A quick look at a lesbian flag might show orange, white and pink stripes, but there’s more than one design to know. The sunset flag, created by Emily Gwen in 2018, has five- and seven-stripe versions, while older labrys and lipstick designs carry their own histories. Here’s how to recognise each flag and understand the meanings behind it.

Essential Takeaways

  • The sunset flag: Emily Gwen introduced the design in 2018, with orange, white and pink stripes. It appears in both seven- and five-stripe versions.
  • The seven colours: From top to bottom, they represent gender nonconformity, independence, community, unique relationships to womanhood, serenity and peace, love and sex, and femininity.
  • Older designs: The labrys flag dates to 1999, while the lipstick lesbian flag appeared in 2010.
  • No single universal choice: Different lesbian flags have different histories and associations, so the design someone uses can carry personal meaning.

The sunset flag puts orange and pink in a broader story

The best-known contemporary lesbian flag is often the sunset design: orange at the top, pink at the bottom, and a white stripe between them. Its colours move from deeper shades towards the centre, then deepen again. Emily Gwen introduced the seven-stripe design in 2018, and a simpler five-stripe adaptation is also widely recognisable. ([3], [4])

The seven colours each have a stated meaning. Read downwards, they stand for gender nonconformity, independence, community, unique relationships to womanhood, serenity and peace, love and sex, and femininity. That range is part of what makes the design more than a pretty gradient; it makes room for different experiences of lesbian identity. ([3], [4])

Why the five-stripe lesbian flag is different

The five-stripe version keeps dark orange, light orange, white, pink and dark rose. It leaves out two of the seven original bands, creating a less detailed design without changing the overall orange-to-pink sunset look. ([2], [4])

Neither version needs to be treated as a separate identity. The five-stripe flag is an adaptation of Gwen's design, not a declaration that someone belongs to a different group. If you're choosing a badge, banner or graphic, either version can work; the seven-stripe design simply shows more of the original colour sequence. ([2], [3])

The labrys flag has a long history behind its symbol

The labrys flag, designed by Sean Campbell in 1999, shows a white double-headed axe against a black downward-pointing triangle and a violet background. The axe had lesbian associations before it became part of this particular flag, including links to the mythological Amazons. Violet also carries sapphic history, with museum accounts connecting it to references to Sappho and the giving of flowers between women. ([3], [5])

But the black triangle needs careful context. Nazi authorities used black triangles to classify people they labelled “asocial”, and some lesbians were imprisoned under that category. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum notes, however, that lesbians weren't systematically persecuted as a group under the Nazi regime. So it would be misleading to suggest that every lesbian prisoner wore a black triangle. ([6])

The labrys symbol also has complicated associations in contemporary feminist politics, including links with trans-exclusionary movements. Some later versions use trans flag colours. That history is a useful reminder that a symbol can mean different things to different people, and its owner may have context that the image alone can't tell you. ([5])

The lipstick flag represents a narrower identity

Natalie McCray introduced the lipstick lesbian flag in 2010. Its pink and red stripes frame a white centre, with a lipstick kiss mark in the upper-left corner. The design highlights feminine lesbian identity, but that focus has drawn objections when it's presented as representing all lesbians, including butch and gender-nonconforming people. ([3])

A version without the kiss mark also circulates. It may look simpler, but its stripes still come from McCray's design and its history. If you're sharing or displaying either version, it's worth knowing that background rather than assuming the lipstick graphic is a universal symbol. ([3])

Choosing a lesbian flag means choosing with context

There isn't one universally adopted lesbian flag. The sunset design is a popular choice for broad representation, while the labrys and lipstick flags hold distinct histories and associations. What feels right can depend on personal identity, community and the story someone wants a flag to tell. ([3], [5])

For anyone making a digital graphic, the seven-stripe sunset flag also has published colour codes that can be entered into design software. Printed fabric may look different from a screen, so don't expect a perfect match. And if you're giving someone a flag or badge, a quick conversation about the design can be more useful than guessing what it means to them. ([2], [7])

A little context can make any flag's colours and symbols easier to appreciate.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

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