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Many people are unhappy with the current popular proposed flag because of a variety of reasons (no meaning behind the stripes, seemed to be “lipstick lesbian but blue for boys instead of pink for girls”, etc.) so I decided to make a similar proposal to address some of these issues.
[ THESE FLAGS AND STRIPE/COLOR MEANINGS ARE “APPROVED” BY THE CREATOR OF THE ORIGINAL FLAG, meaning they don’t mind that I’ve made this proposal to address the issues with theirs. We’re two separate people working on our own blogs, if you have a problem with them/their flag, I can’t help you. ]
1. First is that I’ve added meanings to each stripe and to each overall color on the flag.
(Note: You might have seen a different version of the flag with the stripe meanings floating around that has “GNC & Trans Men” on the white stripe and non-green text on the bottom. This is the old version, I’ve changed the wording because people don’t know how to not be cruel to others & because black on darker purple is hard on some people’s eyes. That’s the only other version.)
Stripe meanings were inspired by my personal research of LGBT+ history, my (and others) experiences as gay men, and the meanings on Gilbert Baker’s original rainbow flag which I love dearly and hold close to my heart, this flag is not meant to replace or erase it in any way! I would love for them to be used in tandem like I personally do.
The green (Community) and teal (Joy) in the flag represent Nature. I thought this was important because love between men is often seen as “unnatural” in the eyes of society and in religion. Furthermore, gay men have historically used green flowers and plants (Carnations, hyacinths, etc.) to symbolize our love, reinforcing our connection with Nature.
The white stripe is adopted from the Trans Pride flag because trans, nb, and GNC men are often erased or talked over and need explicit representation. We have a lot of unaddressed and blatant Transphobia, internalized Homophobia, and Toxic Masculinity directed towards GNC/non-cis men in our community that we need to address and resolve.
I am aware that a white middle stripe may make people think it’s too similar to other flags but at this point in time, where the battle for what should be basic human rights for trans people is ongoing, even in LGBT spaces, it’s more important than ever to remember the crucial roles our trans and GNC family have played in building our history and to honor them.
The purple (Fortitude) and indigo (Diversity) in the flag represent diversity in presentation, relationships, & life experience. We’re so often stereotyped as all fitting into these neat little categories, especially by those who choose to fetishize us & by non-MLM, but in reality there are so so many different ways to be a man and so many ways to be a man who loves or who is in a relationship with other men, and this needs to be emphasized.
Purple is a mix of blue and red, and seeing as common criticism of other gay man flag proposals is “oh blue for boy? bleh”, I decided to have a light blue stripe leading into a deep purple to symbolize how some of us might be stereotypical, some of us might not be, and some of us are in-between or fluid. Regardless, we should all be celebrated and respected.
This flag is inclusive of all gay men. This includes Aro, Questioning/Unsure, NB, Ace, & Gay men that are Gender Non Conforming, be you Masc, Fem, or Androgynous in any way! Same goes for gay men of any religious background.
2. There are also many other versions/variants of the flag for those who would like them, please note that all of them still have the same meanings & symbolism as the original. Some of them are shown above.
You can view all of them & get separate images by clicking the link above and at the bottom of the post, please check that before proposing a different version to see if it already exists.
3. All of my flags are free to use for commercial and personal use, just please at least try to credit or link back/source to this post so it’s meanings don’t get lost.
(Just for the record, I am a trans gay disabled guy and I consult my GNC/NB/non-MLM [specifically Lesbian/WLW because of the similarities] followers on here and on Twitter frequently. If you think any language here is incorrect, please feel free to inform me, but I will consult others and hold polls before making major changes)
4. I am, and have always been, open to discussion on the flag but please read this entire post & at least search a little to see if I’ve already talked about that issue with someone else. If you’re intentionally rude, homo/transphobic, or you just don’t like the flag, I encourage you to find another flag proposal. Please don’t be like some of the people in the notes.
I am continually making new, improved versions of this flag! You can get similar updates and also interact with me on my Twitter @GayFlagTwit
[ ALL FLAG VERSIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE! ]
( If the link is broken, go to: “https://gayflagblog.tumblr.com/flagvariants” )
Edited 5/9/22, please check blog for the most recent and up to date post!
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