Safe Place Manual - Symbols

The Rainbow Flag
Originally designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978, this flag had 8 colors; Pink (Sexuality), Red (Life), Orange (Healing), Yellow (Sun), Green (Nature), Blue (Art), Turquoise (Harmony), Violet (Spirit). When the flag was to be made commercially available there was a shortage of hot Pink so the flag was made with only seven colors. Then in 1979 the committee for the pride parade decided that they only were going to use six colors in order for there to be three colors on each street side so they removed the turquoise. Now the six color rainbow flag is recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers as a valid flag representation of the GLBT community.

The victory over AIDS flag
The black stripe added to the pride flag is to commemorate those lost to AIDS.

New Glory or Unity Flag
Popular version of the rainbow flag with the blue star background from the United States flag.

The Pink Triangle / Double Mars
This Triangle was originally used by the Nazis to identify gay men. In the 1980’s the triangle was reclaimed by the gay men as a symbol of empowerment symbolizing the phrase “Never Forget, Never Again.” Now the pink triangle is commonly used to represent the entire GLBT Community. Another common symbol used to represent gay pride is the double Mars symbol.

Black Triangle / Double Venus
This triangle is also rooted in the Holocaust times, it was used to mark “anti-social” women (couldn’t/didn’t want to have children, men-haters). Now the black triangle has been reclaimed by lesbians and feminists as a symbol of pride. The lesbian community often uses the double Venus symbol to represent pride.

The Bisexual Triangle / Bisexual Signs
Bisexual people, while being active in gay & lesbian movements, have traditionally also organized separately. The bisexual community developed the overlapping blue and pink triangles to represent bisexual pride. Bisexual people are also represented by a mixing of the Mars and Venus astrological signs.

IFGE Logo / Mercury Logo
This was created as a symbol for The International Foundation for Gender Education, an organization concerned with the issues of cross-dressers and transgender people. This triangle represents fusing various genders onto one. Mercury represents the balance of male and female within an individual, symbolizing transgender pride.

AIDS Awareness Ribbon (Red)
Symbolize the united world effort to find a cure for AIDS.

Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon (Pink)
Limited to the LBT community. Statistics show breast cancer is more prevalent in women who do not bear children, therefore some LBT community members feel breast cancer awareness and prevention is important.

Pride Awareness Ribbon (Rainbow)
Symbolizes that the wearer is supportive of GLBT people and their struggle for equal rights.

The Freedom Rings (Rainbow)
Designed by David Spada as a symbol of independence and tolerance.

Lambda
This was used as a symbol of GLBT rights in the 1970’s. This symbol was often associated with militant forces of the GLBT movement, because of this, some GLBT are uncomfortable using it.

Labrys
This was adopted by the lesbian and feminist society as a symbol of strength and self-sufficiency. Due to the idea that feminists and lesbians are "man-hating", feminists abondoned its use.