Sapphic Pride Flag

History

The Sapphic Flag was designed to cover a broader identity than 'lesbian' — encompassing bisexual, pansexual, and unlabelled women and non-binary people who are primarily attracted to women. The violet flower's origin in Sappho's poetry connects the flag to a literary and historical tradition stretching back to ancient Greece, where Sappho of Lesbos wrote of love between women on the island of Lesbos, from which the word 'lesbian' is also derived. The flag circulated through Tumblr communities in the 2010s and has been adopted especially by people who find the term 'lesbian' too narrow for their identity.

Colors

pink, white, pink with central violet flower

Pink represents women-loving-women identity; white represents openness; the violet or lavender flower at the centre draws on ancient Sapphic symbolism from the poetry of Sappho.

Symbols

violet flower on white centre stripe

Violets appear in Sappho's poetry to describe love between women and have been used as a subtle symbol of sapphic identity since antiquity.