Meaning Behind the Pride Flag for Kids

June is Pride Month! As families celebrate and support equal rights, kids might see the Pride flag in local parades, merchandise, or around town. The Pride flag is more than just a rainbow of colors. Each color has significance behind it. Use this blog post and the free coloring page printable to help teach your child the meaning behind the colors on the Pride flag.

Types of Pride Flags: 

There are different types of Pride flags to represent different identities and communities. For this guide and printable, we used the Progress Pride Flag. This flag builds on the traditional six-stripe rainbow flag with black, brown, light blue, pink, and white stripes. Keep reading to discover the meaning behind these colors.

We encourage you and your little ones to learn about different flags, like the Traditional Gay Pride Flag created by Gilbert Baker in 1979 and the Philadelphia People of Color Inclusive Flag created under the direction of Amber Hikes which includes a black and brown stripe to promote inclusion and intersectionality. Read more about Pride flags here.

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple:

These colors are featured in the traditional Pride flag. Each color has a meaning: red is life, orange is healing, yellow is sunlight, green is nature, blue is serenity, and purple is spirit. Little ones can explore how these meanings resonate with them through the coloring page, such as adding sunbeams in the yellow stripe or trees in the green stripe.

Pink, White, and Blue Stripes:

Designer Daniel Quasar incorporated the Transgender Flag into the traditional 6-stripe Pride flag. In an interview, Quasar said, “The initial idea was important because I felt like I could bring something to the table when it came to the way the flag was shifting within the community.” The Transgender Flag was created in 2000. Light blue represents boys, light pink represents girls, and a white stripe represents those transitioning, people that identify with a neutral gender, no gender, or intersex.

Brown and Black Stripes:

Philadelphia introduced a Pride flag under the direction of Amber Hikes that included the black and brown stripe. These stripes represent the explicit inclusion of people of color who have historically faced oppression and discrimination in the movement.

Yellow with Purple Circle: 

Designer Valentino Vecchietti reimagined the flag to include intersex people, represented by the yellow background and purple circle seen in the Progress Pride Flag. The Intersex Pride Flag was introduced in 2013 by Intersex Human Rights Australia (formerly OII Australia). According to the organization, yellow and purple are hermaphrodite colors while the circle symbolizes completeness and wholeness.

Just as this movement has been built on leaders and events of the past, so have the flags that represent Pride. The tradition of Pride flags is being updated and reimagined to reflect the people and advocates it represents. So, if you’re attending a Pride event this summer or want to make your Pride parade at home, deck out your wagon with your very own Pride flag to share the knowledge of the rich history and meaning it represents. For more resources and activities, read our blog post for tips on teaching kids about Pride Month.