Rainbow or pride flag is a symbol used to represent people with different identities. It features six colours – red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. recent flags also use black and brown to include people of colour. Each colour has a meaning too. black denotes diversity; brown, inclusivity; red, life; orange, healing; yellow, sunlight; green, nature; blue, harmony; and purple, spirit.
LGBTQ individuals and allies currently use rainbow flags and many rainbow-themed items and color schemes as an outward symbol of their identity or support. The rainbow flag is also commonly used as a general symbol of social equality and individuality. In addition to the rainbow, many other flags and symbols are used to communicate specific identities within the LGBTQ+ community.
The rainbow flag has found wide application on all manner of products. The rainbow flag colors are routinely used as a show of LGBT identity and solidarity. The rainbow colors have become as widely recognized as a symbol of LGBT pride and identity that they have effectively replaced most other LGBT symbols, including the Greek letter lambda and the pink triangle. One common item of jewelry is the pride necklace or freedom rings, consisting of six rings, one of each color, on a chain. Other variants range from key chains to candles. In Montreal, the entrance to Beaudry metro station, which serves that city’s Gay Village, was rebuilt in 1999 with rainbow-colored elements integrated into its design.
In Poland, some activists have been charged with crimes such as “offending religious feelings” and “insulting a monument” for use of rainbow flags and symbols. In response, there is a slogan “T?cza nie obra?a” (The rainbow does not offend).
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