What do all the pride flags mean?

Short Answer

There are dozens of pride flags, each representing a different identity within the LGBTQ+ community. The rainbow flag is the umbrella symbol; specific flags exist for trans, non-binary, bisexual, lesbian, asexual, and many other identities.

The Major Flags

• Rainbow flag (Gilbert Baker, 1978): The universal symbol of LGBTQ+ community and pride.
• Progress Pride flag: The rainbow flag with added black, brown, light blue, pink, and white stripes — centering Black and brown queer people and the trans community.
• Transgender flag (1999): Light blue, pink, and white — representing traditional trans colors and the white of non-binary and transitioning people.
• Bisexual flag (1998): Pink (same-gender attraction), blue (other-gender attraction), purple (both).
• Lesbian flag: Variations exist; the "sapphic" version uses shades of pink, orange, and white.
• Non-binary flag (2014): Yellow (gender outside the binary), white (all genders), purple (mix of male and female), black (genderlessness).
• Asexual flag (2010): Black (asexuality), gray (gray-asexuality), white (allies), purple (community).
• Aromantic flag: Green, white, gray, and black.
• Intersex flag (2013): Yellow and purple with a circle — chosen because those colors are free of gendered associations.

Why So Many Flags?

Flags are identity shorthand: they let people signal who they are in spaces where words might not be safe, and they build community around shared experience. More identities = more flags. It's a feature, not a mess.

The Progress Flag

The most common modern rainbow variant is the Progress Pride flag (2018, redesigned 2021), which adds a chevron for trans people and people of color. If you're buying one flag to represent "the community," this is the one.