In 2017 the City of Philadelphia revealed their take on the traditional LGBT+ pride flag, to include two new stripes. A black and brown stripe to represent LGBT+ communities of colour.
The organisers of the campaign, to drive awareness of some of the issues faced by communities of colour, added an extra brown and black stripe to the flag and used the hashtag #MoreColorMorePride.
It has proved to be both adored and controversial since its reveal.
While some maintain that the standard Rainbow Flag was supposed to be inclusive of everybody, regardless of race, colour or creed, others have suggested that for far too long, people of colour have been precluded from LGBT+ history nor given proper credit for some of the culture that has developed and enjoyed by the wider LGBT+ community.
Since its introduction in 2017, numerous Pride events across the UK, have adopted that version of the flag, particularly in cities where there is a large BAME (Black Asian and minority ethnic) community.
“Fuelling an important conversation”
A statement on the campaign’s website says,
“In 1978, artist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag.
“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”.
