Bisexual flag

Bisexual flag
Bisexual Pride Flag.svg
UseSymbol of the bisexual community
Proportion3:5
Adopted1998
DesignThree solid horizontal bars: two fifths pink, one fifth purple, and two fifths blue.
Designed byMichael Page
A physical version of the bisexual pride flag.

The bisexual flag is a pride flag representing bisexual individuals and the bisexual community. The pink stripe represents homosexuality, while the blue stripe represents heterosexuality. The purple stripe, the "overlap" of the blue and pink stripes, purple represents attraction regardless of sex or gender a.k.a bisexuality.

The flag was designed by Michael Page in 1998 to increase the visibility of bisexuals among society as a whole and within the LGBT community. He aimed to give the bisexual community a symbol that is comparable to the rainbow flag for the greater LGBT community. The first bisexual pride flag was unveiled at the BiCafe's first anniversary party on December 5, 1998.

Design and colors

Liz Nania's biangles symbol

Page stated that he took the colors and overlap from the biangles, also known as the bisexuality triangles. The biangles were designed by artist Liz Nania as she co-organized a bisexual contingent for the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987. The design of the biangles began with the pink triangle, a Nazi concentration camp badge that later became a symbol of gay liberation. The addition of a blue triangle contrasts the pink and represents the gender binary. The two triangles overlap and form lavender, which represents, in Nania's words, "the queerness of bisexuality", referencing the Lavender Menace and similar organizations associated with the color.

Page described the meaning of the pink, purple, and blue colors:

The pink color represents sexual attraction to the same sex only (gay and lesbian). The blue represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex only (straight) and the resultant overlap color purple represents sexual attraction to both sexes (bi). The key to understanding the symbolism of the Bi Pride Flag is to know that the purple pixels of color blend unnoticeably into both the pink and blue, just as in the 'real world,' where bi people blend unnoticeably into both the gay/lesbian and straight communities.

The flag is used in different aspect ratios; 2:3 and 3:5 are often used, in common with many other flags.[citation needed]

The exact colors given by Page are PMS 226 for the pink, 258 for the purple, and 286 for the blue. The pink stripe takes up two fifths of the flag, the purple stripe takes up the middle fifth, and the blue stripe takes up the other two fifths. The flag has been most commonly oriented with the pink stripe at the top, but both orientations are acceptable. The flag is not patented, trademarked, or service marked.

Licensing controversy

In 1998, Page stated that the bisexual pride flag was "for free public and commercial use" and that it was "not patented, trademarked or service marked." In April 2020, BiNet USA falsely claimed that it was the sole copyright owner of the flag and flag colors, and said organizations and individuals who wished to use the flag for commercial purposes would be required to obtain a license from the organization, despite having nothing to do with the flag's design or creation. BiNet's claim and the resulting controversy were covered by Out and LGBTQ Nation, which cast doubt on BiNet's claim and noted that the flag is not eligible for copyright.

On April 29, 2020, BiNet USA made a tweet claiming the Wikipedia page for the bisexual pride flag was inaccurate. BiNet USA ultimately ceased to use the flag on May 8, opting instead to use a different design.

See also


This page was last updated at 2022-09-03 06:21 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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