The bisexual flag, also called the bisexual pride flag, is a pride flag representing bisexuality, bisexual individuals and the bisexual community. According to Michael Page, the activist who created the flag based on a color palette designed by Liz Nania, the pink stripe represents attraction to the same sex, while the blue stripe represents attraction to the opposite sex. The purple stripe, the resulting "overlap" of the blue and pink stripes, represents attraction to both sexes. on December 5, 1998.
Design and colors
thumb|left|The [[LGBT symbols#Biangles|biangles symbol of bisexuality, designed by artist Liz Nania, from which Michael Page stated that he took the colors and overlap for the bisexual pride flag, which he created]]
Page stated that he took the colors and overlap for the flag from the biangles, symbol of bisexuality. The design of the biangles began with the pink triangle, a Nazi concentration camp badge that later became a symbol of gay liberation representing homosexuality. The addition of a blue triangle contrasts the pink and represents heterosexuality. The two triangles overlap and form lavender, which represents the "queerness of bisexuality", referencing the Lavender Menace and 1980s and 1990s associations of lavender with queerness.
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Since the original design, the purple overlap has been reinterpreted and is now widely understood to represent attraction regardless of sex or gender.
The flag is used in different aspect ratios; 2:3 and 3:5 are often used, in common with many other flags.
In vexillological terms, the bisexual pride flag is a simple horizontal tricolor.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Official BiNet's claim and the resulting controversy were covered by Out and LGBTQ Nation, which cast doubt on BiNet's claim and noted that the flag is not eligible for copyright.
BiNet USA ultimately ceased to use the flag on May 8, 2020, opting instead to use a different design.
Similar symbols representing bisexuality
Biangles
thumb|left|The biangles, designed by artist Liz Nania to represent bisexuality
The biangles were designed by artist Liz Nania, as she co-organized a bisexual contingent for the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987. The design of the biangles began with the pink triangle, a Nazi concentration camp badge that later became a symbol of gay liberation representing homosexuality. The addition of a blue triangle contrasts the pink and represents heterosexuality. The two triangles overlap and form lavender, which represents the "queerness of bisexuality", referencing the Lavender Menace and 1980s and 1990s associations of lavender with queerness.
Bisexual lighting
alt=A 3D rendering of a skeleton showcasing bisexual lighting|thumb|A [[3D rendering of a skeleton showcasing bisexual lighting]]
Bisexual lighting is the simultaneous use of pink, purple, and blue lighting and is used to represent bisexual characters. The colors may be a direct reference to the bisexual pride flag. Bisexual lighting has been used in studio lighting for film and television, and has been observed in the cinematography of various films. According to BOWIE Creators, the concept of bisexual lighting was invented in 2014 by a Tumblr fan of Sherlock who believed that the lighting was being used to signal that Dr. Watson was bisexual and would eventually be in a romantic relationship with Sherlock Holmes.
Double crescent moon
Because many bisexuals objected to the use of the biangles symbol involving the Nazi-associated pink triangle, Vivian Wagner designed the double crescent moon symbol as an alternative way to symbolize bisexuality.
Trillium
thumb|The [[trillium flower is another symbol of bisexuality]]
In 1999, Michael Page established the use of the trillium flower as a symbol of bisexuality. This was a pun, as scientists had used the term "bisexual" to refer to the flower because such flowers have both male and female reproductive organs.
See also
- Bisexuality in the United States
- Bisexual community
- Bisexual lighting
- Celebrate Bisexuality Day
- LGBTQ symbols