The Pride’s CEO has decided that Manchester will adopt Philadelphia’s black and brown rainbow flag which recognises and includes people of colour.
The “more colour” rainbow flag or “Philly flag” which includes a brown and black stripe will be used by Manchester Pride in 2019. The flag was first introduced by the city of Philadelphia in 2017 to “fuel the important conversation” of “recognizing people of colour in the LGBTQ+ community”. The US city has a large Black or African American community, which stands around 43 per cent of the population. Manchester in the UK is home to a large Asian community, which stands around 17 per cent and about 9 per cent for black people.
Mark Fletcher, the CEO of Manchester Pride told THEGAYUK, “We have seen that the iconic rainbow must adapt to reflect the modern society that we live in. A lot has happened but there is still a long way to go, especially in the recognition of people of colour in the LGBT+ community.
“To highlight the importance of this we’ve decided to adopt the 8 stripe flag created by the city of Philadelphia, USA as part of our logo.”
The Rainbow flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978 and has been adapted over the years. It originally contained two extra colours, Pink and Cyan, which were later dropped to have just six colours, which is the most recognised version of the iconic symbol.
The symbol for the LGBT community made its debut in San Franciso in 1978. It was displayed at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day parade in 1978. It has since gone on to be recognised worldwide as the symbol for LGBT spaces, venues and pride. The longest ever version of the flag was debuted in Key West, Florida in 2003.
Want to buy a version of the flag for yourself? Head on over to THEGAYSHOP.co.uk to purchase your very own More Colour Rainbow Flag.
THEGAYUK.com reached out to UK Black Pride for comment on the move by Manchester Pride.
