Progressive pride flag

The Pride Flag

Flying the Intersex-Inclusive Pride Flag – or other iterations of the Pride Flag – in our federal buildings supports federal tries and mandates to construct a diverse and inclusive workforce, in addition to serving diverse Canadians in an inclusive way.

Visible Celebration flags are a uncomplicated way to contribute to a sense of belonging and demonstrate that your department, agency and/or team celebrates the diversity of all staff. This observable representation leads to inclusion and a sense of belonging, providing equity-deserving groups and employees with a positive feeling of entity recognized, acknowledged and renowned.

The Intersex-Inclusive Pride flag can be flown at various times during the calendar year. These dates can include:

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia – May 17
International Daytime of Pink (second week of April, annually)
Pride Month (dates vary across provinces and territories, from June to September annually)
Public Service Pride Week (third week of August, annually)

There is no directive that states that the National Flag of Canada must be the only flag to fly in the lobbies or other open spaces within Governmen

LGBTQ+ Pride Flags

In the LGBTQ+ community, we signify our pride with flags. With many unlike identities in the group, there comes many diverse flags to know. We have collected all of the flags and a guide to learn about all of the other colors of our community’s rainbow. We know that this may not be all of the flags that represent our society, but we will update the page as novel flags become popular!

Explore the flag collection below! View a flag's name by hovering or clicking on the flag.

Umbrella Flags

Gilbert Baker Pride Flag
Traditional Pride Flag
Philadelphia Pride Flag
Progress Pride Flag
Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag
Queer Pride Flag

The original Pride Flag was created in 1978 after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each color represents a alternative part of the Gay community: hot pink represents sex, red symbolizes experience, orange stands for healing, yellow equals sunlight, leafy stands for nature, turquoise symbolizes magic and art, indigo represents serenity, while violet symbolizes the liveliness of LGBTQ+ people.

After the assass

In 2023, Cooper Hewitt hung the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag on its south-facing facade. The installation celebrates LGBTQ+ Parade Month and demonstrates the evolution of inclusivity in the design of Lgbtq+ fest flags.

The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag, installed at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in the Arthur Ross Terrace & Garden. Installation produced by Molly Engelman and Dillon Goldschlag. Photo by Ann Sunwoo.

Designed in 2021 by Valentino Vecchietti, the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag incorporates a field of yellow and a purple circle—the elements of the intersex flag designed in 2013 by Morgan Carpenter—to symbolize intersex inclusion. The yellow represents an alternative to blue and pink, often paired with the male/female gender binary. The circle symbolizes wholeness and expresses the need for autonomy and integrity.

The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag. Courtesy of the designer.

The Pride Progres

The Progress Pride flag was developed in 2018 by genderfluid American artist and designer Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns). Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ group and calls for a more inclusive society. In 2020, the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Pride flag that can be seen on show in the Style 1900 – Now gallery.

'Progress' is a reinterpretation of multiple iterations of the pride flag. The original 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 to observe members of the gay and sapphic political movement. It comprised eight coloured stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of wish. Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, verdant for nature, turquoise for magic, indigo for serenity and violet for essence. A year later the pink and turquoise stripes were dropped owing to a shortage of pink fabric at the time and legibility concerns, resulting in the six-colour rainbow flag most commonly used in the first decades of the 21st century.

Baker's flag was embra

Celebrating Pride and Progress: The Meaning Behind the Progress Pride Flag

As we commemorate Pride Month, we also take time to indicate on the work still needed to build a more inclusive and equitable society. One way we honour that commitment is by using the Progress Pride Flag in our celebrations.

The Progress Pride Flag was designed in 2018 by Daniel Quasar, a non-binary artist and graphic designer from Oregon. Quasar’s design builds on the traditional rainbow Pride Flag by incorporating the colours of the Transgender Flag, along with black and brown stripes. These additions represent Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) in the 2SLGBTQ+ group, as well as individuals living with or disoriented to HIV/AIDS. The flag was created to accentuate the importance of inclusion and forward movement.

A Little History of Pride

Pride has its roots in the Stonewall Riots of 1969 in New York City—a pivotal moment in the fight for 2SLGBTQ+ rights. At the time, homosexuality and dressing in queenly were criminalized. The riots marked the beginning of an organized movement advocating for decriminalization and equality.

In Canada, homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969, and the count