It is going to be Pride Month in a few months, and you’re sitting there wondering what the Bi flag is? No worries — let me help you clear in this post!
Like other LGBT flags, the bisexual flag has its history and meanings in every color— but it’s not always about the rainbow. Besides, getting to know some facts about it may provide you with an understanding of the bisexual community. So, scroll down for more details!
The Bi Flag Term Explained
The bi flag has been adopted as a symbol of pride for people who identify as bisexual.
Bisexuality is sometimes referred to as being bi or to people attracted to both men and women.
The bi community is often underrepresented, discriminated against, or misunderstood in today’s society. Most of these misconceptions are subjective views on the bi people’s romantic relationships. One of them comes from a common belief that there may be a higher chance for bisexuals to change their partners. Even if it’s a bad thing, it is hugely nonsense!!!
Moreover, it’s time for society to accept that any sexuality is natural. Science says it is based on human instincts, regardless of what gender you are.
Thus, a flag was born to show their true selves, with pride and fight against draconian stereotypes on them.
Who Designed The Flag For Bisexuals?
The bisexual pride flag was designed by Michael Page in 1998. Because the bisexuals felt not much connected to the gay rainbow flag, Page wanted to create one of their own, just like the queer women having the lesbian flag.
Bi flag has three horizontal bars. The top pink bar and the bottom blue bar comprise 80% of the flag, while the middle purple bar takes up only 20%.
Each color has specific meanings that describe a bisexual individual. Though, it was not Page who got all of the credits making this flag. In fact, he got inspiration from the two-overlapping-triangle symbol that had described the bi community very long before.
What Does The Bisexual Flag Colors Mean?
The History of Bi Colors
As I’ve just mentioned above— there was a symbol that inspired Michael Page to decide the colors of the bi pride flag. Let’s dive deep into this symbol to see where these hues came from and what they mean!
In March 1987, while working on a national bisexual contingent in Washington, lesbian artist Liz Nania designed the ‘biangles’ symbol. She said that she designed it to be an inclusive symbol for bisexuals.
This artist drew some triangles on paper. Then they are pink and blue because they represent two different poles of the gender binary. But when you put them together, they make purple! And yes—purple is made up of both pink and blue colors. No doubt, The artist used these colors to show that people attracted to more than one gender can be happy together!
What The Colors Mean
Pink represents attraction to people of a different gender.
Blue stands for attraction to people of the same gender.
Purple symbolizes attraction to people of either sex. It also represents diversity within the bi community, while blue is frequently associated with boys/men and pink with girls/women.
Is The Flag For Free Public Use?
The bisexual pride flag has been around since 1998 when the creator gave permission for people to use it freely. But in 2020, BiNet USA came along and said they owned the rights to it. Lots of people disagreed with this statement because BiNet USA didn’t have anything to do with making the flag!
Indeed, BiNet USA has made a false claim about owning the Bisexual Pride Flag. It has been proven that they have no connection to its design or creation, so they cannot own it. Later then, Out magazine and LGBTQ Nation reported this story, casting doubt on BiNet’s claims and noting that there is no need for the copyright of using a bi flag.
Is The Bi Curious Flag The Same As Bi Flag?
No, because bi-curiosity and bisexuality are two different terms with different meanings.
The term bi-curiosity refers to those starting to explore their queer identity or dabble in bisexuality. These people are mostly those previously identified as straight. The rest are people who might not feel ready to come out yet.
Also, the bi curious flag bears no resemblance to the bisexuality flag in its layout. Though, the colors represent the same meanings.
However, these hues don’t include any purple because some bi-curious people might not be entirely sure if they’re gay or straight yet.
Instead, the middle stripe is white, the color for questioning their identity.
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Final Thoughts
Unlike many Pride flags that have undergone some revolutions, the bi flag for over 20 years has remained the same design. It not only represents the bisexual community. It’s also a voice fighting to erase discrimination and skepticism about this sexual orientation.
According to Gallup’s survey, the percentage of people identifying as bisexual in the U.S. has been rising for many past years. That helps strengthen the fact that bisexuality is a natural thing. Also, it indicates that people today are no more afraid to reveal their true selves.