The Bisexual Pride Flag: History, Meaning & Evolution
The Bisexual Pride Flag is one of the most recognisable symbols of bisexual identity and visibility. Its three colours — pink, purple and blue — have become a powerful expression of bi pride, representing the diversity of attraction and the place bisexual people hold within the LGBTQ+ community.
But the flag has a story that goes beyond its colours. It emerged from a desire to give the bisexual community a symbol of its own — something that could make bisexuality visible, celebrated and impossible to overlook. To understand the flag, it helps to go back to where that story began.
The Origin of the Bisexual Pride Flag
The Bisexual Pride Flag was created by American bisexual activist Michael Page in 1998 to provide the bisexual community with a symbol that was immediately recognisable and distinct from the Rainbow Pride Flag.
At the time, bisexual people were often overlooked within both LGBTQ+ communities and wider society. Page believed that a dedicated flag would help increase bisexual visibility, strengthen community identity and encourage greater recognition of bisexual people.
Page was an active member of the online bisexual community and worked with BiCafe, one of the largest bisexual websites of the late 1990s. Drawing on his experience as an activist and graphic designer, he wanted to create a simple design that could be reproduced easily on banners, clothing and printed materials while remaining instantly identifiable.
Rather than developing it in isolation, Page consulted with members of the bisexual community throughout the design process, seeking a symbol that people could immediately embrace.
He also drew inspiration from existing bisexual symbolism, particularly the "biangles" symbol created by activist Liz Nania in 1987. This consisted of overlapping twin triangles in pink and blue, with the overlap in lavender. The design was a reference to the inverted triangle that gay and bisexual men were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps during WWII.
Page adapted its colours into a three-striped flag, with a magenta taking the top 40%, a blue in the bottom 40% and lavender as the central 20%. The result was a vivid, bold design that would be visible from a distance.
The flag was publicly unveiled on 5 December 1998 during the first anniversary celebration of BiCafe. The flag was quickly adopted by bisexual organisations around the world and remains the internationally recognised symbol of bisexual pride.
More than 25 years after its creation, Michael Page's iconic design continues to be the dominant symbol of the bisexual community. Promoting visibility, inclusion and recognition for bisexual people.
The Meaning of the Colours of the Bisexual Pride Flag
In the original meaning the magenta stripe was intended to represent same sex attraction, the blue stripe was attraction to the opposite sex and the lavender stripe was a combination of both colours and so is an attraction to both sexes.
However, this has evolved as the understanding of a range of gender identities became more widespread and it became important to move away from the idea that bisexuality focussed on the binaries. The pink is now seen as an attraction to female or femme identifying. The lavender to non-binary people and blue to male or masculine identifying people.
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Controversy Around The Rights To The Bi Pride Flag
In 2020, BiNet USA sparked widespread criticism after claiming sole copyright ownership of the Bisexual Pride Flag and suggesting that organisations and businesses would need permission to use it. The claim was strongly disputed by activists, legal commentators and Michael Page himself, who had always intended the flag to be freely used by everyone. Following significant backlash from the bisexual community, BiNet USA withdrew its claim and stopped using the flag altogether.
The History Of The Bisexual Flag
While Michael Page’s original Bisexual Flag is still very much the one that represents the community today, there were some others who designed their own versions.
Many of these conflated multiple identities, such as Bi/Pan/Omni, or identities that included bisexual, non binary and neurodivergent. These were more about individual designers wanting to represent their specific identity and any who shared it, than an effort to design an alternative flag for the whole community.
But a few activists did try to redesign a Bi Pride Flag flag that would be more inclusive, largely around the time that the discussion of how a historical binary definition of bisexuality should evolve to embrace trans, non binary, genderqueer and agender people.
Anti-Racism / POC Inclusive Bi Flag
The Anti-Racism/POC Inclusive Bisexual Pride Flag emerged in the early 2020s as a community-led adaptation of Michael Page's 1998 Bisexual Pride Flag. Its original designer is unknown.
By adding black and brown stripes, the flag celebrates bisexual People of Colour while highlighting the ongoing need to challenge racism within both the bisexual community and the wider LGBTQ+ movement.
Hydrangea Bi Flag
The Hydrangea Bi Flag was first shared on 10 March 2021 by X (formerly Twitter) user @sapphicbisexual, who described it as "a bi flag inspired by hydrangea flowers".
Inspired by the flower's natural pink, purple and blue blooms, the design offers a softer, nature-inspired alternative to the traditional Bisexual Pride Flag and the meanings include attractions to people across the gender spectrum, and to love and peace.
Bi Neurodivergent Flag
The Bi Neurodivergent Flag, sometimes known as the Sunset Bi Flag, was created by artist called Kieran (she/her) on 10 June 2020 to represent people who identify as both bisexual and neurodivergent. Combining the colours of the Bisexual Pride Flag with symbolism associated with neurodiversity, the design celebrates the intersection of these identities
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