What is the Progress Pride Flag? A Guide to the New Design

The Evolution of a Global Symbol

For decades, the classic six-stripe rainbow has been the universal shorthand for the LGBTQ+ community. You see it on bumper stickers, storefront windows, and flying high above parade routes every June. But symbols are living things, and as our community grows and deepens its understanding of itself, our symbols must evolve alongside us. That brings us to the most significant update to our community's visual identity in recent history.

If you have been to a pride event, walked through a queer neighborhood, or shopped for apparel lately, you have likely noticed a vibrant new design taking center stage. You might be wondering about the progress pride flag meaning and why it has become the new standard for visibility. It is not just a random assortment of new colors added for visual flair. Every single addition carries deep historical weight and points to the future of our movement.

To understand where we are going, we have to look at where we started. Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag in 1978, assigning a specific meaning to each color, from sex and healing to sunlight and spirit. Over time, due to fabric availability and visibility needs, it was simplified into the six-stripe version we all know. But the queer community is not a monolith. The classic rainbow, while beautiful, was created in a very specific era and did not explicitly highlight the most marginalized groups within our own spaces.

The Catalyst in Philadelphia

The conversation around updating the flag did not start with the progress design. It began in earnest in 2017 in Philadelphia. Local activists and community leaders noticed a troubling trend. Racism and exclusion were still rampant within queer spaces, bars, and organizations. The community needed a visual reminder that queer people of color have always been here and have always been leading the charge.

The city introduced the "More Color, More Pride" flag, which added black and brown stripes to the top of the traditional six-stripe rainbow. It was a direct, unapologetic statement. The addition of these stripes forced a conversation about intersectionality that many people were trying to avoid. It asked a simple question: How can we celebrate pride if we are leaving our Black and brown siblings behind?

The Philadelphia flag sparked intense debate. Some people argued that the original rainbow already included everyone. Others felt that the explicit inclusion of black and brown stripes was a necessary correction to decades of white-centered gay history. We know that the modern queer rights movement was largely ignited by trans women of color at Stonewall and Compton's Cafeteria. Acknowledging them visually was long overdue.

While the Philadelphia flag was a massive step forward, it also opened the door for designers to think about how to visually integrate these vital messages even better. The horizontal stacking of eight stripes was powerful, but some felt it could be refined to tell a more cohesive story about movement and progress. This set the stage for the next major evolution.

Enter the Daniel Quasar Pride Flag

In 2018, a graphic designer named Daniel Quasar decided to take the concept of the Philadelphia flag and push it further. Quasar, who identifies as queer and non-binary, wanted to create a design that retained the history of the original rainbow while placing a sharp, undeniable focus on inclusion. The result was the Daniel Quasar pride flag, which quickly went viral and was adopted by communities worldwide.

Quasar's design did not just add stripes to the top or bottom. Instead, they completely reimagined the layout. They kept the six classic rainbow stripes as the base, representing the broad spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community. Then, they introduced a chevron shape on the left side of the flag. This was a brilliant design choice that solved the visual crowding of the Philadelphia flag while adding layers of symbolic meaning.

By separating the new colors into a distinct shape, Quasar created a visual distinction between the broad community and the specific marginalized groups that need targeted focus and protection. The inclusive pride flag became an instant classic. It felt modern, urgent, and deeply respectful of our history all at once.

The design was released under a Creative Commons license, allowing it to spread rapidly. It was not locked behind corporate trademarks. It belonged to the community. From small enamel pins to massive banners draped across city halls, the design became the new default for spaces that wanted to signal true, intersectional welcome.

Understanding the progress pride flag meaning requires looking at the specific colors Quasar chose to include in that new, striking chevron. It brought together two different movements for visibility into one unified symbol.

Breaking Down the Progress Pride Flag Meaning

Let us look closely at the colors that make up this design. The base of the flag remains the traditional six stripes. These represent the foundation of the modern LGBTQ+ movement and carry the original meanings assigned to them in the late 1970s.

• Red represents life and passion.
• Orange stands for healing and recovery.
• Yellow symbolizes sunlight and visibility.
• Green represents nature and growth.
• Blue stands for serenity and harmony.
• Violet represents the spirit of the community.

The real shift happens in the chevron on the left side. Quasar pulled colors from two other critical flags to create this new focal point. The specific progress pride flag meaning is rooted entirely in who these new colors represent.

• Light Blue, Pink, and White are pulled directly from the Transgender Pride Flag, designed by Monica Helms in 1999.
• Brown represents marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color.
• Black represents Black LGBTQ+ individuals, but it also carries a second, deeply somber meaning.

The Dual Meaning of the Black Stripe

It is crucial to talk about the black stripe in detail. While it represents Black queer individuals, it was also intentionally included to represent those living with HIV/AIDS, as well as the generation we lost to the epidemic. The 1980s and 1990s decimated our community, and the trauma of those years still echoes through queer culture today.

For a long time, the history of the AIDS crisis was sanitized or swept under the rug. Including the black stripe in the chevron ensures that we never forget the activists who fought for healthcare, the lovers who held each other in hospital rooms, and the vibrant lives cut short by government inaction. It is a memorial woven directly into our most joyous symbol.

At the same time, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing stigma faced by those living with HIV today. It is a call to continue the fight for accessible healthcare, preventative medicine, and compassion. The black stripe demands that our pride remains rooted in advocacy, not just corporate parades.

By placing this stripe alongside the colors representing trans individuals and people of color, the flag acknowledges how the HIV/AIDS epidemic disproportionately affects these specific demographics. It is a masterclass in visual intersectionality.

The Anatomy of the Pride Flag With Triangle

The shape of the new addition is just as important as the colors themselves. The pride flag with triangle, or chevron, pointing to the right is a deliberate design choice by Quasar. In Western visual culture, an arrow pointing right signifies forward movement, progress, and the future.

This forward-pointing shape illustrates that the fight for equality is not over. We are still moving. We are still pushing forward. The inclusion of trans people, non-binary people, and queer people of color is the direction our community must go if we are to survive and thrive together.

However, Quasar intentionally placed the chevron along the left hoist edge of the flag. While the arrow points forward, it originates from the edge and does not stretch all the way across the flag. This placement signifies that while progress is happening, there is still a massive amount of work to be done.

We have not reached the finish line. As long as trans youth are under legislative attack, and as long as queer people of color face disproportionate violence, the arrow remains on the left side, pushing us to do better. It is a symbol of momentum, not a declaration of victory.

Intersectionality at the Core of Our Community

The term intersectionality was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how different aspects of a person's social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. In the context of the queer community, it means recognizing that a Black trans woman experiences the world very differently than a white cisgender gay man.

The progress flag is the visual embodiment of intersectionality. It forces us to look at the overlaps. You cannot separate someone's race from their gender identity or their sexual orientation. When we fly this flag, we are making a promise to protect the most vulnerable among us.

It is a reminder that our liberation is bound together. If you are curious about how other specific communities have carved out their own visual identities, you can read our comprehensive guide on Beyond the Rainbow: Exploring 10+ Other LGBTQ+ Pride Flags. Every flag tells a story of a community fighting for space and recognition.

For instance, the conversation around gender and attraction is constantly evolving. You can see this in the creation of other inclusive symbols. If you want to dive deeper into how attraction is represented, our article on the Pansexual Pride Flag Meaning: The Story of Pink, Yellow & Blue explores another beautiful facet of our broad community.

Ultimately, intersectionality is about ensuring nobody gets left behind. The progress flag says, loudly and clearly, that there is room for all of us here. It challenges the gatekeeping that sometimes happens within our own walls.

Why We Need an Inclusive Pride Flag Today

Some critics of the new design argue that it is too visually busy or that the original rainbow was sufficient. But visibility matters. When a trans teenager sees the blue, pink, and white stripes explicitly included on a flag flying outside a coffee shop, it sends a much stronger message of safety than a generic rainbow.

When queer people of color see the black and brown stripes, it tells them that this is a space where their whole identity is welcome, not just the parts that are palatable to white culture. The inclusive pride flag removes ambiguity. It states exactly who we are fighting for.

In a political climate where trans rights are constantly debated and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is on the rise, we need symbols that do not mince words. We need symbols that are unapologetic. The progress design is a shield and a beacon all at once.

It also serves as an educational tool. When someone asks about the new colors, it opens a dialogue. It gives us a chance to talk about Marsha P. Johnson, the AIDS crisis, and the ongoing fight for trans healthcare. It turns a piece of fabric into a conversation starter.

Wearing Your Pride Year-Round

Pride is not something we pack away in a box on July 1st. It is how we live our lives every single day. The progress flag has become a staple of year-round queer visibility. Whether you are wearing a bold graphic tee to a march or a subtle embroidered design to the office, you are participating in a legacy of visibility.

Finding ways to incorporate this symbol into your everyday life is a powerful act. It signals to others that you are a safe person. It tells the closeted kid at the grocery store that they are not alone. It tells your coworkers where you stand on human rights.

Your pride, your rules. Whether you prefer the classic rainbow or the updated progress design, the most important thing is that you show up as your authentic self. We wear these colors to remember our history, to celebrate our present, and to demand a better future for the entire community.