New Gay Men's Pride Flag

History

The modern gay men's pride flag — often called the New Gay Men's Flag or simply the Gay Men's Flag — emerged from Tumblr and online LGBTQ+ design communities around 2019 as a response to calls for a flag that specifically represented gay men, separate from the general rainbow flag. An earlier seven-stripe design by a Tumblr user named Valefisk was the most widely shared version, later refined to five stripes for cleaner production. The flag gained traction quickly on social media and began appearing at Pride events from 2019 onward. It is distinct from the older 'blue, green, white' designs that circulated in earlier years, some of which had contested origins. The five-stripe version is now the most recognised gay men's specific flag in English-speaking LGBTQ+ communities.

Colors

black, grey, white, green, teal/blue

The design uses a palette distinct from the rainbow to give gay men their own symbol: dark shades represent the diversity within gay male identity; green and teal represent nature and the outdoors, reclaiming associations historically used against gay men.

Symbols

five horizontal stripes

The symmetrical stripe arrangement centres white as a space of openness and community.