Genderfluid Pride Flag
Identity Pride Flag ·
A five-stripe horizontal flag (pink, white, purple, black, blue) created as a community symbol for people whose gender is fluid or fluctuating.
Key facts
- Designer
- JJ Poole
- Created
- First documented public use
- In use
- 2012–present
- Aspect Ratio
- 3:5 · standard
- Stripes
- 5
- Origin
- New York, United States
- Represented Identity
- genderfluid
Also known as
- Genderfluid flag
- Genderfluidity pride flag
- genderfluid flag
- genderfluid pride
- genderfluid
Status Canonical Contested
Archive categories Gender Identity Pride Flags
Overview
A desire for a dedicated symbol for genderfluidity and community recognition.
Creator describes difficulty finding symbolic representation for "genderfluid" distinct from broader "genderqueer," prompting them to create a new flag and submit it to a large Tumblr blog where it "took off." [1] The earliest located public circulation is a pair of posts of 2 and 3 August 2012, which set out the stripe meanings. [2][3]
Identity & Context
- Represented Identity
- genderfluid
Creators
The Creator
JJ Poole
Designer
JJ Poole (they/them) was an agender pansexual from New York state, approximately 20 years old when creating the flag. [4] [5] Known online as "lostinthoughtsandfantasies," Poole had been searching for a gender identity that fit, knew Genderqueer fit but felt it was too broad, and found genderfluid to be the right term -- only to be disappointed by the lack of symbolic representation. [5] They were not a professional artist but had "dabbled with drawing and Photoshop." [5] Poole submitted the flag to a Tumblr blog about genderfluidity that had a large following, and it quickly gained traction. [1] [5] They also created trigender and agender flag designs that did not gain similar adoption. Poole never expected the genderfluid flag to become popular, "let alone almost officially accepted." [5] Poole describes choosing the colors for aesthetics as well as meaning. [1] An early Tumblr reblog credits "thoughtstoberemembered" as designer, creating a minor attribution ambiguity in the circulation record. [2]
Motivations
- Difficulty finding symbolic representation for genderfluid identity distinct from broader genderqueer
- Desire for a dedicated symbol for genderfluidity and community recognition
Stated inspirations
- Existing pride flags (creator states being influenced by "all of them") rather than a single specific predecessor[1]
- Genderqueer flag as the only existing nonbinary flag at the time, prompting the need for a distinct genderfluid symbol[1]
Origin
- Country
- United States
- Region / state
- New York
- Digital Origin
- true
Digital-origin flag. Creator or earliest documentation associated with New York, United States, but no specific physical site of creation has been verified. Without a confirmed location, Indigenous land context cannot be responsibly attributed.
In interview, creator states being from New York State; distribution described as Tumblr submission to a genderfluidity-focused blog. [1]
Dates & Chronology
- Year Created
- First public use
- Period in Use
- 2012–present
Widely used online and physically; reference sources describe it as a common pride flag with frequent display and some variation in hoisting orientation. [6]
Reference sources report photos labeled as genderfluid flag at a 2005 pride event and describe "no right-side up" usage; [6] [7] these claims conflict with 2012 creation narratives and remain disputed chronology rather than settled pre-2012 origin.
Lineage
- Indirect influences
- Genderqueer Pride Flag, Rainbow Pride Flag
The creator describes their design as influenced by "all of them" (existing pride flags), not as a direct redesign. Not a descendant of Genderqueer, but strongly context-linked as a distinct identity symbol created because genderqueer felt too broad. [1]
Colors & Symbolism
A five-stripe palette representing gendered associations, lack of gender, and mixed/combined experiences, used as a symbol for gender fluidity. [8]
| Colour | Hex | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pink | #FF75A2 | Femininity. | Library.LGBT reference palette (not official) |
| White | #FFFFFF | Lack of gender / all genders (sources vary; early Tumblr wording states "White for all genders," while some references state "lack of gender"). | Library.LGBT reference palette |
| Purple | #BE18D6 | Both / combination of masculinity and femininity; some institutional summaries describe this as androgyny. | Library.LGBT reference palette (not official) |
| Black | #000000 | Lack of gender or "all other genders" outside strict masculinity/femininity (sources differ). | Library.LGBT reference palette (not official) |
| Blue | #323DBC | Masculinity. | Library.LGBT reference palette (not official) |
This flag has no official digital palette. Color values shown are approximate.
Stripe meaning wording varies by source (creator-era Tumblr phrasing vs later institutional simplifications). [3] [9] Conflicting phrasings are recorded as parallel meanings.
Hex values are taken from Library.LGBT's reference palette; [9] creator interview indicates shades were chosen for aesthetics and does not publish an official palette. [1]
Design
- Aspect Ratio
- 3:5 · standard
- Orientation
- horizontal
- Stripe Count
- 5
- Layout
- horizontal_stripes
- Stripes (Top → Bottom)
- Pink, White, Purple, Black, Blue
Five horizontal stripes (pink, white, purple, black, blue) with no emblem. [8] Reference sources document frequent "reversed order" hoisting. [6] Reversed-hoist images are usage variants, not separate designs.
Usage & Adoption
- First Users
- Tumblr genderfluid community hubs (large blog dissemination described by creator)
- Online Usage
- Strong online circulation; included in multiple institutional guides
- Current Status
- active
Usage includes frequent reversals of stripe order ("no right-side up" behavior) documented by reference sources. [6]
Discourse & Debates
- Early chronology dispute: some sources point to "similar flag" photos from 2005; others document creation and dissemination in 2012
Common confusions
- Confusion between what black and white "mean" (varies by guide and retelling)
Some guides treat genderfluid as a subgroup of genderqueer; the creator interview describes genderfluid as a distinct identity needing its own symbol. [1] "Genderfluid flag" vs "genderfluidity flag" is mostly terminological.
Footnotes & Citations
Sources and footnotes 11 sources
Interview
- 1. Interview: Creator of the Genderfluid Flag. Majestic Mess (interview) with JJ Poole. Majestic Mess Designs (2018-12-20). Accessed 2026-03-09
- 5. Interview: Creator of the Genderfluid Flag. Majestic Mess Designs (interview with JJ Poole). Majestic Mess Designs (2018-12-20). Accessed 2026-03-30
Social media
- 3. So I couldn't find a flag that represented gender-fluidity… (post dated 3rd Aug 2012). genderfluidity Tumblr blog (credits lostinthoughtspaceandfantasies in page header). Tumblr (2012-08-03). Accessed 2026-03-09
- 2. A proposed design for a Genderfluid flag/colors (post dated 08/02/12). lostinthoughtspaceandfantasies Tumblr blog (reblog chain credits thoughtstoberemembered). Tumblr (2012-08-02). Accessed 2026-03-09
- 9. Pride Flag Guide: Genderfluid. Library.LGBT (Albany Pride initiative). Library.LGBT Pride Flag Guide (2021-06-11). Accessed 2026-03-09
- 6. Genderfluid Pride Flag. FOTW (page editor attribution on site). Flags of the World (2015-06-10). Accessed 2026-03-09
- 7. Guide to pride flags. UBC Equity & Inclusion Office. University of British Columbia (2025-03-17). Accessed 2026-03-09
- 4. The genderfluid flag: Here's everything you need to know. LGBTQ Nation (2022-06-25). Accessed 2026-03-18
- LGBTQ+ Pride Flags. Human Rights Campaign. Accessed 2026-03-18
- Rainbow flag (LGBTQ). Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia (2026-06-25). Accessed 2026-07-24
Archived Sources
- 8. File:Genderfluidity Pride Flag.png. Calcavorix (file uploader). Wikimedia Commons (2013-06-19). Accessed 2026-03-09
Image Sources
- Rendering
- standard five-stripe
- Credit: JJ Poole (design) · Majestic Mess interview + early Tumblr circulation
- JJ Poole's original 2012 Genderfluid Pride Flag design with five horizontal stripes: pink (femininity), white (all genders), purple (combination of masculinity and femininity), black (lack of gender), and blue (masculinity). Poole describes choosing the colors for aesthetics as well as meaning. [1][3] · Credit: JJ Poole · Majestic Mess Designs
- The Genderfluid Pride Flag at a community event. The flag is widely used both online and physically, with reference sources noting frequent display and some variation in hoisting orientation, described as having 'no right-side up.' [6][4] · Community event documentation