Gay goth Darkness Vlad Tepes has launched a campaign to add a black stripe to the iconic rainbow flag, helping goths become more integrated in the LGBT community.
Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Tepes “Very few goths are ever seen in the gay community but when they are they are not always welcomed due to their dark gothic fashion.
“When some goths go to the gay scene a minority of them get confused with being into the dominatrix sexual lifestyle which is not the case.
“Gothic intent is to dress black and in black.”
Tepes lives a very gothic lifestyle. He sleeps in a coffin, drinks animal blood and considers himself a vampire, said “With a black strip we will be treated as equals within the gay community.
“Gay people are already accepted within the gothic community only we don’t have a flag,” he added.
However, openly gay MP Nigel Evans, who is the head of the constituency of Riblle Valley, said that the LGBTQ community "couldn't get more inclusive", and that the flag represents the entire spectrum of the community.
The artist Gilbert Baker, who died last year, aged 65, designed the original flag in 1978, but the LGBT group 'More Color More pride' attempted to add a black and brown stripe to the flag previously, saying
“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 colour in the LGBTQ+ community.
“To fuel this important conversation, we’ve expanded the colours 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.”
Let’s just appropriate
Let's just appropriate Sherwin Williams' color wheel and be done with it.
I am not a fan of symbols and
I am not a fan of symbols and acronyms; there are simply too many crazy people around them trying to speak for an entire type of people silencing our differences and individuality. However, people should not forget that LGB stands for sexual orientation which is an inborn trait that has been the object of cruel persecution, dehumanising mistreatment and murder.
Sexual orientation is our nature; goth is something you put on and can remove at will. You are not born a goth.
Even more, I think LGB should run separately from T since our struggle are different as some activism behind T is damaging LGB people (not dating T is transphobic and other controversies).
It’s a rainbow flag…there
It's a rainbow flag…there is no black in the rainbow. Deal with it. (That's NOT a comment on black people, or goths…just a fact about the rainbow.)
It's enough that every time you turn around, there is a new letter added to LGBT. You might as well just call it AtoZ and leave out nothing.
I am very tired of people
I am very tired of people trying to add stripes to our flag. It takes away the whole meaning. Being goth or black or brown is not a sexual orientations you morons