Lesbian Flags: Which One Is Right & Why?

There are a few different versions of the lesbian flag, and not every lesbian agrees on which flag is correct. However, many lesbians currently use a newer, more inclusive flag. 

There is no "right" lesbian flag, but the inclusive lesbian flag created by Emily Gwen in 2018 is currently the most commonly used flag in the 2020s. Some lesbians consider the 2010 “lipstick lesbian flag” to be offensive, as it is non-inclusive and its creator is considered butchphobic, racist, and transphobic.  

In this article we will focus on why the 2018 flag by Emily Gwen is currently considered to be best lesbian flag by many lesbians.

The Lipstick Lesbian Flag's Creator is a Bigot

The 2010 lesbian flag, called "The Lipstick Lesbian Flag," was created by Natalie McCray. It was intended to be used by only feminine lesbians who are into other femmes.

The problem with this flag is not that it's for lipstick lesbians. Lipstick lesbian is a valid identity. The issue is that Natalie McCray is not someone that many lesbians want to support. 

She had a blog back in 2010 called "This Lesbian Life." The site is no longer up, so we don't know exactly what kind of offensive things she said there, but I took a look at her Twitter account for the blog. She is not currently active there, as her last tweet is from August 2012, but some of the tweets I found there were concerning: 

It is obvious that she has a distaste for masculine and butch lesbians, and she doesn't care who knows it. Many people have said she is also transphobic, though I have not found any transphobic remarks on her accounts. This is very easy to believe though, knowing her bigotry towards masculine lesbians.

I reached out for a comment from McCray, but have not heard back.

Another reason many lesbians do not like the Lipstick Lesbian Flag is because it only represents one part of the community: femme lesbians who like other femmes. It excludes people who do not identify this way, which is a large percentage of the community.

 

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The Labrys Flag Was Created by a Man

Some lesbians prefer older versions of the flag, such as the violet labrys flag that was created by Sean Campbell in 1999. Campbell used violet as a symbol of sapphic love, as ancient lesbian poet Sappho wrote of her lover wearing violets.

"all the violet tiaras,
braided rosebuds, dill and
crocus twined around your young neck"

The labrys, or axe, represents women's empowerment and feminism. It was adopted by the lesbian feminist movement in the 1970s.

The black triangle was a symbol used by the Nazis to mark women who were gender-nonconforming along with other people the Nazis viewed as "asocial."

 

  

Some queer women are very enthusiastic about this flag because it is a symbol of the strength of women. It is generally accepted as a legitimate flag in the community. However, others are a bit wary of it because it was created by a gay man and not a lesbian.

It has also been reported that some TERFs (trans exclusionary radical feminists) have started using this flag, so there has been some confusion within the community regarding the actual meaning of the flag. The labrys flag is not a trans exclusionary flag even though some TERFs may be using it as such.

The 2018 Sunset Flag is More Inclusive

The 2018 lesbian flag created by Emily Gwen is currently the most commonly used flag. This flag is inclusive of all lesbians: masculine, feminine, cis, and trans.

 

Gwen has explained the meaning behind each stripe:

 

The "Right" Lesbian Flag

The general consensus among lesbians today is that anyone can use any flag they like to represent lesbianism as long as the meaning behind the flag is one of love and not of hate.

The most commonly used flag is the new sunset lesbian flag by Emily Gwen. Out of the 37 lesbians that I surveyed, 25 said that they prefer Gwen's "sunset" flag. That's 67.6%. Many of those I surveyed mentioned they like Gwen's flag the most because of the meaning behind it as well as it being the most aesthetically pleasing.

 

 

4 people said they liked the labrys flag, mostly because it represents strength and gives a "badass" vibe. Another 4 said they use the Lipstick Lesbian Flag, stating that they either didn't know about the flag's sordid history or that they just liked the pink aesthetic. 2 said that they use multiple lesbian flags, and another 2 use other more obscure flags.