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But it is the direct copy-and-paste attitude towards the rainbow symbol and the implication that the NHS is somehow a more worthy or more valuable cause for the flag that has nevertheless caused discomfort for many LGBTQ+ people.įurthermore, this literal erasion of queer imagery is potentially damaging for those who rely on the presence of media representation to feel validated and accepted.įor a group with over half of its members experiencing symptoms of depression in the last year, and forty percent recalling instances of discrimination, the LGBTQ+ community is far from finished fighting its battles. Of course, the frontline workers who put their life into their work deserve all of this country’s praise and respect. Twitter in no way suggests that the NHS is undeserving of the optimism and pride that the rainbow flag represents. Plymouth’s Pride bus, reclaimed in honour of the NHS. “It just doesn’t sit right with me”, responded one Twitter user after the images were posted by Plymouth Citybus, with others referring to the rebrand as “ill-conceived”, “insensitive” and “insulting”. Less ambiguous adoptions of the flag, such as the repurposing of the Plymouth Pride double-decker bus into a ‘Thank You NHS’ mobile billboard, have unsurprisingly caused upset and unrest in the LGBTQ+ community. Read More: What Does The Future Hold For LGBTQ+ Spaces? To see a pride flag draped over a front window or even to use its corresponding emoji to show support for key workers seems sweet, but ultimately undermines the historical struggles of the queer community. The answer is that the history of the LGBTQ+ community, from the 1969 Stonewall riots to the relatively recent legalisation of same-sex marriage, is ingrained into the rainbow flag. ‘Why can’t two causes just share the rainbow?’, I hear you ask. For example, in 2016, the addition of pink represented diversity after Donald Trump’s success in the US election, and black and brown stripes were later incorporated to acknowledge queer people of colour. Not only that, but numerous additions to the flag’s composition have shown every effort to accept all queer people. Developed by gay activist Gilbert Baker, the rainbow flag has been carefully and meticulously designed, and continually updated throughout its forty-two year history, to accurately represent and support the LGBTQ+ community.Įach coloured stripe (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet) represents a quality admired by the community, from sex to sunlight.
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Since 1978, the vibrant six-colour pattern of the pride flag has been a symbol of unity within the queer community. For some in the community, this seems to be a striking erasure of LGBTQ+ hardships throughout history. But more recently, during the coronavirus pandemic, rainbow imagery has been repurposed to show support to the NHS key workers on the UK frontline. Rainbows synonymous with hope, optimism, and, probably most significantly, gay pride.