Pride flags

Note: This article is not mocking the LGBTQ community or calling the people in the community an aesthetic, it is here to talk about Pride flag history and how they fit into moodboards and visuals of aesthetics.Pride flags are a diverse set of flags that are used for representing and celebrating a gender or sexual identity that is fully part of the LGBTQ community. When it comes to the aesthetic of pride flags, they are very commonly used in the moodboard and stimboard communities on Tumblr, but also used by corporations in pride month.
== History ==
The first pride flag was made in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, an openly gay activist. It was the rainbow flag, although different than how we know it today: it had 8 colors instead of 6. Baker removed the pink stripe due to fabric unavailability. Later, organizers of the San Francisco Pride parade wanted to split the flag into two in order to decorate the two sides of the parade route, but they needed an even number for that, and so they removed the turquoise stripe from the flag. 
In the years after, many pride flags have been added to celebrate different parts of the LGBTQ community, and to this day, new pride flags are being created.
In June 2015, the Rainbow flag was added to the design collection of The Museum of Modern Art. 
Original pride flag.png|Original pride flag with meanings
Rainbow.png|Rainbow flag as we now know it today
Transgender.png|Transgender flag (1999)
Non binary.png|Non-binary flag (2014)
Fluid.png|Genderfluid flag
Lesbian.png|New version of the lesbian flag (2019)
Bisexual.png|Bisexual flag (1998)
Pansexual.png|Pansexual flag (mid-2010)
Omni.png|Omnisexual flag
Asexual.png|Asexual flag (2010)
Aro.png|Aromantic flag
Intersex.png|Intersex flag (2013)
363f78 08392389b75243d08b649a2d697e6295 mv2.png|Demisexual flag (created on an unknown date)
File:Vincian flag.png|Gay man flag 
==Use Online==
Gender and sexual orientation are often an important part of one's identity. This is why online, you see moodboards, stimboards, drawings, outfits, and more, with the color palette of a pride flag. It is mainly for celebration and/or self-acceptance. You can find many moodboards on Tumblr to see more pride-based moodboards. 
Trans girl by paxiti.jpg|link=https://twitter.com/paxiti/status/1107631501456240640/photo/1|Anime girl with color palette of the trans flag by Paxiti on Twitter
Animal crossing pride.jpg|link=https://ultimatemagicalgirl.tumblr.com/post/613148990905745408/makin-that-gay-shit-with-the-pro-designs|Animal Crossing clothing pride designs by ultimatemagicalgirl on Tumblr
Neon bi.png|link=https://birepresentation.tumblr.com/post/174575553338/neon-bi-aesthetic|Neon + bisexual moodboard by birepresentation on Tumblr
Pansexual icecream.png|link=https://lullychi.tumblr.com/post/190686224865/i-made-these-ages-ago-literally-it-was-pride|Ice cream with pansexual flag palette by lullychi on Tumblr
Space aromantic.jpg|link=https://moodboard-hyx.tumblr.com/post/162443319439/space-aesthetic-aromantic-3030-being|Space moodboard with aromantic flag palette by moodboard-hyx on Tumblr
Screenshot 2021-02-06 090931.png|Abrosexual/Abroromantic color palette by Dragonsandmeerkats
Screenshot 2021-02-06 103912.png|Aroace color palette by Dragonsandmeerkats
File:Tumblr pdodthM8521vb4uvuo1 1280.png
File:Pride-shirts-by-twisted-doctor.jpg|A drawing of Kao, Dr. Mystery, Shai, and Alfred from Doll Eye wearing pride flag sweaters by TWISTED-DOCTOR.
File:LESBIAN AESTHETIC MOODBOARD BY NAOMI.jpg|A moodboard of showing some lesbian pride, made by BIZARRO-QUEEN.
File:LESBIAN NYAN CAT.gif|A lesbian flag version of Nyan Cat.
== Pride month ==
Online, pride flags are seen all year round, but in real life, you see them mainly during pride month (and only in accepting countries). Most pride events happen around June every year, to commemorate the Stonewall Riots that happened at the end of June in 1969. The Stonewall Riots were an important event for the LGBT community, as this was a turning point against LGBTQ oppression.
The first pride parade was in 1970: it was a quiet march, much unlike pride parades today. The general public was also not supportive and one of the organisers even received death threats. Luckily, more and more cities organized pride parades in the years after, and support for the LGBTQ community has grown a lot in the last 50 years, even though there is still a long way to go.
In the 2010s, corporations also decided to show support for the LGBTQ community, by giving their logo a rainbow overlay and selling items with the rainbow flag and with supportive slogans. From 2020, other versions of pride flags became more common, such as the transgender flag, the bisexual flag, the non-binary flag and the rainbow flag with an extra black and brown stripe, also known as the Progressive Pride flag.
However, it is important to note that this received a lot of criticism. Some say corporations are only in it for the money (even if they donate to LGBTQ causes) and some call it 'slacktivism' - showing support with the main purpose of boosting the egos of participants in the movement. Corporations are not contributing to fixing problems for the LGBT community (for example, 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQ, and even charities often only talk about this during pride month) and are choosing the easy way out by commercializing the rainbow flag and by that, overshadowing the less-pleasant and less-talked-about LGBTQ issues that matter, some argue.
One of first gay prides.jpg|One of the first gay pride parades
Pride now.png|Pride in the current years
Pride converse.jpg|Pride item by Converse
Uptoeyeswithpride2.jpg|An eye colored with the pride flag colors
== References ==
* Wikipedia: Rainbow flag
* Wikipedia: Pride flag
* Wikipedia: Gay pride
* Wikipedia: Pride parade
* Wikipedia: Stonewall Riots
* Wikipedia: Slacktivism
* Vox, article about Pride month
* Gender wiki
Category:LGBTQ+