Philadelphia Pride Flag

History

Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs commissioned the design from the advertising agency Tierney in 2017, launching it at the city's More Color More Pride campaign. The campaign directly responded to accounts of racism at Philadelphia gay bars, including a 2016 incident at ICandy that prompted a city investigation. The flag sparked national debate within LGBTQ+ communities: some praised it as an overdue correction, others argued race should not be encoded in a flag for sexual orientation. Despite the controversy, the design spread beyond Philadelphia and became the foundation for Daniel Quasar's 2018 Progress Pride Flag. The flag is still used by the City of Philadelphia for official Pride events.

Colors

black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet

Two stripes added above the standard six-stripe rainbow: black and brown to centre LGBTQ+ people of colour who have historically been excluded from or marginalised within predominantly white LGBTQ+ organisations.

Symbols

eight-stripe rainbow with added stripes

The visual addition at the top of the flag signals deliberate prioritisation, not mere inclusion.