What's the + on LGBT all about? That's the title of a new video quiz released by Student Pride this past week. I took it and I failed. Expecting some of the known ones to pop up, I was overconfident and did not realize there were at least 65 variations in LGBT+ flags. How would you do identifying the different flags that represent our different sexual orientations, gender identities, and other identities? Let's give a go!
Hard huh? The group shared with us 27 flags representing sexual orientations, 18 for different gender identities, and 20 more for romantic, fetish, and political groups underneath the rainbow family. Well, wait, there's something wrong with that statement.
Apparently the rainbow flag has been given to the gay male sexual orientation? I am not sure that this is a world wide belief and I'm still under the impression that the rainbow flag is more of a blanket covering/representing all that is not the binary, heterosexual, normal, cookie cutter, straight laced (you get the picture) way of living, loving, and thinking.
Do you feel that the rainbow flag should be just for "males who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to other males?" Will we see the dwindling of the rainbow flag as others gain prominence and understanding?
Then there are the two major lesbian flags.
It is interesting that the Lipstick Lesbian flag is in the major category where as the bear flag is in the other category. What I also find eye opening and have said several times in the magazine is that it is socially acceptable to be and say you are a lipstick lesbian, separating yourself from the other variances of lesbians, but it is horrific to say you are a masculine. Not everyone that uses the masculine term uses it to put themselves above another. If you say using masculine is a negative, wouldn't saying lipstick be, too?
Head over to myumbrella.org.uk and see how many flags you know.
I do not think this is the end all in flags. Who brought all of these forward and did we all agree that the rainbow flag is just for gay men?
What are your thoughts?
