What Does It Mean To Be Lesbian?
What is a lesbian? A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and/or sexually attracted exclusively to other women. However, there are some variations to this definition, such as nonbinary people who identify as lesbians. As with many things in the queer community, the definition of lesbian is somewhat fluid. But the most commonly used and understood definition is, as mentioned, a woman who is exclusively attracted to other women.
Whew! Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk a little bit about the history of the lesbian flag and why it was created in the first place. There’s actually many different versions of the lesbian flag, all of which I’ll explain below, but the general reason behind the creation of all of these flags is to have a flag specific to the lesbian community, and not just have the traditional rainbow pride flag to represent lesbians. Along with various queer identities such as bisexual, transgender and nonbinary, the lesbian identity also has a flag of its own.
What Are the Different Lesbian Flags and Their Meanings?
Seven Stripe Lesbian Flag
The seven stripe lesbian flag is the most commonly used lesbian pride flag, with each stripe having its own meaning. Since seven colors represent seven different aspects of the flag, it serves as a bit of a catch-all for the lesbian identity, though, of course, not everyone prefers to use this flag.
So, what does each stripe mean? From top to bottom, here’s the meaning of each stripe!
- Red – Gender Nonconformity
- Bright Orange – Independence
- Light Orange – Community
- White – Relationships Unique to Womanhood
- Pink – Serenity and Peace
- Dusty Pink – Love and Sex
- Dark Pink – Femininity
The seven stripe flag was created by a Tumblr user, Emily Gwen, in 2018 as a flag to represent both butch and femme lesbians: orange for butch and pink for femme.
Five Stripe Lesbian Flag
The five stripe lesbian flag is like a concise version of the seven stripe flag. While this still represents both butch and femme identities, it forgoes two colors to be more compact and easier to memorize. The disclusion of dusty pink for “love and sex” may be a nod to asexual or aromantic lesbians, while removing bright orange for “independence” may signify that not every lesbian is focused on independence, and may be more community-oriented.
The colors and meanings that remain are as follows.
- Red – Gender Nonconformity
- Light Orange – Community
- White – Relationships Unique to Womanhood
- Pink – Serenity and Peace
- Dark Pink – Femininity
The five stripe flag is often used when a simpler design for the lesbian flag is needed. For example, a Reddit user from r/actuallesbians said “5-stripe can be used for nail polish”.
Lipstick Lesbian Flag
The lipstick lesbian flag is one created to represent “lipstick lesbians”, or lesbians who present as traditionally feminine, but are still exclusively attracted to women. While the different colored stripes on this flag don’t have their own specific meanings, the general pink hue of this flag is meant to represent femme lesbians, while the big red kiss mark in the top left corner represents the aforementioned nickname, “lipstick lesbians”.
This flag was created in 2010 by blogger Natalie McCray, on her blog This Lesbian Life. Since this flag only represents one type of lesbian, it’s not as widely used as the five or seven stripe flags. It’s also important to note that McCray has been criticized for comments that she made that were deemed as racist, transphobic and biphobic, which may have led to this flag’s decline in popularity.
Orange Butch Lesbian Flag
There’s also a lesbian flag specifically meant for masculine-presenting lesbians, commonly known as “butch lesbians”. It has seven stripes of various shades of orange and yellow, with each stripe having its own meaning.
Here are the seven colors of the orange butch flag, and their corresponding meanings!
- Red – Passion and Sexuality
- Orange – Courage
- Light Orange – Joy
- White – Renewal
- Beige – Chivalry
- Yellow – Warmth
- Brown – Honesty
This flag first debuted in 2017 on the Tumblr blog butchspace, with the meaning of each flag color being explained in detail. You’ll notice that flags being first introduced on Tumblr or other social media sites is a common theme. Since queer culture is more often a grassroots movement than something determined by an official institution, you’ll often see these flags’ first appearances pop up in a variety of random places.
Purple Butch Lesbian Flag
This flag was actually the first butch pride flag to be created, even though the orange version is more commonly used. It includes varying shades of blue and purple stripes with one white stripe. Each colored stripe doesn’t have a specific meaning the way that the orange version does, but it’s generally meant to be a flag with a more “masculine” color scheme, since blue and darker colors are often associated with masculinity.
It was created in 2016 by Tumblr user Dorian-rutherford as a flag specifically for butch lesbians to use. While this flag isn’t as prominently flown as its orange counterpart, you’ll still occasionally find its faithful users due to its dark and dusky color scheme.
Labrys Pride Flag
The labrys pride flag is the most unique of the lesbian flags, since its design doesn’t include stripes but a series of symbols to represent the lesbian identity. The labrys, a two-bladed axe associated with the Amazons, an all-female warrior tribe of Greek mythology, is at the center of the design, representing lesbian women’s reliance on each other. Behind the labrys is an inverted black triangle, a symbol used by Nazi Germany to identify lesbians as “asocial” (definitely a darker meaning to this flag), and the background is a deep violet, a color associated with the ancient Greek poet Sappho.
This flag was actually created by a man, graphic designer Sean Campbell, and featured in the Pride issue of the Gay and Lesbian Times in 2000 – making it the first known lesbian flag to be introduced. The labrys flag is not as commonly used now as it was when it was created, but it’s still a good flag to use if you’re looking for a design that doesn’t use stripes. Also, since it doesn’t only represent one group of lesbians such as butch lesbians or lipstick lesbians, anyone can use it!
Moon Lesbian Flag
Now this is where we get into murkier waters. The concrete meaning of both the moon lesbian flag and the sun lesbian flag is unknown. Many definitions have been proposed, such as the darker colors of the moon flag representing closeted lesbians. But the most prevalent meaning that I’ve seen is that the moon flag represents lesbians with a stoic, more reserved personality, alluding to the darker colors of the flag that include seven stripes in various shades of dark purple and pink.
The flag was originally created by Tumblr user @moonbian, whose blog, unfortunately, doesn’t exist anymore.
Sun Lesbian Flag
In contrast to the dark and mysterious moon lesbian flag, the sun lesbian flag is generally understood to represent lesbians with a brighter, bubblier, more sunny personality. It features seven stripes in various shades of red, orange and yellow – warm tones for those with a warmer demeanor. This flag is for the extroverts who are at every Pride event, and for those who love to frequent the most raucous lesbian bars…maybe. Honestly, you get to choose what the sun and moon flags really mean because their definitions are fluid and unclear. The creator of this flag, like its original meaning, is unknown.
Is There a Main Lesbian Flag?
Yes and no. In general, the original seven stripe lesbian flag is the one considered to represent all lesbians, and is the one most commonly used at pride events. However, since queer culture is so open-source, all of these flags are viewed as valid lesbian flags.
In addition to seeing yourself in the seven stripe flag, you can also see yourself in one of the more specific flags. You don’t need to identify exclusively with one flag!
Which Lesbian Flag Is the Most Popular?
It’s safe to say that the seven stripe lesbian flag is the most popular, since it’s the flag that represents the most people and is the most widely used. However, you’ll find sub-communities who prefer to use two or more of the seven other flags listed. It really depends on which lesbian flag colors and designs resonate with you the most.
Other LGBTQ+ Flags
Of course, the lesbian flag is not the only pride flag out there. And, in addition to the most commonly known rainbow pride flag, there are a whole array of other flags created to represent various groups inside the LGBTQ+ community, such as the bisexual flag, asexual flag, pansexual flag and more. If you want to learn more about the different pride flags in use today, check out A Guide To LGBTQ+ Pride Flags!
