The asexual pride flag is a symbol of the asexual community. It features four horizontal stripes: black, grey, white, and purple. The black stripe represents asexuality. The grey stripe represents grey-asexuality and demi-sexuality. The white stripe represents allies. The purple stripe represents community. Together, these colors create a flag that celebrates asexual identity and community.
The asexual pride flag was created in 2010 by Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) founder David Jay. Prior to its creation, the asexual community did not have a universal symbol. The flag offered a way for asexual people to show pride, increase visibility, and find belonging.
Today, the asexual flag is recognized globally as the main symbol of the asexual community. It appears at pride events, in online spaces, on clothing and jewelry, and in works of art. For many, it is an affirmative symbol of identity that challenges societal expectations around attraction and relationships.
What does the asexual flag look like?
As described above, the asexual pride flag consists of four horizontal stripes: black, grey, white, and purple.
The black stripe is on top. It takes up approximately 1/5th of the flag. Below the black is a thin grey stripe, taking up around 1/15th of the flag. Next is a white stripe taking up another 1/5th. On the bottom is a wide purple stripe taking up the remaining 2/5ths of the flag.
The full dimensions of the flag are five units by two units. When displayed at its official proportions, the stripes measure:
| Black stripe | 1 unit |
| Grey stripe | 0.2 units |
| White stripe | 1 unit |
| Purple stripe | 2 units |
The colors themselves are defined using hex color codes:
| Black | #000000 |
| Grey | #A6A6A6 |
| White | #FFFFFF |
| Purple | #9370DB |
When printed on fabric, the colors may vary slightly. But generally, the flag should visually maintain its distinct horizontal stripes. The simplicity of its design allows it to be easily reproduced and recognized.
What do the colors on the asexual flag mean?
Each color on the asexual flag is symbolic:
Black represents asexuality. Specifically, it celebrates individuals who do not experience sexual attraction. Black is the color of asexuality because white always implies the presence of sexuality in Euro-American cultures. The black stripe dispels that notion and makes space for asexuality.
Grey stands for grey-asexuality and demi-sexuality. People who are grey-asexual or demi-sexual may only experience sexual attraction rarely or under specific circumstances. The grey stripe recognizes identities between asexuality and allosexuality.
White represents allies. Allies support and embrace the asexual community. Though allies do not personally identify as ace, their acceptance is vital. The white stripe honors those who stand with the asexual community.
Purple symbolizes community. Historically, purple represents queer communities more broadly. Using purple on the bottom half of the flag ties asexuality to the wider LGBTQ+ movement. The purple stripe proclaims asexuality’s place within queer activism and alliance.
Together, the stripes demonstrate the diversity of identities and experiences represented under the asexual umbrella. The flag unites aces across spectrums of attraction, romance, and involvement in LGBTQ+ communities. The symbol allows both insider and outsider recognition of asexual visibility and pride.
Who created the asexual flag?
The asexual pride flag was created by activist David Jay in 2010. Jay is the founder of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), the most prominent online asexual community.
AVEN launched in 2001 as an internet forum where people could discuss asexuality. At the time, asexuality was little known both within and outside LGBTQ+ spaces. The community lacked a unifying symbol that members could use to find each other and self-identify.
So in 2010, Jay launched a contest to design an asexual pride flag. Submissions incorporated colors like black, white, grey, and purple for their symbolic resonance.
The winning design came from AVEN user standup, whose real name is unknown. Their submission contained the iconic four horizontal stripes of black, grey, white, and purple.
With AVEN’s endorsement, the flag quickly spread online and off as the symbol of asexuality. Today it remains the most recognizable icon of the ace community. Jay’s initiation of the contest allowed the flag to emerge from the community itself, reflecting its diversity through the stripe colors.
How did the asexual community adopt the flag?
Since its creation, the asexual flag has been widely adopted by the ace community. Online, asexual people use the flag emoji in profiles and bios. They add the stripes as backgrounds and banners to websites and forums.
The flag is also popular offline. Asexual organizations like AVEN sell apparel featuring the flag’s colors and design. Individuals wear and display the flag at pride events, protests, conferences, and meet-ups. It provides visibility for asexual attendees among larger LGBTQ+ crowds.
Within the arts, the flag inspires tattoos, paintings, prints, pins, and jewelry. Ace artists incorporate the stripes into their work, linking their creations back to community. These pieces allow the flag’s symbols to spread even further.
Meanwhile, allies show their support through displaying the flag. LGBTQ+ organizations fly the asexual flag alongside others. Libraries, colleges, workplaces, and community centers exhibit the black, grey, white, and purple stripes. Such representation affirms asexual people and raises awareness.
Overall, the flag offers individuals a way to be seen and validated. Collectively, it strengthens a sense of asexuality as an identity and community. One symbol has allowed great unity and recognition in a little over a decade.
How has the asexual flag created visibility?
Before the asexual flag’s creation, people lacked a clear way to communicate asexual identity. Orientation symbols like the rainbow flag already existed for identities like homosexuality, bisexuality, and pansexuality. The absence of comparable asexual imagery contributed to lack of visibility.
Today, the flag enables visibility across contexts:
– Virtual settings: Online, the asexual flag makes community and identity apparent through profiles, pages, art, and merchandise. This visibility helps asexual people find information and connection. It also makes the orientation accessible to those just learning about asexuality.
– In-person settings: Offline, the flag builds visibility at pride events, college campuses, conferences, and local communities. Wearing ace colors or displaying the flag openly sparks recognition and conversations. It allows ease in communicating identity and finding compatibility.
– Mainstream media: In recent years, the asexual flag has appeared on TV shows and films. Its inclusion in mainstream entertainment normalizes asexual visibility. Memorable examples include Sex Education, BoJack Horseman, and Halt and Catch Fire.
– LGBTQ+ activism: At LGBTQ+ rights demonstrations, incorporating the asexual flag asserts that aces belong in queer justice movements. It resists exclusion and makes space for asexual voices in broader activism.
This increased visibility expands societal understanding of asexuality. The flag makes clear that lack of attraction is a valid orientation deserving of respect. Through its messaging, the asexual pride flag fosters acceptance and empowers the ace community.
How do people celebrate the asexual flag?
People celebrate the asexual flag both on Asexual Awareness Week and throughout the year. Festivities allow community bonding while raising the flag’s profile. Some popular ways to recognize the symbol include:
– Attending Pride Events: Asexual people and allies proudly wave flags and wear colors at pride parades and festivals. Pride appearances call attention to the community and ace identities.
– Buying Merchandise: Purchasing apparel, stickers, pins, and other items displaying the flag directly supports asexual artists and businesses. It also sparks conversations when worn publicly.
– Creating Art: Ace creators make flag-themed paintings, photos, crafts, and designs. Sharing this art promotes the symbol and develops community.
– Decorating Living Spaces: Hanging flags, displaying crafts, or painting room colors endorses asexuality privately while preparing for guests.
– Wearing Colors: Sporting flag hues, like a black shirt and purple skirt, indirectly signals asexual pride through fashion choices.
– Coming Out: Personally sharing one’s asexual orientation with friends, family, and community solidifies identity. The flag’s visibility facilitates coming out.
– Connecting Online: Discussing experiences on ace forums like AVEN builds community. Sharing photos and art digitally enables outreach beyond in-person networks.
– Learning History: Studying the flag’s origins and meaning engages critically with the community. It inspires identity while expanding activism.
Whether through clothing, art, coming out, or research, the flag represents collective identity, equality, and pride. However expressed, celebration promotes visibility, belonging, and acceptance.
Where is the asexual flag displayed?
Today the asexual flag is displayed:
– At pride events like parades, marches, and festivals attended by the LGBTQ+ community. You will see the black, grey, white, and purple stripes waving and worn proudly.
– In online spaces like social media profiles, forums, websites, and apps that engage the asexual community. Users prominently display the flag to signal identity and find community.
– On apparel and accessories including t-shirts, pins, patches, bracelets, and other wares sold by ace creators. People wear such merchandise to display identity.
– At colleges and universities that fly the flag or allow student groups to exhibit it on campus. Many schools now recognize ace student organizations.
– At libraries, community centers, and other civic locations that show support by hanging asexual flags alongside others.
– In films, TV shows, books, comics, and other media that incorporate the flag to represent asexual characters and themes.
– At activist demonstrations for both ace and broader LGBTQ+ rights. Participants wave the flag to maintain visibility and make demands.
– On national days like Asexual Awareness Week that promote education around asexual identity and community.
– In artistic works like paintings, photos, graphic designs that feature the flag as a symbol of community.
– At related conferences and conventions where attendees display the flag on name tags and banners.
This widespread display normalizes the flag’s presence in public spaces both on and offline. It sparks recognition and opportunities to keep growing visibility.
What are other symbols used in the asexual community?
In addition to the asexual pride flag, other symbols unite and represent the ace community, including:
– Ace of spades: The ace playing card symbol connects asexuality to the “A” in “LGBTQA.” Spades are associated with asexuality because aces are outspoken, direct, and willing to chase potential. The ace of spades represents clarity and willingness to take risks.
– Ace of hearts: The ace of hearts card symbolizes how asexual people have love, compassion, friendship, and passion. Just because aces lack sexual attraction does not mean they cannot feel deep bonds of affection.
– Black rings: Some aces wear black rings on their right middle finger. This shows they identify somewhere on the asexual spectrum. The black ring allows subtle signaling between community members.
– Cake: For many aces, cake symbolizes how food, not sex, can bring pleasure. The community jokes about preferring cake over sex. Garlic bread is another inside reference.
– Dragons and domestic cats: Some associate asexuality with dragons and cats. This links aces to attributes like intelligence, curiosity, independence, and self-sufficiency.
– Rhodonite: In crystal healing, rhodonite allegedly helps decrease sexual urges, making it popular among aces. Its pink and black appearance also mirrors the flag.
While the asexual pride flag remains the most iconic symbol, these other icons enrich community culture. They offer more nuanced inside references to ace identity.
How can allies show support through using the asexual flag?
Allies of the asexual community can show their support through creatively incorporating the flag, such as:
– Displaying the flag visibly in their home, office, or other spaces to signify acceptance. When others see the flag, it can spark discussion.
– Giving flag merchandise and accessories as gifts to ace friends or family. Items like t-shirts, stickers, and pins demonstrate interest in understanding their identity.
– Making art including flag colors and symbolism. For example, creating an abstract painting using the flag palate. Sharing such work promotes the community.
– Speaking up if they witness acephobia and pointing out the flag when relevant. Calling out prejudices raises awareness.
– Learning terminology like what the flag means and ace identities it represents. Educating themselves enables meaningful allyship.
– Attending ace events like meet-ups while displaying the flag. Participation shows solidarity.
– Advocating for inclusion by suggesting organizations or event display the flag. Encouraging representation fosters welcoming spaces.
– Wearing ace colors and symbols like a black ring or flag colors coordinated in an outfit. Subtle signaling creates conversations.
Allies are vital for promoting ace visibility. Through proud flag imagery, they signal that asexual people are heard, accepted, and welcomed in all spaces.
Conclusion
The asexual flag holds deep meaning as a symbol of identity, community, and pride. Since its creation in 2010, the iconic stripes of black, grey, white, and purple have become synonymous with asexual visibility.
Flown at marches, imprinted on apparel, and displayed across digital spaces, the flag offers asense of belonging for ace people worldwide. It empowers visibility, providing the language for asexual people to be seen and heard. Through this simple but impactful design, more gain awareness of identities under the asexual umbrella.
Moving forward, the asexual flag will likely continue spreading as more understand asexuality. In years to come, we may see it frequently represented across popular media, public spaces, households, and beyond. This normalization will signal to asexual youth and adults that they have a community ready to embrace them exactly as they are.
