Rainbow Gadsden Flag

Overview

To express LGBTQ+ identity through the lens of individual liberty, self-defense, and resistance. The design reframes 'Don't Tread on Me' as a Queer message: the same warning against government overreach and personal infringement, applied to Queer rights and bodily autonomy.

The rainbow Gadsden flag's predecessor tradition dates to the 1990s. Queer Nation's San Francisco chapter operated Street Patrol, a neighborhood safety patrol in the Castro District, which used a coiled snake over a triangle with the 'Don't Tread on Me' motto as its emblem. That logo used a triangle rather than rainbow stripes and was not a flag, but it established the precedent of LGBTQ+ communities claiming Gadsden self-defense symbolism. ^[1][2]

Identity & Context

Represented Identity

LGBTQ+ community

Movement

LGBTQ+ rights, libertarian-Queer crossover, Queer self-defense

National Context

United States

The design joins libertarian and LGBTQ+ American political vocabularies. It is used in particular by people who frame Queer liberation in terms of personal liberty and government non-interference, alongside or instead of progressive civil rights frameworks. The Outright Libertarians (LGBTQ+ caucus of the Libertarian Party) have used rainbow Gadsden imagery. ^[1]

Creators

Attribution notes

No single creator has been identified. The rainbow Gadsden flag evolved from the broader trend of Gadsden flag parody and reclamation, with multiple independent versions circulating since at least the 2010s. The concept combines the 1775 Gadsden rattlesnake motif with rainbow pride colors, and no traceable original post or designer has been documented.

Origin

Country

United States

Place Type

commercial / grassroots

Digital-origin flag. Creator or earliest documentation associated with the United States, but no specific physical site of creation has been verified. Without a confirmed location, Indigenous land context cannot be responsibly attributed.

The LGBTQ+ adaptation of Gadsden imagery has deep roots. The earliest known LGBTQ+ use of the 'Don't Tread on Me' concept is Street Patrol, a Queer self-defense group affiliated with Queer Nation/San Francisco (founded March 1990), which used a coiled snake over a triangle with the motto 'Don't Tread on Me' as its logo. The specific rainbow-striped version of the Gadsden flag emerged commercially by at least 2012. ^[1][2]

Dates & Chronology

First public use

October 18, 2012

Period in Use

~2012–present

The flag has been commercially available since at least October 2012 (earliest confirmed Amazon listing). It is sold by dozens of independent vendors across Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, Rad Pride, Gemmed Firefly, Flags Importer, Art Boutiki, and others. An SVG was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons in approximately February 2021 by user Thespoondragon. The design is referenced on Wikipedia articles for the Gadsden flag, pride flag, LGBTQ symbols, and rainbow flag across multiple language editions. ^[3][4][5]

Major revisions

1. 2016-06-17

   Following the Pulse nightclub shooting (June 12, 2016), rainbow Gadsden flag posters inscribed with '#ShootBack' were plastered across West Hollywood, on electric boxes, light poles, trash cans, near City Hall, the Pacific Design Center, and in front of The Abbey. West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister called the posters 'disturbing.' ^[6][7] One went up outside the home of the artist Chad Michael Morrisette, who had covered his roof with fifty mannequins after the Orlando attack. ^[8] No one claimed the posters at first. ^[7] On 16 June the Los Angeles street artist Sabo, who had made the 2014 'Blacklisted and Lovin' It' Ted Cruz posters, told PJ Media that he spoke for the group behind them and that the posters were a group effort. He said 'it's important that people know that this image came out of the gay community.' That is his account of the group's composition; no source located establishes independently who designed the poster or who put it up. ^[8] This was the design's most prominent single media moment.

The rainbow Gadsden ('Don't Tread on Me') flag adapts the 1775 Continental Navy flag designed by Christopher Gadsden. Queer reclamation of the Gadsden began with Queer Nation's Street Patrol in the 1990s, which adopted self-defense imagery. The rainbow Gadsden became more visible during the 2010s culture wars, particularly as a response to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and the Pulse nightclub shooting (2016). The design exists in tension with the Gadsden flag's libertarian and far-right associations. ^[9] Reason magazine published a feature article (May 30, 2023) titled 'Don't Tread on Pride Flags,' arguing that many identity flags are philosophically kin to the Gadsden flag: 'We're gay, don't tread on us.' The article noted that the slogan 'resonates perhaps because it says aloud what other flags leave as subtext: Let me live my life, or I will fight back.' ^[1]

In June 2016, in the immediate aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, approximately 30 unauthorized rainbow Gadsden posters bearing the hashtag '#ShootBack' appeared in West Hollywood. The posters were a one-off political moment combining the rainbow Gadsden imagery with a call for Queer self-defense in the wake of mass anti-LGBTQ+ violence. They received media coverage from KTLA, the Washington Times, LAist, LGBTQ Nation, and other outlets, and the #ShootBack hashtag also circulated on Twitter. West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister stated that the city was 'disturbed by them' and that 'we don't believe in an eye for an eye, and we advocate against gun violence,' and the posters were removed from public property. The reception was divided: some community members welcomed the message of empowerment, while others viewed the posters as promoting violence rather than safety.

Lineage

Indirect influences

Rainbow Pride Flag

Related flags

"Fuck Around and Find Out" Trans Pride Flag

Combines the Gadsden flag tradition (American Revolution, 1775) with the six-stripe rainbow pride flag (1979). The design is part of a broader LGBTQ+ Gadsden family that includes trans, bisexual, nonbinary, and other identity-specific variants. The concept has antecedents in Queer Nation's Street Patrol logo (1990s), though the specific rainbow-striped flag form is later.

Colors & Symbolism

A fusion of Gadsden flag libertarian self-defense symbolism with LGBTQ+ rainbow pride. The design carries a dual message: Queer identity and a warning against infringement of Queer rights and autonomy. It has been described as a reclamation of the Gadsden flag from its post-Tea Party conservative associations, demonstrating that 'Don't Tread on Me' applies to LGBTQ+ lives. ^[1]

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

Coiled rattlesnake

Derived from the Gadsden flag, readiness to strike if provoked, self-defense, resistance to oppression

'DON'T TREAD ON ME' text

Warning against infringement of LGBTQ+ rights and autonomy, borrowed from the American Revolutionary-era Gadsden motto

No creator-published meaning statement exists because the design has no single creator. The meanings above are synthesized from the source flag traditions and editorial commentary.

The rainbow Gadsden flag uses the standard six-stripe rainbow palette established by Gilbert Baker (1979) as its background, with a black coiled rattlesnake silhouette and 'DON'T TREAD ON ME' text overlay. Hex values vary by version, since multiple independent designs circulate.

Design

Aspect Ratio

3:5

Orientation

horizontal

Stripe Count

6

Layout

horizontal_stripes_with_emblem

Stripes (Top → Bottom)

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet

Center Symbol

Coiled rattlesnake on green foliage

Additional Symbols

'DON'T TREAD ON ME' text across the lower stripe(s)

A six-stripe rainbow flag (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet) bearing a coiled Gadsden-style rattlesnake in black/gray centered on the field, resting on green foliage. Below the snake, dark serif text reads 'DON'T TREAD ON ME.' The overall composition directly mirrors the classic Gadsden flag layout but replaces the yellow field with rainbow stripes. The design includes detailed snake illustration that cannot be reduced to simple geometric forms. Exact reproduction varies by vendor, the snake art style, text font, and color saturation differ across manufacturers.

Usage & Adoption

Organizations

Outright Libertarians (LGBTQ+ Libertarian caucus, informal use)

Geographic Usage

United States (primarily), Some international circulation

Online Usage

Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, Wikimedia Commons, Reddit

Event Usage

Pride events (various), 2016 West Hollywood #ShootBack campaign (post-Pulse), Libertarian gatherings

Current Status

active

Sold by dozens of independent vendors. Has its own Wikimedia Commons SVG. Referenced on Wikipedia articles across multiple language editions. Documented at protests, pride events, and in media coverage. The 2016 #ShootBack posters in West Hollywood were the design's highest-profile public appearance. ^[3][5][6]

Discourse & Debates

• Whether the Gadsden flag can or should be reclaimed by LGBTQ+ communities
• Whether libertarian-Queer politics is a coherent position or a contradiction
• Whether the design primarily signals self-defense or gun culture
• The tension between the Gadsden flag's association with far-right movements and its potential as a Queer resistance symbol
• The Gadsden flag has been adopted by far-right groups including the Tea Party and militia movements, making Queer reclamation of the symbol contentious. Some Queer people see the rainbow Gadsden as reclaiming a symbol of self-defense, while others view using it as implicitly endorsing libertarian politics.
• Whether the rainbow Gadsden iconography supports the post-Pulse #ShootBack message of Queer self-defense (June 2016, West Hollywood) or whether it instead promotes violence. The 30 unauthorized #ShootBack posters that appeared in West Hollywood after the Pulse nightclub shooting drew condemnation from West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister ('we don't believe in an eye for an eye, and we advocate against gun violence') alongside community defenses framing the posters as a refusal to be passive in the face of anti-LGBTQ+ mass violence. West Hollywood Councilman John Duran, who is gay, said the posters upset the community: 'Even during our heightened days of civil disobedience and protest, we have only advocated peaceful means, never arming ourselves and retaliating with violence.' Capt. Holly Perez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office told the Los Angeles Times that she understood the sentiment and the First Amendment question but that 'it's a bad message,' and that 'it's our job to keep you safe.' Sabo, speaking for the group behind the posters, rejected the reading that they called for retaliation, and put the group's position as self-defense: 'It is all of our responsibilities to be able to protect ourselves and our families. We can not do that if our elected officials disarm us.' He also said 'the gay community needs to realize that the police are there to respond, not protect.' ^[8] The dispute is documented in the historical notes above.

Common confusions

• Sometimes confused with the FAFO trans pride flag, which is a related but distinct design replacing the rattlesnake with an alligator and changing the text
• The design exists in multiple identity-specific variants (trans, bi, nonbinary, etc.) which are sometimes conflated

Criticisms

• Some LGBTQ+ community members view the Gadsden flag as irredeemably tainted by its association with the Tea Party, far-right militia movements, and the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, making any 'reclamation' problematic.
• After the January 6 riot, the question of 'who is the me in Don't Tread on Me' became politically charged, complicating the rainbow version's message.

Part of a broader family of LGBTQ+ Gadsden derivatives. The rainbow version is the most widely known, but trans, bisexual, nonbinary, and other variants exist.

Footnotes & Citations

Image Sources

Rendering

unknown

• Rainbow #ShootBack posters inspired by the Gadsden flag, wheat-pasted around West Hollywood, California, June 2016, following the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. The posters appeared near West Hollywood City Hall, the Pacific Design Center, and The Abbey. · LGBTQ Nation
• Rainbow Gadsden flag displayed in Capitol Hill, Seattle, a well-known LGBTQ+ neighborhood. · Credit: joebehr · Flickr