Across Aotearoa, New Zealand and the world, Pride flags are a vibrant way for our Rainbow community to show our pride and find one another. Because our community is made up of so many diverse identities, there are plenty of different flags to get to know.
We’ve put together this collection as a guide to help you understand the meanings behind the unique colours and designs that make up our collective rainbow. While we know this isn’t every single flag in existence, we’re committed to keeping this page updated as new symbols emerge and gain popularity within the community.
Explore the collection below! Simply hover over or click on a flag to see its name.
Umbrella Flags
Gilbert Baker Pride Flag
The very first Pride Flag was designed in 1978 by artist Gilbert Baker, following a request from activist Harvey Milk to create a powerful symbol for the gay community. The original eight-stripe design assigned a specific meaning to every colour: hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art and magic, indigo for serenity, and violet for the spirit of LGBTQ+ people.
Traditional Pride Flag
After Harvey Milk’s assassination, the demand for the flag soared. To make mass production easier, the hot pink stripe was dropped, and Baker eventually removed the turquoise stripe as well. The resulting six-colour rainbow has served as the community’s primary emblem for over 40 years and remains one of the most recognised symbols globally.
Progress Pride Flag
Designed by Daniel Quasar, the Progress Pride Flag builds upon the Philadelphia design. Quasar added a five-coloured chevron to the left to highlight the Trans community (white, pink, and light blue) and communities of colour (black and brown). The black stripe also serves as a solemn tribute to those lost during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s.
Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag
Introduced in 2021 by Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK, this version is currently the most comprehensive update to the flag. It incorporates the intersex community by adding a yellow triangle with a purple circle into the chevron, ensuring the specific rights and visibility of intersex people are front and centre.
Sexual Orientation Flags
Lesbian Pride Flag
Though many versions have existed over the years, this seven-stripe design has been the standard since 2018. It is widely favourited for its range of dark orange, orange, light orange, white, pink, dusty pink, and dark rose stripes, which represent a diverse spectrum of femininity within the lesbian community.
Gay Men’s Pride Flag
Similar to the lesbian flag, this version was created to give gay men a distinct symbol of their own. Emerging in its current form around 2019, it features various shades of green, teal, and blue. These tones symbolise masculinity, healing, and the collective joy found within the community.
Bisexual Pride Flag
Michael Page designed the Bisexual Flag in 1998 to increase the visibility of bi people. The pink stripe represents attraction to the same gender, the blue represents attraction to the opposite gender, and the overlapping purple stripe in the middle symbolises attraction to two or more genders.
Pansexual Pride Flag
Created around 2010, this flag brings awareness to those who feel attraction to others regardless of gender. The pink stripe represents attraction to women, the blue to men, and the yellow represents attraction to non-binary, genderqueer, or agender individuals.
Asexual Pride Flag
Following a contest held by the Asexual Visibility and Education Network in 2010, this flag was chosen to represent those who experience little to no sexual attraction. The black stripe stands for asexuality, the grey for grey-asexuality and demisexuality, the white for allies and non-asexual partners, and the purple for the community at large.
Demisexual Pride Flag
Demisexual individuals—who only experience sexual attraction after forming a deep emotional bond—are represented by this flag. It shares the colours of the asexual flag: black for asexuality, grey for demisexuality, white for sexuality, and purple for community.
Polyamory Pride Flag
In 2021, a new design by Red Howell was voted in by over 30,000 community members. This contemporary look symbolises core values: white for possibility, magenta for love, blue for honesty, gold for perseverance, and purple for the unified non-monogamous community.
Polysexual Pride Flag
This flag was designed in 2012 for those attracted to many, but not necessarily all, genders. Pink represents attraction to women, blue represents attraction to men, and the green stripe represents attraction to those who identify outside the gender binary.
Gender Identity & Gender Expression Flags
Transgender Pride Flag
Debuting at Phoenix Pride in 2000, this flag was created by US Navy Veteran Monica Helms. It serves as a symbol of trans rights and diversity. The light blue stripes represent the traditional colour for boys, the pink for girls, and the white centre stripe represents those who are transitioning, intersex, or have an undefined gender.
Non-Binary Pride Flag
Created in 2014, this flag is for those whose identity sits outside the male/female binary. Yellow represents gender outside the binary, white is for those with many or all genders, purple represents the fluidity between male and female, and black represents those with no gender at all.
Intersex Pride Flag
Morgan Carpenter of Intersex Human Rights Australia designed this flag in 2013. It features a purple circle on a yellow background—two colours chosen specifically because they are not associated with gender stereotypes. It celebrates the unique experiences of people born with diverse sex traits.
Genderfluid Pride Flag
Designed by JJ Poole in 2013, this flag represents those whose gender expression or identity shifts over time. Pink and blue symbolise femininity and masculinity, white represents a lack of gender, black represents all genders, and purple signifies a mix of both male and female identities.
Agender Pride Flag
This flag was established in 2014 for individuals who identify as gender-neutral or having no gender. The black and white stripes represent the absence of gender, the grey represents being “semi-genderless,” and the green stripe symbolises non-binary identities.
Whether you’re flyin’ your own flag or learning how to be a better ally, we hope this guide helps you celebrate the beautiful diversity of our community here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Stay proud, stay kind, and look after one another.
