| Lgbt Symbols |
Article Index for Lgbt |
Website Links For Symbols |
Information AboutLgbt Symbols |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT LGBT SYMBOLS | |
| lgbt symbolslgbt symbols | |
| lgbt culture | |
| symbols | |
|
Like many other organizations and communities, members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered ( GLBT ) community have adopted certain symbols by which they are identified and by which they demonstrate unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one another. PINK AND BLACK TRIANGLES .]] s, Prostitutes or women who used Birth Control (among others) in Nazi Concentration Camp s.]] One of the oldest of these symbols is the Pink Triangle , which originated from the Nazi Concentration Camp Badges that homosexuals were required to wear on their clothing. It is estimated that as many as 220,000 gays and lesbians perished alongside the 6,000,000 Jews whom the Nazis exterminated in their death camps during World War II as part of Hitler’s so-called final solution. For this reason, the pink triangle is used both as an identification symbol and as a memento to remind both its wearers and the general public of the atrocities that gays suffered under Nazi persecutors. ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) also adopted the inverted pink triangle to symbolize the “active fight back” against the disease “rather than a passive resignation to fate.” The Nazis compelled “undesirable” women, including lesbians, to wear the inverted Black Triangle . Modern-day lesbians have reclaimed this symbol for themselves as gay men have reclaimed the pink triangle. ''See also: History Of Gays In Nazi Germany And The Holocaust '' LAMBDA In 1970, the Greek letter lambda was selected to symbolize the Gay Activists Alliance ’s campaign for Gay Liberation , and, four years later. the International Gay Rights Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland, chose the same symbol to represent lesbian and gay rights. As a result, the lambda has become internationally known. It is traditional for the lambda to be shown in lavender, a color which, like pink, is often associated with homosexuality. RAINBOW FLAG ]] See Also: Rainbow flag Gilbert Baker designed the Rainbow Flag for the 1978 San Francisco's Gay Freedom Celebration. The flag does not depict or show an actual rainbow. Rather, the colors of the rainbow are displayed as horizontal stripes, with red at the top and purple at the bottom. It represents the diversity of gays and lesbians around the world. FREEDOM RINGS Freedom rings, designed by David Spada, are six aluminum rings, each in one of the colors of the rainbow flag. Symbolizing independence and tolerance, these rings are worn as necklaces, bracelets, rings, and key chains. RED RIBBON ]] See Also: Red ribbon The red ribbon the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS . LEATHER PRIDE FLAG See Also: Leather Pride flag Lest the gays and lesbians who pursue a sadomasochistic lifestyle be forgotten, Tony DeBlase displayed a flag with a central horizontal white band above and below which black and gray bands alternate with one another. The upper left corner of the flag is adorned with a red Valentine heart. First flown in Chicago during the 1989 Mr. Leather Contest, the flag has become known as the leather pride flag and symbolizes those who enjoy a sadomasochistic, bondage-and-discipline lifestyle in which uniforms, leather, western clothing, and other fetishes play a central part. The use of the Leather Pride flag is not exclusive to homosexuals. LABRYS ]] See Also: Labrys The Labrys , or double-bladed battle axe, was associated with the Greek goddess Demeter (Artemis in Roman mythology). Supposedly used by Scythian Amazon warriors, who were ruled by two queens at a time. It is believed that Demeter’s devotees’ worship involved lesbian sex. The labrys represents lesbian and feminist strength and self-sufficiency. BISEXUALITY SYMBOL ]] Usually, to show a bisexual identification, women wear two of the biological symbols for female, the circles of which are linked. Bisexual men represent their sexual preference the same way, except that the biological symbol for male is used instead of the female symbol. In 1988, Michael page designed a Bisexual Pride Flag to represent the bisexual community. TRANSGENDERED SYMBOL See Also: Transgender symbols Popular transgender symbols used to identify transvestites, transsexuals, and other transgendered men and women, frequently consist of a modified biological symbol. In addition to the arrow projecting from the top right of the circle that comprises the biological symbol for the male (based on Mars, the arrow representing the Greek war god’s spear), and in addition to the cross projecting from the bottom of the circle that comprises the biological symbol for the female (based on Demeter, the circle-and-cross combination representing her hand mirror), the symbol incorporates both these devices as well as a cross topped by an arrowhead (combining the male and the female motifs) which projects from the top left of the circle. ]] Another transgender symbol is the Transgender Pride Flag designed by Monica Helms, and first shown at a pride parade in Phoenix, Arizona, USA in 2000. The flag represents the transgendered community and consists of five horizontal stripes, two light blue, two pink, with a white stripe in the center. Helms described the meaning of the flag as follows: The light blue is the traditional color for baby boys, pink is for girls, and the white in the middle is for those who are transitioning, those who feel they have a neutral gender or no gender, and those who are intersexed. The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it will always be correct. This symbolizes us trying to find correctness in our own lives. Other transgender symbols include the Butterfly (symbolizing transformation or metamorphosis), and a pink/light blue Yin And Yang symbol. OTHER, LESSER SYMBOLS In addition to these major symbols of the GLBT community, other lesser symbols have been used to represent members’ unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one.
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|