Authors: Lee Harrington,Mollena Williams

Tags: #Psychology, #Human Sexuality, #Self-Help, #Sexual Instruction, #Social Science, #Customs & Traditions

Playing Well With Others (45 page)

BOOK: Playing Well With Others

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	LGBT Pride: The Rainbow Flag was designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in i978, and has become the icon for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender (LGBT) pride and diversity. Shown with six colors, the colors (from top to bottom) are red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), blue (harmony), and purple/violet (spirit). When the flag first came out it also featured the colors pink (sex) and turquoise (art/magic). The flag represents the diversity of the LGBT population, but also refers to the song Over the Rainbow, considered an allegory of gay coming out.
	Bear Pride: The International Bear Brotherhood Flag was designed by Craig Byrnes in i995. Its colors denote human hair colors — brown, red, blonde, light blonde/peach, white, gray, and black, and features a black bear paw in the upper left quadrant. The bear community champions size acceptance for gay men, and an appreciation of a fur-covered or rustically macho aesthetic.
	Transgender Pride: Designed by Mo nica Helms (a transgender woman) in i999, the flag consists of five horizontal stripes: two light blue, two pink, and one white in the center.
	Bisexual Pride: This flag in deep pink (representing same gender attraction), royal blue (representing opposite gender attraction) and lavender (attraction across the gender spectrum) was designed by Michael Page in i998.
	Asexual Pride: Black, grey, white and purple adorn the asexual pride flag. In 20ii, the flag was carried by asexual contingents of pride parades in San Francisco, London, Stockholm, and Toronto.

Symbols

	Triskelion (or Triskele): a three -armed symbol used to represent BDSM and kink pride. The three segments are often believed to stand for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism respectively, though other interpretations abound.
	Pink/Black Triangles: Originally used in WW2 Nazi Germany to identify gay and lesbian prisoners, these symbols have been reclaimed as representations of gay and lesbian pride.
	Labrys: This double-headed axe, whose iconography originated in Crete, represents lesbian and/ or feminist pride. It can also be used to symbolize matriarchal or female power.
	Kef (Gor): The Gorean symb ol for a Kajira or female slave, based on the work of fiction author John Norman.
	Marque: Based in the works of fiction author Jacqueline Carey, the Marque is a sign of slavery, submission, sacred whoredom or sexual empowerment. In the novels, each tattooed marque is unique and designed for the individual wearing it.
	Infinity Heart: The infinity he art is a polyamorous pride symbol where an infinity symbol in blue is interlaced with a blue heart.

Gender Symbols

	Female: Based on the planet symbol for Venus, this symbol can represent female, woman, or feminine energy. Two female symbols interlinked has been used to reference lesbian, dyke or female/female sexuality.
	Male: Based on the planet symbol for Mars, this symbol can represent male, man, or masculine energy. Two male symbols interlinked has been used to reference gay, fag or male/male sexuality.
	Transgender: The re are three common variations on the transgender symbol. The first is a combination of the male and female symbols. The second combines both symbols and adds this third hybrid symbol, often depicted within a triangle. The third is based on the planet symbol for Mercury, and can represent transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, or genderqueer energy — though it is less commonly used than the first two. All three have also been used to represent a variety of identities under the trans, transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, and queer identities umbrella.