The five-stripe Orange-Pink flag is the most widely used lesbian pride flag today.

The lesbian flag is a symbol of pride, identity, and belonging for lesbian and sapphic women around the world. Unlike some other LGBTQ+ pride flags, there is no single official lesbian flag. Instead, several designs have emerged since 1999, each reflecting a different chapter in lesbian history: the labrys flag, the pink and lipstick flags, the butch flags, and the orange-pink "sunset" flag that most people fly today. This page is a complete, research-based guide to every lesbian pride flag, what its colors mean, how the designs evolved, and how to choose and display a flag of your own.

Quick Facts: What Do the Lesbian Flag Colors Mean?

Dark orange - Gender non-conformity

Light orange - Community

White - Unique relationships to womanhood

Pink - Serenity and peace

Dark pink / rose - Femininity

A Short History of the Lesbian Flag

1999 - The Labrys Flag: Graphic designer Sean Campbell created the first widely documented lesbian flag: a labrys (double-headed axe) over an inverted black triangle on a violet background, linking lesbian feminism to Amazon mythology and reclaiming a badge once used against queer women in Nazi concentration camps.

2010 - The Lipstick and Pink Flags: Blogger Natalie McCray introduced a seven-stripe gradient flag with a kiss mark, meant to celebrate feminine "lipstick lesbians." A version without the kiss mark, known as the pink flag, became more popular, though both designs drew criticism for excluding butch and gender-nonconforming lesbians.

2016-2017 - The Butch Flags: Tumblr users proposed cooler-toned flags built from blue, white, and purple stripes, intentionally countering the pink flag's feminine palette to better represent butch and non-femme lesbians.

2018 - The Orange-Pink "Sunset" Flag: Blogger Emily Gwen combined the pink flag's magenta tones with the butch flag's warm oranges to create a seven-stripe flag meant to include the whole community. A simplified five-stripe version soon followed and is now the version most commonly flown at Pride events worldwide.

Read the full, in-depth history, including original sources, on our History of the Lesbian Flag page.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Lesbian Flag

Is there an official lesbian pride flag?

No single flag is officially recognized by every lesbian community. The five-stripe orange-pink "sunset" flag, created in 2018, is the version most widely used today, but the labrys flag and other pink and purple designs are still flown as well.

What do the colors of the lesbian flag mean?

On the popular orange-pink flag, the stripes represent (from top to bottom) gender non-conformity, community, unique relationships to womanhood, serenity and peace, and femininity.

What is the labrys lesbian flag?

The labrys flag, created in 1999 by graphic designer Sean Campbell, shows a double-headed axe over an inverted black triangle on a violet background. It references the Amazons of Greek mythology and reclaims a symbol once used against lesbians in Nazi concentration camps.

Why are there so many different lesbian flags?

Because no single design has ever been formally adopted by one official body, different generations and groups within the lesbian community, including butch, femme, and gender-nonconforming lesbians, have created flags that better reflect their own experience.

Which lesbian flag should I fly today?

For everyday use, the five-stripe orange-pink sunset flag is the most widely recognized choice. If you want to reference specific lesbian history, the labrys flag or one of the butch flags can be more meaningful.

The 10 Best Lesbian Pride Flags to Buy on Amazon

Ready to fly your pride? Here are 10 well-reviewed lesbian pride flags available on Amazon right now, from classic 3x5 ft outdoor flags to mini desk flags and handheld sticks for parades. As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases made through the links below, at no extra cost to you.