Celebrating Rainbow Families: Support and Resources for LGBTIQ+ Parents
.png?h=1320&w=2740)
The Progress Pride Flag: A Symbol of Inclusion and Forward Movement
How one designer's late-night creation became a global symbol for LGBTIQ+ progress
You've seen it flying proudly at Mardi Gras, displayed in shop windows, and celebrating diversity across the globe. The Progress Pride Flag - with its distinctive chevron of black, brown, light blue, pink, and white stripes alongside the traditional rainbow - has become one of the most recognizable symbols of LGBTIQ+ inclusion. But do you know the story behind it?
At Broadway Sydney, a proud Welcome Here member, we display the Progress Pride Flag to show our commitment to inclusivity for all members of the LGBTIQ+ community. This Mardi Gras season, let's celebrate the beautiful history of this powerful symbol.
It Started with a Rainbow
The story begins in 1978, when artist and activist Gilbert Baker created the original rainbow Pride flag at the request of Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected official. Baker's design featured eight vibrant stripes, each with its own meaning: hot pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit.
Over time, the flag was simplified to six stripes due to fabric availability, and this version became the universal symbol of LGBTIQ+ pride we know today. For decades, the rainbow flag represented hope, visibility, and community for LGBTIQ+ people worldwide.
The Evolution Continues
Fast forward to 2017, when Philadelphia introduced a redesigned Pride flag that added black and brown stripes to the traditional rainbow. This update acknowledged LGBTIQ+ people of colour and highlighted the need for racial equity within the community.
In 2018, Seattle released their own version, adding the trans Pride flag stripes (light blue, pink, and white) to Philadelphia's design. These iterations recognised that while the rainbow flag was powerful, there were voices within the community that needed greater visibility and emphasis.
A Sleepless Night, A Viral Design
Enter Daniel Quasar (who uses they/them and xe/xyr pronouns), a Portland-based graphic designer and self-described "connoisseur of insomnia." On a sleepless night in early June 2018, Quasar had an idea.
Inspired by Philadelphia and Seattle's redesigns, Quasar wanted to create something that would force people to reflect on who the Pride flag truly represents and what work still needed to be done. Working through the night, they created about 14 different designs, eventually settling on what would become the Progress Pride Flag.
On June 6, 2018, Quasar posted the design on social media and went to bed. They woke up to a phone that wouldn't stop buzzing - the design had gone viral.
What the Progress Pride Flag Represents
The Progress Pride Flag is intentionally designed to spark reflection and conversation. Here's what each element means:
The Traditional Rainbow (Background)
The six-stripe rainbow flag remains intact, honouring Gilbert Baker's original vision and the meanings behind each colour: life, healing, sunlight, nature, harmony, and spirit.
The Chevron Arrow
The distinctive arrow-shaped chevron points to the right, symbolising forward movement and progress. It's placed along the left edge of the flag to show that while we've made strides, there's still work to be done.
Light Blue, Pink, and White Stripes
These colors come from Monica Helms' Transgender Pride Flag, created in 1999. Their inclusion explicitly centers trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary people within the LGBTIQ+ community.
Black and Brown Stripes
Originally introduced in Philadelphia's flag, these stripes represent LGBTIQ+ people of colour and highlight the need for racial equity within the community. Quasar also intended the black stripe to honour those living with HIV/AIDS and those lost to the AIDS crisis.
The chevron separates these newer elements from the traditional rainbow to emphasize their different meanings and shift focus to the current needs of the community. As Quasar explains, "You can't avoid the message as it is right there in front of you."
From Viral Post to Global Icon
The response was overwhelming. Within hours, Quasar's design had spread across social media, with people asking where they could buy flags. They launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $14,000 to manufacture the first production run. The campaign raised over $25,000 from 508 backers.
Released under a Creative Commons licence for non-commercial use, the Progress Pride Flag has been flown in cities worldwide - from New York and London to Boston and Sydney. It's been displayed at official buildings, featured on RuPaul's Drag Race, and adopted by countless businesses, organisations, and individuals committed to LGBTIQ+ inclusion.
The flag has even inspired further iterations. In 2021, Valentino Vecchietti created an intersex-inclusive version that adds a yellow triangle with a purple circle, representing the intersex community's fight for recognition and rights.
More Than Just a Flag
For Quasar, the Progress Pride Flag was never meant to replace the traditional rainbow - it was meant to spark conversation and inspire action. The design challenges us to reflect on who we're including, who we might be leaving behind, and what work still needs to be done.
"Pride is more than a flag," Quasar notes. "It is a feeling, an action, a decision."
What It Means for Our Community
The Progress Pride Flag reminds us that inclusivity isn't passive - it's active. It's not enough to support LGBTIQ+ people in general; we need to specifically uplift those who face the greatest marginalisation: trans people, people of colour, those living with HIV/AIDS, and intersex individuals.
The chevron arrow pointing forward tells us there's still progress to make. Despite how far we've come, LGBTIQ+ people - especially those at the intersections of multiple marginalised identities—still face discrimination, violence, and barriers to equality.
Displaying the Progress Pride Flag is a commitment to doing better, to centering those most in need of support, and to never becoming complacent in the fight for true equality.