LGBT slogans and symbols
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
LGBT slogans and symbols are catchphrases, slogans or symbolic images which express support for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities and their human rights.
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[edit] Symbols
[edit] Rainbow flag
The rainbow flag is the most popular gay pride symbol used today. The rainbow flag was first used as a gay pride symbol by the San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. There are several variations of the flag, but the most common has six stripes--red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Baker's original flag had eight colors, with turquoise and hot pink being the other two.
[edit] Triangles
The inverted pink triangle was originally the badge used in Nazi concentration camps to denote gay men. The symbol was later adopted by gay liberation groups in the 1970s and has since become one of the most popular symbols of the gay rights/pride movement.
Similarly, lesbians (among others) had to wear a black triangle in concentration camps, and this symbol has also been reclaimed by lesbians and feminists in the same way that the pink triangle was reclaimed by the gay community. Despite this, many lesbians may still use the pink triangle as a symbol of pride as well.
An inverted triangle with a rainbow flag design is also sometimes used by the LGBT community as a symbol of pride.
[edit] Slogans
| Slogan | Notes |
|---|---|
| "Gays Bash Back" | This slogan is often used by more militant gay people and implies violent self-defense against gay bashers. Similarly, one of the Pink Pistols' mottos is "Armed gays don't get bashed". |
| "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it" | This slogan was popularized by Queer Nation. |
| "We're here, we're queer and we'd like to say hello!" | A variation of the above used by Queer Nation during the 1992 opening of the "Queer Shopping Network". |
| "Silence=Death" | Designed by six people[1], including Avram Finkelstein[2], this slogan was used by ACT UP to draw attention to the AIDS crisis in America. It was often used in conjunction with a right-side up pink triangle. |
| "Two, Four, Six, Eight! How Do You Know Your Kids Are Straight?" | This slogan was also used by Queer Nation. Another variation is "One, Two, Three, Four! Open on up the closet door! Five, Six, Seven, Eight! Don't assume your kids are straight!" |
| "Out of the Closets and into the Streets" | This slogan was also used by Queer Nation. |
| "I'm gay & that's OK that way" | Slogan used by the Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit |
| "Rainbows Reign" | Used most notably on banners of the "Pink Pistols" Organization. |
| "Why be afraid to be enGayged" | Brooks foundation |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ When Political Are Mattered (English). New York Times (2003-12). Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
- ^ Aids—20 Years And Counting - Panel Discussion (English). Interview in Arts (2001-07). Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
