design (blue, red, black with a gold π symbol) and Red Howell's 2022 redesign (light blue, magenta, and dark purple horizontal stripes with a white triangle on the hoist containing a gold heart), which won a community vote of 30,827 polyamorous people.

Here's a small data point we love: when the new polyamory flag was adopted in 2022, polyamory pin sales at our booth jumped roughly eight-fold between 2024 and the start of 2025 as the new design caught on with the community. People had been waiting for one they actually wanted to wear.

Original designer: Jim Evans, autumn 1995. Redesigned by: Red Howell, 2022, after a community vote with 30,827 polyamorous people participating.

The current flag has three horizontal stripes, light blue (openness and honesty between partners), magenta (love and attraction), and dark purple (solidarity and the polyamorous community), with a white triangle on the hoist containing a gold heart. The heart represents that emotional bonds, not just romantic or sexual ones, are central to polyamory. Polyamory is a relationship structure, not a sexual orientation: it describes consensual, ethical relationships with multiple partners where all parties know and consent. Evans' original 1995 flag (with a Greek lowercase π in the centre) is still used by some, but the 2022 Howell redesign is now the community-recognized standard. Read our deeper piece on the polyamory flag.

Emma O. left a review that captures something interesting about the redesign: "I was down for the Polyamproud initiative to democratically choose a new flag design but I SO MISS THE OLD FLAG / merch, I love these." Overheard at East Side Pride 2024, from someone holding the new polyamory pin: "The pi symbol was iconic but no one outside the community could read it. The heart and chevron, anyone gets it."

Browse our polyamory pride pins.

30. The Leather Pride Flag (1989)

The Leather Pride Flag (Tony DeBlase, 1989)

The Leather Pride Flag is a nine-stripe design in alternating black and royal blue with a white centre stripe and a red heart in the upper left corner. It represents the leather and BDSM/kink communities. It was designed by Tony DeBlase in 1989.

Designer: Tony DeBlase. Year: May 28, 1989, at International Mr. Leather.

Nine alternating black and royal blue horizontal stripes with a white stripe in the centre and a large red heart in the upper left. DeBlase deliberately left the meaning open: "I will leave it to the viewer to interpret the colors and symbols." The community has settled on its own reading: black for leather, blue for denim, the white centre for purity and solidarity, and the red heart for love. The flag is iconic in leather and BDSM communities, subcultures rooted in consent, safety, and care for each other.

31. The Bear Pride Flag (1995)

The Bear Pride Flag (Craig Byrnes & Paul Witzkoske, 1995)

The Bear Pride Flag is a seven-stripe design in earth tones (dark brown to black) with a black bear paw in the upper left, representing the bear subculture in the gay community. It was designed by Craig Byrnes and Paul Witzkoske in July 1995.

Designers: Craig Byrnes (concept) and Paul Witzkoske (final design). Year: July 1995.

Seven horizontal stripes in earth tones, dark brown, rust, golden yellow, tan, white, grey, and black, with a black bear paw in the upper left. The stripes intentionally represent the colours of bear species around the world (grizzly, black bear, polar bear, panda) rather than human skin or hair colour. Bear culture celebrates secondary sex characteristics, body hair, facial hair, larger body sizes, and prizes warmth, camaraderie, and acceptance of all body types within the gay and queer community.

Bear pins are a small, niche category for us, but the people who pick them up know exactly what they're looking for. Jack left us this: "Love these pins. I am a bi-bear and the colour scheme on these is perfect for my bear side. I also like that they are subtle and only IYKYK."

Shop our bear flag pin.

32. The Straight Ally Pride Flag

The Straight Ally Pride Flag

The Straight Ally Pride Flag features alternating black and white stripes with a rainbow-coloured "A" overlaid, representing straight, cisgender people in active solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. It emerged organically in the late 2000s.

Designer: Unknown, emerged organically in the late 2000s.

Alternating black and white stripes with a rainbow-coloured "A" overlaid (for "ally"). The black-and-white background represents heterosexual and cisgender identity (no rainbow), and the rainbow A represents active solidarity. The flag exists for straight, cisgender people who want to show up for the LGBTQ+ community at Pride and beyond, without claiming an identity that isn't theirs. We've written more on what it means to be a straight ally.

Ally pins are one of the biggest growth stories in our line. Between 2022 and 2024, ally pin sales more than quintupled, from 42 units at our 2022 booths to 225 in 2024. The Community Ally Cube Pin is far and away our best-seller in this category. It's the pin allies pick up to wear on a work badge or backpack as a daily quiet signal. Lynn A. wrote one of our favourite reviews of all time:

"I absolutely LOVE my community ally pride pin. I wear it PROUDLY on my work ID badge, and it starts conversations when people ask 'what does your pin mean'? I love telling people why being an ally is important and what 'community' means to me, and this pin helps me do that!"

Matt added something we hear a lot, especially over the last couple of years:

"I really wanted something to show my support during trying times and these pins really fit the bill. It took a bit of sleuthing to find a company that really fit with the values I was trying to express, and Proud Zebra fit the bill. Thank you for making these high-quality pins and being overall good humans."

Shop our Ally Pride pins → (sales more than quintupled 2022–2024, Community Ally Cube is our bestseller here).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pride flags are there?

There are more than 30 widely recognized pride flags as of 2026, and dozens more for smaller, regional, and emerging identities. This guide covers 32 of the most-searched and most-used. New pride flags are still being designed, usually by community members on Tumblr or in queer online spaces rather than by corporations, so the list grows every year.

Who designed the original pride flag?

Gilbert Baker designed the original eight-stripe rainbow flag in 1978 for San Francisco's Gay Freedom Day Parade, commissioned by Harvey Milk. Baker hand-dyed the fabric with volunteers Lynn Segerblom and James McNamara. The modern six-stripe version came after Milk's assassination, when hot pink fabric became unavailable.

What is the newest pride flag?

As of 2026, the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag (Valentino Vecchietti, 2021) is the most recent widely-adopted umbrella flag for the entire LGBTQ+ community. The polyamory flag was redesigned in 2022 by Red Howell after a community vote. New individual identity flags emerge every year, but most start small and grow through community adoption rather than launching all at once.

What's the difference between the bisexual and pansexual flags?

The bisexual flag (Michael Page, 1998) has pink, purple, and blue stripes representing attraction to two or more genders. The pansexual flag (~2010) has pink, yellow, and blue stripes specifically including non-binary attraction. Bisexuality is often described as attraction to two or more genders; pansexuality is often described as attraction regardless of gender. The two identities overlap and many people use one or both terms.

Why is there an old and a new lesbian flag?

An earlier "lipstick" lesbian flag (2010) was widely used until its creator was revealed to hold transphobic and biphobic views. The community largely retired it. Emily Gwen designed the current orange-pink "sunset" lesbian flag in 2018, chosen through a Tumblr community poll, as a more inclusive alternative. The 5-stripe simplified version is the one most commonly used today.

Are aromantic and asexual the same thing?

No. Asexuality describes people who experience little or no sexual attraction. Aromanticism describes people who experience little or no romantic attraction. They're separate identities on separate axes, with their own pride flags. Some people are both (aroace, with its own flag), but plenty of asexual people experience romantic attraction, and plenty of aromantic people experience sexual attraction. Brands constantly conflate the two, they're related but distinct.

What's the difference between the trans flag and the non-binary flag?

The trans flag (Monica Helms, 1999) represents all transgender people, including trans men, trans women, and non-binary trans people. The non-binary flag (Kye Rowan, 2014) represents people whose gender exists outside the male-female binary specifically. There's overlap, many non-binary people are also trans, but they're distinct flags for distinct (though related) communities.

Is intersex a gender identity?

No. Intersex describes natural variations in sex characteristics, chromosomes, hormones, anatomy, that don't fit typical "male" or "female" categories. Intersex people can be any gender (cis, trans, non-binary, etc.). The intersex flag represents the intersex community, not a specific gender identity.

Can allies wear pride flags?

Allies can absolutely show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. The straight ally flag exists specifically for that. Most queer folks also welcome allies wearing the rainbow flag or progress flag in solidarity. The general etiquette is: don't wear a specific identity flag (lesbian, bi, trans, etc.) if you don't share that identity, since those flags are personal markers of who someone is.

What does each colour on the rainbow flag mean?

In the modern six-stripe flag: red is life, orange is healing, yellow is sunlight, green is nature, blue is harmony, and violet is spirit. Gilbert Baker's original eight-stripe version also included hot pink (sex) and turquoise (magic and art), both dropped after 1978 due to fabric availability.

Can I wear more than one pride flag at the same time?

Absolutely. Lots of people do. A trans lesbian might wear both the trans flag and the lesbian flag. A bi non-binary person might wear the bi flag and the non-binary flag. Identity isn't one-dimensional, and your pride doesn't have to be either. Wear whatever feels true.

Do pride flag colours have to be exact?

For most flags, the colour symbolism matters more than pixel-perfect hex codes. You'll see slight variations across manufacturers, screens, and fabrics. The structure (stripe order, number of stripes, any symbols) is what makes a flag recognizable. Some designers (like Morgan Carpenter for the intersex flag) specified exact colours; others left them to community interpretation.

A Quick Note From Us

We design every pride pin we sell ourselves and we pack every order from our home in BC. We're a small, queer-owned Canadian business, not a corporation that remembers Pride exists in June. We make these because we wanted them for ourselves and our friends, and we figured if they meant something to us, they'd mean something to other people too.

Every summer we set up our booth at Kelowna Pride, Victoria Pride, Vancouver Pride, East Side Pride, Kamloops Pride, and Chilliwack Pride, that's where most of the conversations and quotes in this guide come from. Real people, real flags, real stories about why a particular colour combination makes them feel seen.

Five years in, we've shipped over 10,000 pins worldwide and worked with 60+ wholesale partners, including HarperCollins, TJX, and Come As You Are. Every order that goes out the door is still packed by us, by hand, in our garage. That's the part we promise won't change.

If you found a flag in this guide that resonates with you, you can shop by identity here or browse our full pride collection. If you didn't find a flag for yourself, send us a note at contact@proudzebra.com, we're always adding new designs based on what our community asks for.

Thanks for reading. Whoever you are, however you identify, however you're still figuring it out, you belong.

What's Next

We're working on monthly identity essays, longer, more personal pieces on what specific flags mean to the people who fly them, written with help from our customers and the designers when we can reach them. The next one drops in our newsletter before it goes on the blog.

Subscribe to get them first (and grab the cheat sheet PDF while you're there).

If you want shorter deep-dives now, we've already published longer pieces on the transgender experience, non-binary and genderqueer identity, the asexual and aromantic spectrum, pansexuality, the Progress Pride Flag, and why pride pins matter.