This dual property makes red important for signaling times such as holidays and events. It is visible when illuminated by sunlight, but it disappears when darkening due to sunset or nightfall. The color red remains one of the few in nature's palette that is both visible and invisible at the same time. Today, the meaning of red has been extended to represent passion, strength, power, and unity. The red stripe on the side of the flag served as a warning to those who might want to suppress homosexuality or make its members feel uncomfortable in their own communities. On the first gay pride flag, it was used to signal to others that this was not your ordinary black flag. So, red is the only color that can be used to symbolize love. Yellow represents the sun." Nature's way of life is green. Some say it was done as a political statement while others believe it to be a religious statement about equality before God.Įach hue on the LGBT rainbow flag represents a distinct meaning: "The color red represents life. There are many theories about why someone would create such a flag. And lastly, purple is royalty and dignity, which are important qualities to have as a member of the LGBT community. Blue is freedom, because being LGBT means having freedom to be yourself and not having to hide who you are. Green is nature, which is significant since so many LGBT people are closeted about their identity or don't feel like they fit in traditional society. Yellow is light, which is important since so many people were suffering from this disease that left them in darkness. Orange means hope, because even though many people were dying from AIDS, there was still hope for recovery. Red stands for blood, which represents the loss of many lives due to AIDS at the time of the flag's creation. And finally, purple represents royalty and dignity.Įach of these colors has a special meaning for the LGBT community. In certain communities, the purple is replaced with black as a show of grief for community members who have died as a result of AIDS. Finally, the LGBT flag's six well-known colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.