A group wants to add black and brown to the colours of the Pride flag

A campaign group has proposed adding two extra colours to the Pride rainbow flag as a symbol of inclusivity within the LGBT+ community.

The group, More Color More Pride, hopes that the traditional six-colour rainbow flag designed by artist Gilbert Baker will be altered to include black and brown.

“In 1978, artist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag,” reads the campaign site.

“An iconic symbol of LGBTQ+ unity. So much has happened since then. A lot of good, but there’s more we can do. Especially when it comes to recognizing people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. To fuel this important conversation, we’ve expanded the colors of the flag to include black and brown.

“It may seem like a small step. But together we can make big strides toward a truly inclusive community.”

The new design of the flag has been made by Tierney, an ad agency based in Philadelphia.

The company made the design and approached the Office of LGBT Affairs.

Speaking to Philadelphia Gay News, Amber Hikes, the city’s director of LGBT Affairs said: “Seeing an image like this flag instils so much pride in me as a queer black woman… When I see the flag, I feel like I see myself.”

Check out the More Color More Pride site here.

The original Pride flag designer Gilbert Baker died back in March, age 65.

A friend, Cleve Jones, also a civil rights activist, shared the news of Baker’s death on Twitter.

Born in Kansas, Baker moved to San Francisco in 1972 after serving in the US Army for two years.

“Flags are about power,” Baker told ABC7 news.

“Flags say something. You put a rainbow flag on your windshield and you’re saying something.”

Of the rainbow flag, which is flown at Pride events and protests around the world, Baker said each colour represents something different.

“Pink is for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun,” He told ABC7.

“Green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for serenity and purple for the spirit. I like to think of those elements as in every person, everyone shares that.”

After creating the iconic flag, Baker was commissioned by San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein to create the flag for her first elected inaugural.

He also designed flags for the Democratic National Convention in 1984.

• Nov 29 2023

56 celebrities you didn’t know are gay, bisexual or lesbian