The lesbian pride flag has gone through more redesigns than most people realize. From the lipstick lesbian flag to the sunset design that took over in 2018, this flag is about a community that fought hard to define itself on its own terms. If you've seen those warm orange-to-pink stripes and wondered what they mean, you're in the right place.
A Quick History of the Lesbian Pride Flag
The first lesbian flag that got real traction showed up around 2010. Blogger Natalie McCray designed the "lipstick lesbian flag," a pink-and-red striped design with a lipstick mark in the corner. It caught on in some circles, but it had problems. The design centered a specific type of femininity and excluded butch, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming lesbians. A lot of people didn't feel represented.
In 2018, Tumblr user Emily Gwen proposed a new design: seven horizontal stripes running from dark orange at the top to dark rose at the bottom, with white in the center. No lipstick. No narrow definition of what a lesbian looks like. The community responded, and this "sunset" version became the standard almost overnight.
The shift wasn't just about colors. It was about inclusion. The new flag says: if you're a woman or nonbinary person who loves women, this is yours. Full stop.
What Each Color Means
The seven stripes on the lesbian sunset flag each carry a meaning:
Some versions use five stripes instead of seven, combining the lighter shades, but the meanings stay the same. The gradient from warm orange to deep pink creates that "sunset" look that makes this flag instantly recognizable.
What makes this flag special is the range it covers. From gender nonconformity at the top to femininity at the bottom, with community and love in between, it tells the full story of lesbian identity without narrowing it down to one experience.
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Why Having Your Own Flag Matters
It might seem like a small thing. It's fabric. It's colors. But for a lot of people, seeing their identity reflected back at them changes something.
The rainbow flag covers the entire LGBTQ+ community, and it does that well. But lesbian women have a unique history of erasure. Lesbian relationships get dismissed as "just a phase" or treated as less real than other queer identities. Having a flag that says "this is us, right here" pushes back against that.
Flying a lesbian pride flag at home, hanging it in your room, or putting a sticker on your laptop does something concrete: it makes lesbian identity visible. And visibility is the first step toward normalizing what never should have needed normalizing in the first place.
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2018 The year the sunset lesbian flag was created, replacing the older lipstick lesbian design and becoming the community standard. |
How to Display Your Lesbian Pride Flag
Got a flag and want to show it off? Here are the most popular ways people display theirs:
| 1 | Front porch or balcony. Mount it on a standard flag pole or porch bracket. The flag is 3x5 feet, which works with most residential flagpole hardware. |
| 2 | Bedroom or living room wall. Use removable hooks or flag mounting clips. Hanging it flat against the wall keeps the stripes visible and adds color to any room. |
| 3 | Window display. Hang it in a front-facing window so it's visible from outside. This works especially well in apartments where outdoor mounting isn't an option. |
| 4 | Draped over furniture. Throw it over a bookshelf, couch back, or bed frame for a casual, lived-in look. |
If you're hanging it outdoors, make sure you bring it in during storms or high wind. Polyester flags hold up well, but they'll last longer with basic care.
For more ideas on displaying pride flags, check out our full guide on how to display a pride flag at home.
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Lesbian Pride Flag vs. Other Pride Flags
People sometimes mix up the lesbian flag with other pride flags, so here's a quick breakdown:
★ Quick Flag Comparison
| Lesbian Flag | Orange to pink sunset stripes (7 or 5 stripe versions) |
| Rainbow Flag | Six color rainbow, covers all LGBTQ+ identities |
| Progress Flag | Rainbow plus chevron for trans, POC, and intersex inclusion |
| Bisexual Flag | Pink, purple, and blue horizontal stripes |
The lesbian flag is the only one in the standard lineup that uses that orange-to-rose gradient. Once you know what to look for, you won't mix it up.
Want to learn about every pride flag? We've got a complete guide that covers all of them. And if you're trying to decide between the progress flag and the classic rainbow, we broke that down too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct lesbian pride flag?
The most widely used version is the sunset lesbian flag designed by Emily Gwen in 2018. It has seven stripes ranging from dark orange to dark rose/magenta, with white in the center. You'll also see a five-stripe simplified version that uses the same color scheme.
What happened to the lipstick lesbian flag?
The lipstick lesbian flag (2010) fell out of favor because it represented a narrow view of lesbian identity. It excluded butch, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming lesbians. The sunset flag replaced it as the community standard.
Can nonbinary people use the lesbian flag?
Yes. The lesbian flag and the broader lesbian community include nonbinary people who feel connected to womanhood or experience attraction to women. The dark orange stripe is literally about gender nonconformity.
What's the difference between the 5-stripe and 7-stripe versions?
Same color scheme, different level of detail. The 7-stripe version has all individual colors. The 5-stripe combines some of the lighter shades into single stripes. Both are correct.
Where can I get a lesbian pride flag?
You can grab a free lesbian pride flag right here at Pride Belongs. Our flags are 3x5 feet, made from durable polyester, and built to be flown or displayed.
If you're also interested in individual flag deep-dives, check out our bisexual pride flag guide or learn about the history of the rainbow flag.
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Fly Your Flag Grab a free lesbian pride flag and show the world who you are. |
