Artigenda

The Flags of the Rainbow – Identity Flags

Flags of the Rainbow is Artigenda’s series on the flags belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community. This second part focuses on identity flags. What are identity flags and what examples are there? You will read about that in the second part of this series.

This second part of the article appeared earlier on the website of De Goede Huisvader in 2021. Back then it was just one article. It became a series of three articles, “The Flags of the Rainbow” and this is the second part entitled “The Flags of the Rainbow – Identity Flags”, with some necessary adjustments and updates.

What are identity flags?

Identity flags are flags that belong to a particular identity. In this case, they are about gender identity. The flags discussed in this part of the series The Flags of the Rainbow are about the LGBTQIA+ community. Which abbreviation you want to use doesn’t matter. The first part of this series deals with the abbreviations used.

Besides flags related to identity, there are also flags related to sexual orientation. Those flags are discussed in the third part of this series.

Not complete

This overview is far from complete. There are plenty of websites that claim to show a “complete overview” of all flags related to the LGBTQIA+ community. This does not distinguish between identity flags and those representing sexual orientation, by the way.

It is impossible to make such an overview because new flags are added almost daily. This has everything to do with online activities in this field. In addition, flags sometimes change. This may be due to some history of a flag or a new explanation of a flag. These are all factors that play a significant role. In many cases, these are articles with titles that suggest that all flags are covered, showing that these articles were published many years ago. Now there is nothing necessarily wrong with that. Originally, this article was published in 2021. There is just little left of the original article. Firstly, because this article appeared on another website (see this explanation ).

No distinction

This article and series are not a static entity. It is a dynamic whole. That is why the article will be updated, just like the other articles in this series. This requires a certain amount of insight. The insight to accept that this overview is not complete. Therefore, this article -with this overview- is not complete. That is one thing to point out. There’s more. The order used does not reflect a degree of importance. Neither is the omission of certain flags.

On genderqueer flags and the intersex flag

It is worth explaining about two flags in this review. The genderqueer flags and the intersex flag.

On the inclusion of the genderqueer flags

Genderqueer is an umbrella category for gender identities, but belongs to an umbrella category itself, namely the category of transgender identities.

Persons without gender, gender identification or historical gender identification

Persons with two or more genders

Persons without an established gender identity (fluidity)

Gender identity beyond the male-female spectrum

On the inclusion of the Intersex Flag

Someone may ask why the Intersex Flag/Intersex Pride Flag should be included on this page. This page is about identity flags, so why include something to do with body characteristics? Simple, because the intersex community is now part of the LGBTQIA+ community. What else does the I stand for? Intersex is included (with the letter I) in most of the abbreviations (read more about abbreviations). Besides, after its introduction, the Progress Pride Flag was adapted to the Global Inclusive Pride Flag, by adding the (round) intersex symbol.

Androgyne Pride Flag

The Androgynous Pride Flag was designed by Saveferris blog (then Saveferris) and was presented on March 29, 2011.

What is androgyny?

Androgyny or androgynous is not the same for everyone. Mostly because androgyny is very old. It creates a certain, sometimes unjustified association, with non-existent persons or characters. These might not even have existed during history. Well-known are persons of characters from the Classical Antiquity. Incidentally, this underlines the fact that we are dealing with an ancient concept. In addition, it concerns an identity that may or may not be visible to the outside world. So in some cases, it is about gender expression as part of or underlining gender identity.

The latter, gender expression, is something that was or is most often talked about. It is what was or is visible. Yet androgyny gender identity is more. In part, the identity is similar to genderfluid. Only gender expression is only part of what matters, because is it about feeling or being? After all, those are three different possibilities when it comes to androgyny.

Gender neutral is what most people think about when they start to think about androgyny. Androgyny is so much more. Yes, there is a relationship. It doesn’t need to be. In any case, it doesn’t need to be a binary system, that’s for sure! This isn’t new. Androgyny has been around for centuries and has been part of many different cultures. In has been considered a enrichment or an enhancement of various cultures. Still, it’s not limited to ancient times though. The identity flag is from a more recent date (2011). Something that’s seen more often for more identity flags.

Meaning of the Androgyne Pride Flag

The Androgynous Pride Flag consists of three wide vertical stripes and the colours pink, purple and blue. The meaning of the colours is as follows:

More information about the Androgyne Pride Flag

Agender Pride Flag

The Agender Pride Flag or the Agender Pride Flag is a design by Salem X. It was introduced in 2014 through the social network Tumblr.

What is agender?

Agender or genderless, gender-free or nongender is a subcategory and at the same time an umbrella term for yet other, underlying categories. This sometimes makes it awkward because agender is included as a subcategory of the categories non-binary, transgender and/or genderqueer. When it’s included in these categories, this can lead to conflicts of spark up discussions, since agender is a gender identity that is characterized by the absence of (a) gender.

There is no standard when it comes to agender. Gender identity is something either completely neutral, it’s lacking or there’s no connection in the way the traditional gender identities experience the connections. This identity can encompass a wide range of experiences and expressions. There are those who (may) choose to present themselves in a way that is not traditionally associated with any gender, while others might not alter their appearance at all.

Meaning of the Agender Pride Flag

The Agender Pride Flag consists of a total of seven stripes, namely: two black, two grey, one white and one green stripe. The flag has a green stripe, which is the opposite of purple. This colour was chosen precisely because it is a combination of the colours pink and blue. Pink and blue have traditionally been linked to the feminine and masculine. Green is considered a genderless colour.

It is worth noting that the colour grey is about without gender and those tied to gender.

Inspiration

The Agender Pride Flag would be of inspiration for another flag in 2015. That was the Pangender Pride Flag.

More information about the Agender Pride Flag

Bigender Pride Flag

The original identity flag presented in 2014 by Tumblr user no-bucks-for-this-doe is considered a controversial flag, due to the views of its creator. This page explains more about it. This caused a new flag to be presented, and that happened at least after Augustus 23, 2015, as that was the publication date of the post on Devian Art.

What is bigender?

Bigender (or bi-gender) identity exists when there are two genders. These can be two binary or two non-binary genders. Incidentally, this does not mean the person in question has gender incongruence.

It’s important to understand that there’s no relation to bisexuality. Remember, this is about gender identity, not about sexual orientation. More accurately, the two gender identities. Therefore, it’s bigender.

Bigender en pangender

It’s true that bigender has similarities with the pangender identity. Only there are some differences. Pangender identity assumes the possibility that identification of more than two identities is possible. Bigender assumes the identification of two identities.

Two versions of the Bigender Pride Flag

Two versions of the Bigender Pride Flag are known. The first version contains seven stripes/lanes, while the other version contains five. In addition, the colours differ. According to the website Sexual Diversity, there is no clarity on what exactly is the meaning behind the flags. Both versions were inspired by Monica Helms’ 1999 Transgender Pride Flag.

Version 1 - possible meaning

Version 2 - possible meaning

More information about the Bigender Pride Flag

Demigender Pride Flag

The Demigender Pride Flag was introduced by Deminonbinary in 2014. The flag represents the demigender community. Demigender is different from demisexuality because in this case, it is a gender identity and not a sexual orientation.

What is demigender?

Demigender is a gender identity in the non-binary spectrum. The identity is partly linked to the gender the person may have been born with, but this does not have to be the case. There is (an) identification that (partly) occurs or may occur based on gender and partly may involve the opposite. Besides demigender, identification is possible through the gender identities demigirl/demiwoman, demifluid, demiflux and demiboy/demiman.

About the demigender flags

A separate identity flag exists for all identities belonging to the demigender identity. These flags look almost the same and they were all designed after 2014. That was the year when Deminonbinary presented the flag via Devian Art. For this flag and the others, the exact meaning is not known.

It’s unclear what the exact definition should be. When it comes down to the colours (dark grey, light grey, yellow and white ), the meaning could be as follows:

Without a proper explanation from the creator, the correct meaning of the flag remains a matter of conjecture. What need not be in doubt is the terminology for whom the other flags are intended.

Demigirl

A person who is partially girl/woman or female, but does not wish to be referred to as entirely female/female or be identified as such. On June 21, it is Demigirl Pride Day. Other names for a Demigirl are Demilady, Demifemale or Demiwoman. These designations are perhaps a little less stigmatising than the term girl.

Demiboy

A person who is partly boy/male or male, but does not want to be referred to entirely as male/male or be identified as such. On June 22, it’s Demiboy Pride Day. Other names for a Demiboy are: Demiman, Demiguy or Demimale. These designations are perhaps a little less stigmatising than the term boy.

Demifluid/Demifluïde

A person whose gender is fluid because of demigenders. In other words, a person with different genders.

Demiflux

A person with more than one gender, some static and some fluid.

There are also the demi nonbinary, demiandrogyne, demiagender and demineutrois persons. All are derivatives of the demigender identity, but slightly different. Thus, someone with the gender identity demi nonbinary (demi non-binary) is partly non-binary, someone with the gender identity demi androgyne (demi androgyne) is partly androgyne and so on. These are all identities that have a relationship with demigender.

More about Demigender and the Demigender Pride Flag

Gender Non-conforming Pride Flag.

The Gender Non-conforming Pride Flag first appeared on March 11, 2017 on the website Devian Art via the account of Pride-Flags.

What is gender non-conformity?

Another English name/term for gender non-conforming (incidentally, also an English name/term) is Gender variance. We are talking about the same thing here. Only what are we dealing with? There are tangents to gender variance. For example, there may be “switching” when it comes to gender expression. This can be but does not have to be. Unlike gender fluidity, there is no (possible) influenceability in any case. It is quite the opposite. Breaking with mainstream norms and values. Although that’s a somewhat negative approach, perhaps. The point is that the person in question does not feel an impediment at this point or desire an impediment at this point. There is no boundary in what is feminine or masculine. There may possibly be a process of transition, although this need not be the case for everyone. It is precisely this transition that can allow gender non-conformity to end again.

Just as applies to a large number of gender identities that break with the binary system or involve categorisation under the umbrella of genderqueer and/or transgender, gender non-conformity is also subject to misunderstanding and lack of acceptance.

Meaning of the Gender Non-Conforming Pride Flag

No meaning is known of the colours of this flag.

More information on gender non-conformity and the Gender Non-Conforming Pride Flag

Genderfluid Flag

The Genderfluid Pride Flag was designed by J.J. Poole in 2012 to represent the genderfluid community worldwide, as you can read here.

What is gender fluidity?

Gender fluidity can depend on circumstances, factors and times. The person concerned may also feel a one-to-one connection with either or more genders. Always there is a changing gender identity. Nothing is fixed. Nothing is determined. The English term genderfluid was first used in the 1990s in the book “Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us.” This book was written in 1994 by Kate Bornstein. At that time, there was no single definition. In fact, that lasted until 2007. Only that was not the desired definition, as it involved a mention in the Urban Dictonary. The flag was then there before a more serious definition, as it came in 2015, as you can read here.

Meaning of the Genderfluid Pride Flag

The flag consists of the colours pink, white purple, black and blue and these colours have the following meanings:

The Genderfluid Pride Flag represents genderfluid individuals, but not only that. Also bigender, trigender and pangender persons can use this flag. The same applies to a lesser extent to the agender identity.

Not the only flag

The flag presented in 2012 by J.J. Poole is not the only flag. It is, however, the most widely used flag. In 2021, Tumblr user fluiddemivoid created a new design. This creates some confusion, as this is not the flag below.

This flag is just not (yet) accepted by everyone. Therefore, the flag presented by J.J. Poole in 2012 is considered the Genderfluid Pride Flag.

More about gender fluidity and the Genderfluid Pride Flag

Genderqueer Pride Flag

This flag is there for the overarching category, genderqueer. The flag was designed in 2011 by Marilyn Roxie and the original aim was to unify the flag for genderqueer and non-binary persons. Later, this became a separate flag for genderqueer persons, as a flag was still designed for non-binary persons.

This does not change the fact that as a genderqueer person, you may not use this flag. Also, as a non-binary person, you may just use this flag. The term is a precursor to what we now know as non-binary. It has become more than an umbrella term. Moreover, genderqueer goes further back in time than you might think. The term dates back to the 1980s. Although the category is seen as a subcategory of transgender, not everyone agrees. Where fortunately there is no ambiguity in explaining the meaning of this flag.

What is genderqueer?

Genderqueer and non-binary are not the same thing. They have similarities, but there are differences. The beauty is just that identification can take place based on both genderqueer and non-binary identity. Incidentally, the same applies to gender non-conforming identity.

Officially, genderqueer is a term that can be traced back to the more activist circles of the 1990s. It was mainly about queering gender or queering gender identity. Positively, that is. Slowly, this changed. It became an umbrella term, as all identities that were not standard fell under it. Even the identities that broke with the binary system altogether. This is sometimes hard to grasp because is non-binary now an umbrella term or is it a category that belongs to another category? No, there are similarities, but also differences. So that’s what this section started with.

Genderqueer is a rich umbrella category for a large number of underlying categories. These, in turn, may contain underlying categories.

Meaning of the Genderqueer Pride Flag

The flag is based on the traditional female and male colours, mixed. These are the colours pink and blue. When you mix these, you get lavender. Therefore, the lavender colour. The colour white is a reference to the agender community. The green colour is a reference to all persons outside the binary system of gender identities.

The Suffragette Flag

To be clear, the Genderqueer Pride Flag is not the same flag as the Suffragette Flag. Both flags are pictured below.

The Genderqueer Pride Flag resembles the Suffragette Flag. That flag was used by mainly British feminists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the fight for equal rights. The problem is that this flag is used as a symbol by opponents of mainly transgender women. These are the trans-exclusionary radical feminists or TERFs. These are the radical feminists, who do not consider transgender women to be women. Total madness by the way and such groups may be considered hate groups.

More about genderqueer and the Genderqueer Pride Flag

Graygender Pride Flag (Greygender Pride Flag)

That a pride flag was presented on 24 August 2015 via Devian Art (account of Pride-Flags on Devian Art) is not a complete guarantee that the account Pride-Flags was responsible for coming up with this design. It is notable, however, that a very detailed description was given. Without a clear source reference. This was usually different for other flags published through this account.

The flag presented via Devian Art in 2015 was not the only flag, as evidenced by this archived page. That page dates from 12 August that year. The page appeared via the website MOGAI Library. So this flag is older than the one that got more publicity.

Definition and origin

Graygender, also known as greygender or grey agender, assumes not recognising or not fully recognising the traditional binary classification. This, of course, applies to more gender identities. Grey or grey in this case refers to a not black or white gender, but a broad spectrum. That makes it a different situation. Individuals who identify based on this identity may not (always) feel a strong connection to a specific gender or feel that gender identity is not fully definable. In some cases, there is no connection to gender as a whole and it is considered a weak connection. It is not necessarily emphasised because it is not a dominant aspect.

On 20 March 2014, Tumblr user Invernom first commented on the term graygender. Even then, there were two different spellings. In this entry via the Pride Colour Schemes account of 31 July 2016, grey gender was supplemented by grey agender.

Meaning of the Graygender Pride Flag.

The flag most commonly used is the one presented on 24 August 2015 via Devian Art. That is not the first flag presented.That was the August 12 flag via MOGAI Libary. So the meaning of the flag depends on the flag chosen. The one on August 12 or the one on August 24. The flags do have similarities, so it cannot be ruled out that there is some influence. This is evident from the description under the flags.

Gray: The two shades of grey, one lighter and one darker, represent the spectrum of experience this identity covers, since people identifying as graygender might feel gender to a lesser or greater degree than one another.
Blue: The deep blue represents graygender as an identity and experience, which I’ve always thought of in terms of deep ocean water - it’s calm but it still has a subtle fluidity and variation, and because it’s darker deep below the surface it’s harder to determine what’s going on in it, but it’s still beautiful and full of interesting and mysterious things.
White: And the white represents the purity and validity of graygender people and our experiences . Even if we feel gender less often or strongly than most, or don’t present it as much, etc., doesn’t make our gender lesser or invalid.

MOGAI Library, 12 augustus 2015.

Original identity flag

An important clue can be found on Mogai Library’s page. Not only can the name of Invernom be found there. The credits also mention Tumblr user xmayome. This account redirects to mayome‘s page in 2024. The original entry for the page in question can be found at this location and is dated 17 June 2015, so this is the original identity flag. Incidentally, this makes little difference to the meaning. That is the same.

More information about graygender and the Graygender Pride Flag

Intersex Flag/Intersex Pride Flag

Morgan Carpenter was in 2013 verantwoordelijk voor het ontwerp van de Intersex Flag. De vlag is ook wel bekend als de Interesex Pride Flag.

What is intersexuality?

Intersex people are born with different gender characteristics that do not fit “into typical binary notions of male or female bodies,” according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

It is a general term for a diversity of people who cannot be categorised into “standard” boxes. What someone looks like is no guarantee. This may often involve certain physical characteristics. It is more than this. Moreover, it can lead to situations where others make decisions for others. To meet certain standards. Acted on the idea that something had to be “made right” or “put right.” Without regard to the identity of the person in question. For example, because the person is or was too young.

Historically, intersex individuals were often subjected to surgeries and treatments aimed at making their bodies conform to typical male or female norms. However, there is growing recognition of the importance of bodily autonomy and the right of intersex individuals to make their own decisions about their bodies. Many advocate for delaying non-essential medical interventions until the person can participate in the decision-making process.

Intersex people may identify as male, female, both, or neither, and their gender identity can be independent of their physical characteristics. The term “intersex” is preferred over older terms like “hermaphrodite,” which are now considered outdated and potentially offensive.

Introduction and meaning of the Intersex Flag

The flag presented by Morgan Carpenter in 2013 was one that was not based on any design of other flags. The flag was not based on Gilbert Baker’s original Pride Flag. Unlike most flags, there are no stripes or lanes. The flag symbolises the right to bodily autonomy, genital integrity and the right to be who you want to be. For a lot of people, all these things are very obvious. For intersex people, it is not.

Carpenter also thought carefully about the colours. Yellow and purple are gender-neutral. The circle represents completeness and completeness.

Global Inclusive Pride Flag

The Intersex Flag has been part of the the Global Inclusive Pride Flag since 2021.

More about the Intersex Flag

Multigender Flag

On January 17, 2016, the Multigender Flag was shared via Devian Art. This is not to say that this also traces the flag back to that date. Since this is the oldest entry, it is most likely that this is probably the year the flag was presented.

Multigender and polygender

There is debate whether polygender and multigender are each other’s equivalents or not. According to some, they are, while others are convinced that it is precisely multigender that is an umbrella term, which includes polygender. The difference between multigender and polygender has mainly to do with gender identities. While both multigender and polygender involve multiple gender identities, multigender is a broader term that can include any number of genders. The polygender identity refers to the identification of (up to) four or more gender identities. So there are similarities. This is also the case for other gender identities. Think of the gender identities as bigender and trigender.

Meaning of the Multigender Flag

The flag consists of the colours pink, white purple, black and blue and these colours have the following meanings:

More about multigender and the Multigender Flag

Neutrois Pride Flag

It is not exactly clear who was responsible for the design of the Neutrois Pride Flag in 2014. Several sources refer to a page on Devian Art, which shows various images and symbols related to this issue and related topics. That page is dated October 3, 2014.

What is neutrois?

Neutrois is a non-binary gender identity also known as zero gender or neutral (sex). The term was first introduced in the 1990s and consists of the words neuter, Latin for neither/neutral, and trois, French for three.

The Neutrois.com website was unavailable for some time. That’s the reason why an archived link is included in this article. The website defines what exactly neutrois is.

There is no one definition of Neutrois, since each person that self-identifies as such experiences their gender differently. The most common ones are:

Gender Neutral

Null-gender

Neither male nor female

Genderless

Agender

Non-Binary

Neutrois.com

The website states that gender identity neutrois falls under the umbrella of genderqueer and transgender. The latter is especially important, as the website’s creators emphasise the importance of transition. So in doing so, they are actually breaking from the agender and non-binary spectrum.

Meaning of the Neutrois Pride Flag

The Neutrois Pride Flag consists of the colours white, green and black and has the following meaning:

More about neutrois and the Neutrois Pride Flag

Non-binary Pride Flag

The Non-binary Pride Flag was presented by Kyle Rowan in February 2014. This fulfilled the desire for a flag of its own for non-binary people. Until then, there was the Genderqueer Pride Flag. This flag may also still be used as normal. Also by non-binary people.

What is non-binary?

Non-binary identity refers to a gender identity that does not fully conform to the traditional binary conception of gender as exclusively female or male. People who identify as non-binary may feel either male or female, neither, a combination of both, or experience a gender identity that falls outside these categories. Non-binary people may express their gender identity in different ways, and their experiences and needs may vary widely. This identity recognises the diversity and complexity of gender beyond the strict woman-male classification.

It depends on which approach you want to apply. Starting from the idea that non-binary exists separately from transgender and cisgender. Or the option where non-binary is part of transgender. The latter, by the way, is the starting point of most sources. However, this is tricky and difficult. Doesn’t this put you in an awkward situation where you create a problem when it comes to gender identity in some cases? This is particularly a problem when you consider that non-binary is again an umbrella term for other identities. This becomes a “problem” when those identities do not assume gender or the individuals do not have, have had or are in transition (Neutrois, for example). By “being in transition” in this case it meant the transition between genders, which in the case of the neutrois identity is or may be applicable.

All this makes non-binary and the spectrum of identities not unnecessarily complicated. It makes all this a reason to think about it. To think about it to be of service to the persons concerned. Only then can you speak of the best way of acceptance?

Meaning of the Non-binary Pride Flag

The flag consists of the colours yellow, white, purple and black. This represents anyone who falls outside the binary system of gender identity. So other than V and M. That is the colour yellow. Yellow does not refer to the binary system when it comes to gender (identity). The flag is more because the colour white represents everyone with more than one gender. Anyone you “fall in between” is represented through the colour purple. That colour, by the way, is a mix of pink and blue. Just think what exactly those colours stand for.

More about non-binary and the Non-binary Pride Flag

Pangender Pride Flag

The Pangender Pride Flag came about thanks to a design by Cari Rez Lobo, as you can read here. The flag was based on the Agender Pride Flag. Cari Rez Lovo presented the flag on Tumblr in 2015.

There is another name for pangender and that is omnigender. By the way, this is different from polygender. To make everything clear: pangender has no relation to pansexuality. This is because pansexuality is about sexual orientation and pangender is about gender identity. You could have known this, of course, based on the words. The word pangender includes gender. The word pansexuality includes the word sexuality.

What is pangender?

In this case, the person identifies several separate identities that can be switched between during a certain time(span). There may be instances of an all-encompassing identity. Genders may be based on culture, life experiences and other environmental factors. Identities are tangentially related to gender fluidity.

The difference between bigender and pangender is that more than two genders are possible. Identification can also take place simultaneously.

Meaning of the Pangender Pride Flag

The Pangender Pride Flag consists of the colours yellow, pale red, pale pink, pale violet and white. The meaning is as follows:

More information about pangender and the Pangender Pride Flag

Pregender Pride Flag and Postgender Pride Flag

The original version of this article only included postgender. However, this article published in 2014 on Tumblr pregender was also included. That’s why pregender is also added, in addition to postgender.

The definition as put down in 2014 is one that has been deliberately included in this review. This shows how things can go when it comes to gender identity. On that deliberate page from 2014, a number of gender identities were named that the user in question found interesting and would have thought of. Besides these two gender identities, the mention of xenogender also stands out. This mention is included as a separate entry because of the controversy surrounding it.

Incidentally, what is not true is the claim that the Tumblr user in question had been the first to publish about the gender identities greygender or graygender. That had been done several months before. This is especially true regarding the term genderfluid, which is another term for agender. So Lamb777’s page may be questioned when it comes to originality. Saying you have an idea is not the same as actually being the originator of that idea. The same goes for coming up with a theory, of course.

When it comes to postgender, it is tempting to think of postgenderism. This is only a transhumanist philosophy and assumes the blurring of gender and sex roles. This has nothing to do with the definition of what postgender should be about. Postgenderism is related to things like futurism, feminism and androgyny. Sure, there are tangents to consider, but none of this is still about gender identity as described on the Tumblr page in 2014.

The phase of postgender was initially part of the article. The Tumblr article equally discussed another identity and that was pregender. So that’s why it’s necessary to cover both mentions together.

Pregender Pride Flag

The Pregender Pride Flag was presented on 16 June 2018 via the Tumblr account Beyond MOGAI Pride Flags. The following definition is listed on this page:

"A feeling that one’s gender is growing into, but not quite yet at, a particular gender. A pretransneutral, for example, may feel that their ningender is transitioning towards, but has not yet reached, (trans) neutral-gender."

So it is about a sense of a different gender identity at some point. The flag is therefore a generic flag. Flags for different identities are available, such as the Pretransgender Pride Flag and the Prenonbinary Pride Flag. More examples can be found on the Beyond MOGAI Pride Flags page.

Meaning of the pregender flags

Several flags are known for identities tangentially related to the pregender identity. No specific meaning is known to be attached to these flags. However, the Pretransgender Flag does resemble that of the Transgender Pride Flag.

Abstract

The idea that there can be gender identity for a given gender identity is not illogical. That idea is well known under birth sex, for example. Only that is not what pregender is about. This is a situation where pregender is assumed. A transition. It can also be reversed and that is the post-gender identity. All this may come across as abstract to those who do not experience all this. However, it is not about the gender identity or experience of those persons. It is about the gender identity of the persons with the gender identity pregender and postgender.

Postgender Pride Flag

Postgender implies that the person is influenced and shaped by a gender (identity) that one no longer experiences. The description used on Devian Art at the time was:

"A feeling that one’s identity has been heavily influenced and shaped by a gender that one no longer experiences. For example, someone who identifies as postmale/postboy no longer feels that their gender identity is male but still feels a strong connection to masculinity or has been shaped by it in some way.”

This information is derived from the post published on June 24, 2014 on Tumblr (archived on November 3, 2023). This post also explains xenogender. As well as other identities, which the author thus falsely claims to be responsible for thinking about. See the explanation earlier on this.

Postgender, postgirl and postboy

As is the case for the pregender identity, complementary identity flags were also created. The Postgender Flag was presented on June 21, 2018, via Beyond MOGAI Pride Flags. The other two flags were presented later (November 2018) through a different account. That was Lilac Libary’s account. Incidentally, the publication did refer to the original post. This account also did not provide any meaning for these flags. That meaning is also missing for the Postgender Flag and all pregender identity flags. Lilac Library’s archived publication of November 16, 2018, can be found at this website.

Polygender Pride Flag

In the section on the Multi Gender Pride Flag, an explanation can be found as to whether or not polygender and multigender are synonyms. There are plenty of reasons why they are and plenty of reasons why they are not.

What is polygender?

Polygender is a non-binary gender identity. A person who identifies as polygender experiences multiple gender identities simultaneously or alternately. The word poly comes from the Greek word, meaning many. Those who identify as polygender can or may feel they embody characteristics of several genders, deliberately challenging the traditional concept of only two genders.

Overarching category

Polygender identity is part of the non-binary spectrum and it is an umbrella term. Included under polygender are the gender identities bigender, trigender and pangender. This may explain why the name multigender might be a more logical choice. On the other hand, polygender may be a category of multigender, along with bi-gender, and tri-gender. Multigender is also a gender identity, in addition to an umbrella identity.

For multigender, a separate (identity) flag is available, as you can see here.

History of the polygender identity

The polygender identity was first described in 1995 in exactly the way we know it today. You can read more about that via this archived page. Three years later, a definition was shared via the page A Queergendered FAQ. Responsible for that page was Danica Nuccitelli and it was part of the website Sphere. It seems that that website later switched to the Gender-Sphere website, although this is not entirely certain. Little has been done with that website since 2018.

The name polygender has nothing to do with polysexuality, because it is not about sexual orientation. Polygender, which contains the word in fact, is about gender (identity) and not sexuality.

Difference between multigender and polygender

Multigender is a broader term, that can include any number of genders, whereas polygender usually refers to experiencing four or more genders.

Polygender Pride Day

Polygender Pride Day is an annual day on 20 June dedicated to this gender identity. The day is there to highlight gender identity further, celebrate that these individuals exist, but also to draw attention to the challenges these issues face.

Meaning of the Polygender Pride Flag

Despite not knowing who made the flag in July 2015, the meaning is known.

Black: persons without gender, agender persons.
Grey: fluid gender, changing gender.
Pink: femininity, partial femininity.
Yellow: the non-binary gender identities.
Blue: masculinity, partial masculinity.

Original source

There is no longer an original source available explaining this flag. However, a page via Devian Art is available from 4 July 2015. That is where the flag is said to have first appeared. With no further explanation.

More about polygender and the Polygender Pride Flag

Third Gender Pride Flag

Third gender refers to individuals who are not or cannot be categorised as male or female by themselves or society. In this case, the third becomes the other. Some anthropologists and sociologists consider the third gender as the fourth or fifth gender. None of this is “new” and has been known within some cultures for centuries. Think of Asian cultures and cultures in Oceania. These are just a few examples. This gender identity interfaces with other identities. This ensures that gender identity is sometimes counted as part of the genderqueer category.

Hijra and Two-spirit

Well-known examples are the hijras from Southeast Asia. The Two-spirit individuals from North America are also examples of the third gender in some cases. Some examples because not every Two-spirit person finds the relationship made with the third gender (fully) acceptable.

Pride Flag

The various sections discussing the flags begin with the Pride flag belonging to -in this case- gender identity. What exactly about the third gender? Is there such a thing as a Third Gender Pride Flag? There is a flag we know as the Hijra Pride Flag and a flag we know as the Two-spirit Pride Flag. This is not the same as the Third Gender Pride Flag.

There are several flags known to pass as THE Pride flag. Officially, there is no “real” flag. The Genderqueer Pride Flag could be used unless there is a different gender identity. While a flag has been proposed, it has not (yet) been fully accepted. The flag considered most accepted so far is the one presented on August 9, 2018 by the Tumblr account Beyond MOGAI Pride Flags. No meaning of this flag is known.

More information on Third Gender

Trigender Pride Flag

The percentage of people identifying based on trigender identity is minimal. This does not imply a new phenomenon, as is sometimes thought. The term trigender (also listed as trigender) was first described at the turn of the century by Leslie Feinberg (“Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue” – Beacon Press, 1999. ISBN 978-0-8070-7951-5, page 53).

What is trigender?

The gender identity trigender (also listed as tri-gender) is a gender identity that belongs within the non-binary spectrum or the spectrum of multigender. The name contains two words, namely tri, i.e. three, and gender. The latter word may be obvious. So what about the word tri or three? Whereas bi-gender assumes an identification of two gender identities, tri-gender thus assumes three gender identities. Therefore, it is more common to group gender identity within the spectrum of multigender identities. After all, multigender is another umbrella term. Incidentally, tri-gender may have common ground with gender fluidity.

The name contains two words tri, i.e. three, and gender, which may be obvious. Instead of the bi-gender identity, with two genders, this is about three genders. Gender identity falls under the umbrella term non-binary and multigender. However in the latter case, there is also a discussion to be had on whether polygender can be used as an umbrella term. This is allowed, only it is more common to adhere to multigender. What is clear, this gender identity is tangentially related to genderfluidity.

Just like bigender, trigender, and all multigender identities, also evoke a lot of resistance. This applies to all identities that break with the binary system of gender identity.

Origin and meaning of the Trigender Pride Flag

That an upload took place on a certain date to a certain website is no guarantee about the design of a Pride flag. The same applies to the Trigender Pride Flag. On July 4, 2015, the flag was uploaded to Devian Art. The upload date is not the same as the creation date, however. That date remains a mystery. There’s less doubt about the meaning of the flag. At least not according to the website Sexual Diversity. The meaning of the flag is as follows:

More about trigender and the Trigender Pride Flag

Transgender Flag

Best-known design

Designed by Monica Helms in 1999 and officially presented in 2000 during the Pride Parade in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, the flag is considered the best-known Transgender (Pride) Flag. Since 2000, the flag has been widely accepted as the flag representing the transgender community worldwide.

Transgender as an umbrella term

Just as this is the case for genderqueer, non-binary and multigender, for example, transgender isn’t just gender identity, It’s also a umbrella term. Thus, this can be a gender identity (trans persons) and an umbrella term for other identities. At certain points, this can create ambiguity when those gender identities are in turn also umbrella categories. This is the case with all the aforementioned identities.

What is transgender?

When it comes to gender identity, the following definition applies:

Transgender means that the gender identity of the person in question does not match, or matches to a lesser extent, the birth sex or the sex assigned at birth based on physical characteristics. This definition is based on the definition available on the website of the Dutch organization Transgender Netwerk (Transgender Network).

Origin and meaning of the Transgender (Pride) Flag

Besides Helms’ 1999 design, more designs were introduced from the 1990s onwards. For example, were you familiar with the design by Dawn Holland from 1991? Then there is the flag of Captain John, whose design does look a lot like Helms’.

The design by Dawn Holland (1991)

The origin depends on the Transgender Pride Flag you choose. There are several designs. Monica Helms’ flag is the best-known. This was not the first flag to represent the transgender community. On October 17, 1991, the first flag for the community was presented by Queer Nation‘s Transgender Focus Group. This was a New York City-based organisation fighting for equality. Queer Nation was founded in the Nineties. Dawn Holland was responsible for the design of this flag.

This design referred to the well-known triangle, which was in use within the LGBTQIA+ community. The triangle referred to a dark period in history, namely the terrible persecution by the Nazis before and during World War II. The pink triangles grew into a post-war symbol that the LGBTQIA+ community identified with from the 1970s and 1980s. A protest symbol. This explains why Queer Nation’s 1991 flag for transgender people consists of that pink triangle. Queer Nation’s flag from the 1990s also consisted of the pink triangle, according to this page.

The design by Captain John/Johnathan Andrew (1999)

With this flag, we still have not arrived at Monica Helms’ design, because before that, another design was presented and that design was by a person known as Captain John. For a long time, it was not clear exactly who this person was. It later became clear that it was Johnathan Andrew, a trans man who ran the website Adventures in Boyland. Archived versions from 2001, unfortunately without images, show that there was a description of why the flags were made by Andrews.

" Whether we're transgender or transsexual, going from male (blue) to female (pink) or from female (pink) to male (blue), or just somewhere in between, both flag designs capture the subtlties and the strengths of our spirits (and the white accents in between the lines are the--supposedly--the little triumphs that happen upon us during our journies to become whole (the flag as a whole)). The lavender-colored sex symbol--not to be confused with The Artist Currently Not Known as Purple's symbol--can also designate FtM/MtF/or Intersexed/Both/Shifting."

Johnathan Andrews, Adventures in Boyland.

The design by Monica Helms (1999)

Monica Helms presented the flag in 1999 that would become the most famous flag for the transgender community. She did so on the advice of none other than Michael Page. Page presented his version of the Bisexual Pride Flag a year earlier (1998). With great success. Helms had a goal in mind. The flag was to be presented at the 2000 Phoenix Pride Parade. That’s where the official presentation took place. Incidentally, it is not clear whether Helms saw Johnathan Andrew’s flag. The flags bear similarities, especially when looking at the labels. Helms herself would later state that she dreamt about this flag and that this led to the design.

Helms’ flag grew to become the most famous and popular flag of all. A special day was even created for it, known as Trans Flag Day.

The design by Jennifer Pellinen (2002)

About the flag of Pellinen Some people consider this flag offensive, because of the creator's explanation. The now following part of this article contains some of the quotes from this creator, Jennifer Pellinen, that could be considered offensive, insulting or hurtful. That this flag is included is for a reason. Precisely to indicate that this flag is not widely supported within the community because of this explanation which is therefore offensive, insulting and hurtful.

The question is whether the flag designed by Jennifer Pellinen had a pure motivation. It makes sense to ask this question, given Pellinen’s description and the year the flag was presented. The flag was presented in 2002 and that was well after Monica Helms presented her design. It was also well after others had presented a design. Think of the aforementioned flag by Dawn Holland in 1991.

In 2002, the Monica Helms flag had already been displayed at several major events. There was no full acceptance yet. It did seem to be heading in that direction. So was it logical to present a new flag? Perhaps. It happened more often, and it also happens today. The description, which brings us to the next point, was not good. In the attached description, Pellinen talked about the highly offensive term crossdressers which equals dressed-up men. A trans person is much more than a “dressed-up person.” It is about a gender identity. Pellinen even went a step further, suggesting a relationship with sexual orientation.It didn’t end there. Things got even worse, when she claimed that people such as these, described by her as “crossdressers,” weren’t even “gay” to begin with.

"I came up with the idea for the transgender flag a few years ago. At the time I did not know of any other flag designs. The design was created for TG pride. another reson I made the flag is that most cross dressers are not gay. If they use the rainbow flag people will think they are gay. The colors on the flag are from top to bottom. Pink, light purple, medium purple, dark purple, and blue. The pink and the blue represent male and female. The 3 purple stripes represent the diversity of the TG community as well as genders other than male and female."

Jennifer Pellinen, 2002

The flag as designed by Pellinen was very similar to the 1998 Bisexual Pride Flag.

More alternatives

An overview of the history of identity flags can be found through this archived website. This website shows which alternative flags have been invented over the years. For instance, separate flags were devised in Canada, China and Israel. Some of those flags were based on Helms’ design, some were not.

More about transgender and the Transgender Flag

Gender identity and ancient cultures

The claim that it is all a thing of recent times can easily be dismissed. Not least because the first transgender people were given care in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century by Magnus Hirschfeld (14 May 1868 – 14 May 1935). His name is not only associated with the Wissenschaftlich-humanitäre Komitee, an organisation that worked for the emancipation of homosexuals. He was also founder of the first European institute for scientific research on sexuality, the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft. This institute was raided and looted by members of the Sturm Abteilung (SA) in May 1933, after the NSDAP took power in Germany. The scientific library was later burnt with books taken from other scientific institutions in Berlin during the book burnings in May 1933.

Did you know that the German Wissenschaftlich-humanitäre Komitee had a split-off in the neighbouring Netherlands? That happened in 1912 under the name Nederlandsch Wetenschappelijk Humanitair Komitee (NWHK). This committee was disbanded immediately after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands on May 10, 1940. A few days later, on May 15, the entire scientific library of the NWHK was confiscated by the Nazis. Even after the collection had become private property after the dissolution of the NWHK. This was not only very shortly after the Nazis occupied the Netherlands. It was also before officially enhanced measures were in place against bisexual and gay men in the Netherlands. These would later consist of prison sentences and a stay in labour camps, rather than fines. Moreover, bisexual and gay men were more quickly deported to concentration and extermination camps when it was clear exactly what their sexual orientation was. It is only that these details were not recorded as such. So the numbers seem “not too bad.” If you only look at specific cases, for example, members of the communist resistance and look at their sexual orientation, in some cases there was indeed discrimination based on that sexual orientation. Meanwhile, the library was confiscated because these books were a “danger”. That library was never returned to its rightful owners despite repeated requests. Not even after World War II. Requests for support for this from the Dutch government were structurally rejected.

However, it did manage to recover part of the library. This was done using a catalogue. Today, the library can be viewed online through IHLIA LGBTI Heritage. This library also includes references to older work. The Dutch government provided a grant in 1999 and 2001 to restore the collection. So far, 770 works have been restored. When the Germans raided Laan van Meerdervoort in The Hague in May 1940, 1,885 works were confiscated.

This relates only to modern history. When it comes to gender identity, we are dealing with a rich history. That there are identity flags is development that makes sense. It stems from a desire for emancipation. Which is about acceptance, equal rights and an end to discrimination and violence. Just to name a few issues. People who are now described as members of the LGBTQIA+ community have had to deal with these for centuries. For example, through misunderstanding and hatred. In addition, it is laws and rules that have made life impossible. So it is nonsense to claim that it is “something of recent times.” The topics below prove that.

Hijra Pride Flag

What is hijra?

Mistakenly, hijras are sometimes associated with transgender persons or intersex persons. Because of cultural and social identity, this is not justified. The role that hijras occupy within certain parts of society involves both a reverential, sometimes religious role and a role where the individuals in question are placed outside society through discrimination and marginalisation.

The hijra is a concept that can be traced back to South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh). In these countries, hijras are recognised as the third gender, just not by everyone. Much is still needed when it comes to emancipation. This while it is not a new concept. Despite the identity flag devised in 2016. This gave the community of hijras their symbol for their gender identity as well as gender diversity.

There is still much to be gained in the fight for acceptance and equality within society. The 2016 flag was designed to meet the desire to create a symbol for the sometimes misunderstood group. In addition, it showed that the hijras have a rich history. A history that was also marked by struggle. Constantly. Discussions, discrimination and even violence are not new. These have been around as long as the gender identity hijra has been around and that is a very long time.

It is too easy to talk about trans women or intersex persons. Now it may happen that among hijras there may be intersex persons. That is just not logical. What does make sense is that these are persons who were assigned the birth sex male but have the gender role, of hijra. This is a feminine non-binary gender identity. The governments of India (November 2009), Pakistan (December 2009) and Bangladesh (December 2013) have recognised this gender identity, albeit to a lesser extent.

Multiple designs

Besides the 2016 flag, another design has been announced. This design has everything to do with a 2020 post by Floralfemmes. The original message included an earlier post in which the author in question, Samira, gave an explanation of her identity (hijra). In the 4 August 2020 post, she returned to this and indicated that she is a trans woman. The post mentioned the lack of a flag for the community, so one was presented in the post.

The 2020 draft has no meaning. The 2016 design is based on Ardhanarishvara. This is the combination of the Hindu god Shiva (male) and Parvati (female). Shiva and Parvati are married to each other. It is no coincidence then that Ardhanarishvara is the patron of hijras.

More about hijra and the Hijra Pride Flag

Two-spirit Pride Flag

What is Two-spirit?

Two-spirit is a gender identity specifically linked to Native North American communities to describe individuals who embody both feminine and masculine traits or spirits. The identity is specifically tied to a continent, namely North America.

Contrary to what most people think, this identity goes beyond “just” gender identity. This brings us to the social role that Two-spirit individuals may fulfil or have fulfilled in the past within different cultures. The Two-spirit identity is also about a spiritual role, in addition to gender identity. With this, Two-spirit persons fulfilled or fulfilled a role within society as mediators, healers or those who held or possessed traditional knowledge.

There is a relationship with the LGBTQIA+ community, but this does not have to be the case. Not every Two-spirit person feels the commitment to this community. It can, but it does not have to. That the main flag shows similarities with Gilbert Baker’s Pride Flag is no guarantee of this.

Non-binary identity

Based on historical developments, one may consider the Two-spirit individuals as one of the oldest examples of non-binary identity. Strictly speaking, this is so, but with a slight nuance. Since there is a multiple-gender identity, it is better to speak of a multigender identity. In doing so, it is important to consider the extent to which there is or can be fluidity or not. The difference, however, is that this gender identity is only used on the North American continent and may differ by the original population group.

About the Two-spirit identity flags

In 2016, three different identity flags were presented through Ask Pride Colour Schemes. The best known is the flag with a rainbow background. A version was also created for non-binary two-spirit persons and transgender two-spirit persons. Those flags are used less. The colours of the flag have no meaning. The feathers of the flag all have the same meaning. These represent the feminine and masculine identities. The circle represents the unity of both genders or the recognition of one separate (third) gender.

The most famous flag evoked resistance. Because of its simple design and because of the background of the most famous flag. Did they even want to relate it to Gilbert Baker’s Pride Flag? The answer was no and so a new flag was presented. That flag is only no longer available through the original post via Tumblr. This post contained a good explanation of the flag. This flag was designed by Miigwan and Beyond MOGAI Pride Flags. The original post can be found here and dates back to 2019. An alternative link to this post and the flag is available through this archived link.

Explaining this flag is done using colour codes. Wind directions are also used. The text has been adapted, as the original text was written about people.

Black: west, the physical bodies.
White: north, spiritual energy.
Yellow: east, emotional energy.
Red: south, spirituality.
Blue: water, family members (kinship).
Green: plant medicine, responsibilities.

More about two-spirit and the Two-spirit Pride Flag

About this series

The Rainbow Flags series is divided into four volumes.