This unleashed a campaign for a new lesbian flag and a trend of new designs. In June of 2018, Lydia wrote a Medium article documenting the racism, biphobia, and general meanness on the Lipstick flag creator, along with a proposal for a new flag. Many butch lesbians felt excluded by the femininity of the Lipstick flag, leading to the creation of two butch flags in 20. The Lipstick flag is from 2010, but it didn't gain traction until 2015 when it was reposted to Tumblr with the lips removed. The Genderfluid primary source was removed two days after we secured an interview with the creator.Īlthough it's one of the oldest flags, the Labrys flag never really caught on. I worry very dearly for our future, and for the flags we might not be able to save from these fires of censorship. The chilling effect these laws are having on queer discourse has already begun. I am writing this after Tumblr announcement about curtailing “adult content.” Born out of a combination of not believing they can sell ads next to “porn,” a desperate attempt to not be sued under SESTA/FOSTA in the US, and prepare for Article 13 in the EU. Tumblr has played an incredibly important role in an ever more vibrant, connected, and proud queer community.
Countless more lesser known flags have been posted there. Of the 26 flags in the current collection, 13 were posted to Tumblr. In 2010, Jasper, justjasper, posts the pan flag to Tumblr.
Amid it’s tumult and broken code, a queer community begins to form there. As different online communities flourish, as new ways of thinking about identity form, flags pop up like mushrooms in the fertile soil. Some, like the Asexual flag, are collaborative community efforts that may not have been possible without the Internet. With the exception of the Philadelphia City Hall flag, every flag since has been unveiled online. In 2009, Natalie Phox’s Intersex flag is posted to Wikimedia commons. The next three weren’t until the bi flag (1998), lesbian Labrys (1999), and trans flag (1999). It started a tradition of striped queer Pride flags. Problems sourcing materials eventually condensed it back down to the classic 6-stripe rainbow in 1979. Baker made an 8-color variation on the rainbow flag, a prominent symbol of peace. In 1977, Harvey Milk challenged Gilbert Baker, an openly gay activist, to create a symbol for the gay community.