Amber Hikes, executive director of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs, next to the city's new Pride flag in June 2017 City of Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairsĭespite the controversy surrounding it, the black and brown flag has grown increasingly popular since its unveiling. I mean, I find that pretty sad that it has to now be that intentional, because of years of being tone deaf that the rainbow includes everybody,” she said. “By putting in those extra colors they’re saying, ‘You’re not doing it,’ and it’s just unfortunate. She said the Philadelphia flag is a sign that people of color continue to feel excluded. “I think it’s unfortunate that we have to be even more intentional, because the whole idea of the rainbow flag was that it included everybody,” said the activist, who has sat on the advisory boards of several national LGBTQ organizations. In her eyes, the Philadelphia flag is a continuation of that legacy. That has spurred non-whites to create their own organizations and events, she said.
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White cisgender gay men have historically been in control of national LGBTQ organizations, which has influenced LGBTQ culture, according to Monroe.
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#Philadelphias new gay flag code
Bars in the neighborhood were also accused of discriminatory-dress code policies. In 2016, social justice groups became furious after a video surfaced showing the owner of a popular gay bar using the N-word. She said the city’s popular gay neighborhood - dubbed the "gayborhood" - has a history of racism. Hikes, a black queer woman, said the flag is an especially important symbol for Philadelphia. Philadelphia's new rainbow Pride flag, which includes black and brown stripes, is raised at City Hall in June 2017 Kelly Burkhardt / City of Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs “It’s a push for people to start listening to people of color in our community, start hearing what they’re saying, and really to believe them and to step up and say, ‘What can I do to help eradicate these issues in our community?” said Amber Hikes, the new executive director of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs. The flag, hoisted outside City Hall during a recent Pride Month event, was created as part of the More Color More Pride campaign, which aims to make non-white LGBTQ people more visible. The rainbow symbol is adaptable to the needs of the community, and right now, people need to strongly state their support for LGBTQ+ people of color.The black and brown stripes on Philadelphia’s new rainbow flag are inspiring hope in some and anger in others. At the time, many LGBTQ+ people were appropriating the pink triangle that the Nazi party used to identify gay people during the Holocaust, but Baker rejected the violence this symbol also represented. The original flag, designed in 1978 by artist Gilbert Baker, was meant to be an original, historically unburdened symbol. "With all of the Black and Brown activism that's worked to address racism in the Gayborhood over the past year, I think the new flag is a great step for the city to show the world that they're working toward fully supporting all members of our community." "The black and brown stripes are an inclusionary way to highlight Black and Brown LGBTQIA members within our community," an anonymous source close to the flag-raising ceremony told Philadelphia Magazine's LGBTQ-focused outlet G Philly. The organization behind the new flag design is called More Color More Pride, sponsored by the city of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs.
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This new rainbow pride flag has black and brown stripes to represent the black and brown communities that form the bedrock of the larger LGBTQ+ community, and it's a statement that is especially necessary right now. The rainbow flag is inarguably the symbol of the LGBTQ+ movement, but it might not have fully represented the community - until now.