People love to deal with binaries and extremes. Many still view think of gender as either male or female. Even in the LGBT community, bisexuals tend to have less visibility as gays and lesbians are at the forefront. Perhaps it has something to do with how easily bi people blend into society as they tend to look like traditional males and females. It’s not until you get to know them that you realize that they do not subscribe to the norms. When it became apparent that the bisexual community needed to do more to be seen, they came up with the bi pride flag for representation and symbolism.
The Colors
Michael Page is credited with the design of the flag. It is composed of three color bands. Pink denotes attraction with the same-sex while blue represents attraction with the opposite sex. When these two colors overlap, they produce a shade of purple that is used in the middle to stand for attraction to both sexes. Unlike the LBGT flag which has pretty distinctive colors, this one has color bands that blend in well with each other. This was done on purpose to reflect how bisexuals in the real world blend seamlessly when with straights and when with gays or lesbians.
The Specifications
The inspiration for the bi pride flag is an older symbol of unclear origins called the biangles. These are two overlapping triangles with the same colors. In flag form, we use three horizontal bands within a rectangular form. As for the aspect ratio, various blends have been used including 3:4, 2:3, and 3:5. The pink goes on top while the blue is at the bottom. The purple at the middle comprises 20% of the flag width while the other rest is divided equally among the two colors. The exact colors for printed and digital representations can be found online for reference.
This flag design is not patented or licensed according to the creator. Anyone can make their own based on the existing design without paying license fees. Of course, there are also plenty of flag products out there for sale so you can just shop around for convenience. You can get flag pins, textiles, and other derivatives of the same design. It’s time to step forward and stop being invisible. Be proud of your bisexuality and wave the bi flag in solidarity with the broader community.
