Aromantic Pride Flag (Yellow Center, 2014)

Overview

To replace the first aromantic flag with a more inclusive design.

The first proposed aromantic flag had four stripes (green, yellow, orange, and black) and its origins are unknown. Cameron Whimsy designed this five-stripe replacement in February 2014, citing a lack of inclusivity in the stripe meanings of the first flag. The yellow center stripe was later identified as problematic for two reasons: it caused sensory issues for some people, and the overall color scheme resembled the Jamaican flag, which caused confusion. Cameron subsequently redesigned the flag on November 16, 2014, replacing the yellow with white to create the current standard aromantic flag.

Identity & Context

Represented Identity

Aromantic people, who experience little or no romantic attraction.

Subcommunity

aromantic community

Creators

The Creator

Attribution notes

Created by Tumblr user Cameron (@cameronwhimsy) from Australia on February 7, 2014. Cameron later redesigned the flag on November 16, 2014, replacing the yellow center stripe with white to produce the current standard aromantic pride flag.

Origin

Country

Australia

Digital Origin

true

Creator identified as being from Australia. Without a more specific confirmed location, Indigenous land context cannot be attributed.

Posted on Tumblr by Cameron Whimsy (@cameronwhimsy) on February 7, 2014. Cameron is identified as being from Australia.

Dates & Chronology

Year Created

2014

Exact date

February 7, 2014

First public use

February 7, 2014

Date Retired

November 16, 2014

Period in Use

February 2014 to November 2014

Used by the aromantic community from February to November 2014, when it was superseded by the white-center version.

Major revisions

1. 2014-11-16

   Cameron Whimsy replaced the yellow center stripe with white to address sensory issues and visual similarity to the Jamaican flag. This revision became the current standard aromantic pride flag.

This flag represents an intermediate step in the aromantic flag's design history. The first aromantic flag (four stripes: green, yellow, orange, black) was replaced by this five-stripe version, which was then replaced within the same year by the current standard (dark green, light green, white, gray, black). The green color, chosen as the opposite of red (romantic love), has persisted across all versions. Cameron Whimsy is responsible for both the second and third (current) designs.

Lineage

Indirect influences

Rainbow Pride Flag

Direct children

Aromantic Pride Flag

Related flags

A-Spec Pride Flag, Aroace Pride Flag, Aroflux Accessible Flag (2020), Aroflux Pride Flag, Aroflux Flag (Starri-Niqht, 2021), Demiromantic Pride Flag, Frayromantic Five-Stripe Pride Flag, Frayromantic Pride Flag, Grayromantic Pride Flag (2014, attribution disputed), Lithromantic / Akoiromantic Pride Flag (2014), Quoiromantic Pride Flag (2015, Cor / epochryphal)

This flag is the direct predecessor of the current standard aromantic pride flag. Cameron Whimsy created both designs. The only change was replacing the yellow center stripe with white.

Lineage tree

Every record reachable from this one through documented parent and child relationships: 10 records across 4 generations.

This record

Aromantic Pride Flag (Yellow Center, 2014)

Children

Aromantic Pride Flag

Generation 3

Frayromantic Pride Flag, Lithromantic / Akoiromantic Pride Flag (2014), Aroflux Pride Flag, Demiromantic Pride Flag, Quoiromantic Pride Flag (2015, Cor / epochryphal), Reciproromantic Pride Flag (creator unknown)

Generation 4

Aroflux Accessible Flag (2020), Frayromantic Five-Stripe Pride Flag

Colors & Symbolism

The flag represents aromantic identity and the broader aromantic community. Green, the opposite of red (associated with romantic love), is the primary symbolic color.

Approximated values from circulating images.

This flag has no official digital palette. Color values shown are approximate.

The stripe meanings remained the same when Cameron Whimsy revised the flag in November 2014, except that the yellow stripe's meaning (platonic and aesthetic attraction) was transferred to the replacement white stripe. The white stripe also gained an additional meaning: Queer/quasi-platonic relationships.

Hex values are approximations from circulating images. No creator-issued color specifications have been found.

Design

Aspect Ratio

3:2

Orientation

horizontal

Stripe Count

5

Layout

horizontal stripes

Stripes (Top → Bottom)

dark green, light green, yellow, gray, black

Five equal horizontal stripes.

Five equal horizontal stripes, from top to bottom: dark green, light green, yellow, gray, and black. Identical to the current standard aromantic flag except for the yellow center stripe, which was later replaced with white.

Usage & Adoption

First Users

Online aromantic communities

Online Usage

Tumblr, AVEN forums

Current Status

obsolete

Used by the aromantic community for approximately nine months (February to November 2014) before being replaced by the current standard with a white center stripe.

Image Archive

Flag design

Discourse & Debates

Common misidentifications

• The color scheme was sometimes confused with the Jamaican flag.

Common confusions

• May be confused with the current standard aromantic flag, which is identical except for the white center stripe replacing yellow.

Criticisms

• The yellow center stripe caused sensory issues for some community members.
• The overall color scheme (dark green, light green, yellow, gray, black) was similar to the Jamaican flag, causing confusion.

Aromantic (often shortened to 'aro') describes a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction. The aromantic community grew largely out of asexual community spaces such as AVEN.

Footnotes & Citations

Image Sources

Rendering

Cameron Whimsy February 2014 (yellow center)

• The Aromantic Pride Flag (Yellow Center, 2014). Colors are approximated from circulating images. · SVG reconstruction