BDSM Rights Flag (2005, Tanos)
Leather / Kink / BDSM Subculture Flag ·
A nine-stripe flag designed by Tanos, an anonymous UK-based practitioner, in 2005. The stripe pattern replicates Tony DeBlase's 1989 Leather Pride Flag (alternating black, blue, and white) but replaces the red heart with a modified BDSM triskelion emblem centered on the flag. The triskelion itself was originally designed by Steve 'Quagmyr' (~1994-95 on AOL); Tanos used a deliberately modified version to fall outside Quagmyr's copyright claim. The entry distinguishes between two separate attributions: Quagmyr as the emblem originator and Tanos as the flag designer. [1][2]
Key facts
- Designer
- Tanos (anonymous, UK-based)
- Created
- In use
- 2005–present
- Aspect Ratio
- 3:5 · standard
- Stripes
- 9
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Represented Identity
- BDSM community
Also known as
- BDSM Pride Flag
- BDSM Flag
- BDSM
- kink
- bondage
- dominance
- submission
- sadomasochism
Status Canonical
Archive categories Subculture Pride Flags
Overview
To provide a flag representing the BDSM community as a whole rather than the leather subculture specifically. [1]
The BDSM Rights Flag was created to give the broader BDSM community a visual symbol distinct from the 1989 Leather Pride Flag, which is specifically associated with the leather subculture. While many BDSM practitioners identify with the leather flag, the BDSM community encompasses practices and identities beyond the leather tradition. The flag reuses DeBlase's nine-stripe pattern while substituting the triskelion for the heart, signaling a shift from leather-specific to BDSM-broad identification. [1]
Identity & Context
- Represented Identity
- BDSM community
- Subcommunity
- BDSM / kink
Creators
The Creators
Tanos
Flag designer
Tanos is an anonymous UK-based practitioner described as a Master in the BDSM community. Beyond the 2005 flag design, no verified biographical information is publicly available. [1]
Motivations
- To create a flag specifically representing the broader BDSM community, distinct from Tony DeBlase's 1989 Leather Pride Flag which is specifically associated with the leather subculture. [1]
Stated inspirations
- Tony DeBlase's 1989 Leather Pride Flag (stripe pattern) and Steve Quagmyr's BDSM Emblem/triskelion (centered symbol, modified).[1][2]
Steve 'Quagmyr'
BDSM Emblem/triskelion originator (not the flag designer)
Steve Quagmyr designed the BDSM Emblem (triskelion) around 1994-95 within the AOL BDSM community. He holds copyright on the original emblem design. The emblem features three curved arms radiating from a center, representing B&D, D/s, and S&M, as well as the creed of Safe, Sane, Consensual and the roles of Top, Bottom, and Switch. Tanos incorporated a modified version of this emblem into the 2005 flag. [2]
Attribution notes
Tanos is described in sources as a Master from the United Kingdom who designed the flag in 2005. Real identity is not publicly documented. The flag incorporates a modified version of the BDSM Emblem (triskelion), which was separately created by Steve 'Quagmyr' around 1994-95 in the AOL BDSM community. Quagmyr holds copyright on the original emblem design; Tanos altered the emblem enough to fall outside that claim. Some sources give the year as 1995 rather than 2005, which may conflate the emblem's creation date with the flag's. [1][2]
Origin
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Digital Origin
- true
Created in the United Kingdom. No specific city documented.
Created by a UK-based practitioner. The flag circulated online from 2005. [1]
Dates & Chronology
- Year Created
- Period in Use
- 2005–present
The flag is widely used in BDSM community spaces and is commercially produced. It coexists with the Leather Pride Flag rather than replacing it. [1]
Some sources date the flag to 1995 rather than 2005. This may reflect confusion between the date of the emblem's creation (~1994-95 by Quagmyr) and the date of the flag's creation (2005 by Tanos). The 2005 date appears more commonly cited in dedicated flag reference sources.
Lineage
- Direct predecessors
- Leather Pride Flag
The BDSM Rights Flag reuses the Leather Pride Flag's nine-stripe pattern (alternating black, blue, white) while replacing the red heart with a modified BDSM triskelion. The relationship is explicit: the stripe pattern is identical, and the design acknowledges the leather flag as its structural parent while broadening the community reference. [1]
Lineage tree
Every record reachable from this one through documented parent and child relationships: 2 records across 2 generations.
- Ancestor
- Leather Pride Flag
- This record
- BDSM Rights Flag (2005, Tanos)
Colors & Symbolism
The flag represents the BDSM community as a whole. The stripe pattern inherited from the Leather Pride Flag connects it to the leather tradition, while the centered triskelion signals the broader BDSM community. [1][2]
| Colour | Hex | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | #000000 | Leather. [1] | Leather Pride Flag documented palette. |
| Royal Blue | #252580 | Denim, calm, trust. [1] | Leather Pride Flag documented palette. |
| White | #FFFFFF | Integrity, practitioners' role in communities. [1] | Leather Pride Flag documented palette. |
| Red (triskelion) | #E80035 | — | Leather Pride Flag documented palette (heart color adapted for triskelion). |
- Modified BDSM triskelion (three curved arms radiating from center)
- The three arms represent B&D (Bondage and Discipline), D/s (Dominance and Submission), and S&M (Sadism and Masochism). Also read as representing Safe, Sane, and Consensual, and the roles of Top, Bottom, and Switch. [2]
The triskelion's meaning is well documented through the BDSM Emblem Project. The stripe-level meanings are inherited from the Leather Pride Flag's color language.
Uses the same color palette as the Leather Pride Flag. Hex values documented across flagcolorcodes.com and SchemeColor.
Design
- Aspect Ratio
- 3:5 · standard
- Orientation
- horizontal
- Stripe Count
- 9
- Layout
- stripes_with_emblem
- Stripes (Top → Bottom)
- Black, Royal Blue, Black, Royal Blue, White, Royal Blue, Black, Royal Blue, Black
- Center Symbol
- Modified BDSM triskelion in red, centered on the flag
Nine equal horizontal stripes in the same alternating black, blue, white pattern as the 1989 Leather Pride Flag. A modified red BDSM triskelion replaces the red heart that appears in the upper left of the Leather flag. The triskelion is centered on the flag rather than placed in a canton. [1]
Nine horizontal stripes plus a centered modified triskelion emblem in red. Not stripes-only.
Nine horizontal stripes alternating black, royal blue, and white (matching the Leather Pride Flag's pattern) with a modified red BDSM triskelion centered on the flag. The triskelion is derived from Steve Quagmyr's original BDSM Emblem but deliberately altered to fall outside the copyright claim. [1][2]
Usage & Adoption
- Online Usage
- Widely used in BDSM community spaces and commercially produced. [1]
- Current Status
- active
Coexists with the Leather Pride Flag. The BDSM Rights Flag is used broadly across the BDSM community, while the Leather Pride Flag remains the symbol of the leather subculture specifically.
Discourse & Debates
- Some confusion exists between this flag and the Leather Pride Flag because they share the same stripe pattern. The distinction is the centered triskelion vs. the red heart in the upper-left canton.
- Whether the BDSM community should have its own flag distinct from the Leather Pride Flag, or whether the leather flag already serves the broader kink community.
Common misidentifications
- Frequently confused with the Leather Pride Flag due to the identical stripe pattern.
BDSM is an acronym combining B&D (Bondage and Discipline), D/s (Dominance and Submission), and S&M (Sadism and Masochism).
Footnotes & Citations
Sources and footnotes 2 sources
- 1. File:BDSM-rights-flag-Tanos.svg. Wikimedia Commons. Accessed 2026-04-26
- 2. BDSM Emblem Project. Steve Quagmyr. BDSM Emblem Project. Accessed 2026-04-26
Image Sources
- Rendering
- Tanos (2005)