A Little Lesson on Some Gay Symbols

To celebrate gay pride I decided to do a post about some of the common symbols used in the gay community. I have to tell you it was a lesson for me as well. I learned about symbols I never knew about and learned more about others. So here are a few of those symbols and at the end of the post there will be links for you to find out more if you are interested.


The Lambda
The lower case greek letter was adopted by the Gay Activist Alliance to help members of the gay community identify each other. No one is really sure what the symbol means or meant.


The Rainbow Flag
This is probably the most widely used and recognized of all the symbols of the gay pride movement. Red for life; Orange for healing; Yellow for the sun; Green for nature; Blue for art; Violet for spirit. There are many variations of the flag used to represent individual groups within the gay community.


The Pink Triangle
The pink triangle is a symbol taken directly from the Nazi concentration camps. It was used to identify homosexual prisoners. There are other versions of the triangle to represent individual groups.


The Red Ribbon
The red ribbon is used to recognize and honor friends and colleagues who have died or are dying of AIDS. It was inspired by the yellow ribbon used during the Gulf War. The red color was chosen to represent blood since HIV and AIDS are blood related diseases.

These are only a few of the symbols. You can read and learn more at Lambda GLBT Community Services and Stonewall Society.