The reason the term gay flag or gay pride is no longer in use is because of the erasure it perpetuated of so many members of the queer community. Those two stripes also represent those living with HIV/AIDS, people who have passed from the virus and the overall stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS that remains today. What used to be called the gay flag, just like pride was once called gay pride, is now finally being acknowledged as a flag and event to symbolize all members of the queer community. But some fear that the changes are merely for the sake of branding. Since its debut, the symbol has had several redesigns in the name of inclusion. Quasar’s proposed flag includes the colors of the trans flag, as well as black and brown stripes harkening back to last year’s Pride flag redesign from Philadelphia, which sought to further represent the queer and trans identities of black and brown people. The Pride Flag Has a Representation Problem. It’s a dilemma Portland-based designer Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xem pronouns) has sought to resolve with a vividly-modified redesign of the iconic flag, one that has gone viral over the past week with a Kickstarter campaign intended to fund the flag’s initial production costs.
The six-color rainbow pride flag we know well has served to symbolize the queer community since its emergence in 1971, but the queer community has evolved over the past few decades, leading many to question whether the pride flag still caters to those most marginalized in the community, including queer people of color and trans people.
Representation matters - especially for the most marginalized communities.
