The Missing Stripe - A Line Between Gay and Transgender
My Proposal to Gender Critical LGB Readers
My proposal to the LGB community
Can those of us who are gender critical go back to the original pride flag with 8 stripes?
Besides it being more colorful1, I think that removing the “progress” portion (leave LGB struggles alone) is an excellent start, but there’s a reason why I think we should step further back into history to the original. Hear me out.
Anyone really paying attention to the impact of the trans community on LGB spaces knows that things aren’t exactly utopian. In their bid for “equality”, trans-identified folks have invaded same-sex attracted spaces and demanded they become same-gender attracted spaces. They deny basic biology, asserting that sexuality is a matter of choice which can expand to include people you’re not biologically attracted to or shrink into “bigotry” if you aren’t attracted to them.
To the gender crazies: may have deluded yourself into thinking you are somehow a special case when it comes to to the basic truths of human attraction and sexuality, worthy of an exemption from reality, but life doesn’t work that way.
Frankly, I think the LGB community is probably tired of you shaming them for the very thing heterosexuals have been shaming (and killing) them for as long as anyone can remember: being attracted to people with the same sort of undercarriage as their own.
While I would now classify my sexuality as bisexual, for two decades I considered myself pansexual (or the largely forgotten “omnisexual”, if you will). There’s a little saying that pansexual folk sometimes like to repeat that has always burned my biscuit: “hearts not parts”. It’s as if pansexuality is morally superior to other forms of sexual attraction because no one is excluded. Sexual attraction rooted in one’s biology is no longer relevant because acknowledging this fragment of reality hurts trans feelings.
The pressure to change one’s sexuality for the sake of inclusion is a prime example of how the trans community demands unreasonable treatment for themselves. In fact, I would argue that this is sexually coercive behavior.
Again: Forcing yourself into spaces where you are not welcome and pressuring people into accepting your intrusion despite their biology is sexually coercive.
A clever rUSE
Over the past ten years or so, I have noticed all of the rainbow pride flags around my area have been replaced with the “progress flag.” Just as the transgender movement has co-opted the struggles of the LGB community for their own advancement, they have co-opted their flag. In addition to the very gendered trans pride colors, they have added black and brown chevrons. Now I also see some with the intersex pride symbol inside the chevrons.
At first, this might seem reasonable, kind and compassionate. We want to be as inclusive as possible. How can this possibly be a bad thing?
The trouble is that being inclusive is not what this is about. This is about hitching a ride on the struggles of other people to lend their movement the legitimacy it requires. Without these causes to piggyback on, transgenderism seems even more wacky than it already is.
Gender, as trans allies will be quick to tell you, is a social construct. You may notice, however, that the other causes represented on this flag are not. They are a part of the human condition rooted in biology:
LGB = homosexual attraction = biological in nature, can’t be ignored
PoC = struggles of people of color = biological physical markers, can’t be taken off
Intersex = disorders of sexual development = biological disorders, physical evidence
Transgenderism = changing genders = not biological in nature, social construct
Transgenderism has nothing to do with homosexuality or DSDs, let alone any issues of race or ethnicity.
The movement needs association with these causes to evoke both a sense of legitimacy and the impression that these people are unfairly discriminated against at every turn. It's been highly effective so far.
Why not the six-stripe flag?
So, why not just use the existing “ non-progress” pride flag?
Because of this:
Each color of the original pride flag stood for something:
Pink - sex
Red - life
Orange - healing
Yellow - sunlight2
Green - nature
Turquoise - magic or art
Indigo - serenity
Purple - spirit
To be honest with you, this is very different from what I would have come up with. I'm not sure what sunlight and magic have to do with being gay, but I'll trust them.
You may notice that the first stripe is pink, not red. You may also notice that it symbolizes sex. This represents the line between homosexuality and transgenderism. It means that sex matters, and that the people displaying this flag have a right to same-sex relationships and spaces. It means that sex means something.
Well, I hear you asking, why was it removed in the first place? And what's up with that turquoise stripe?
Actually, it's kind of an interesting story.
The First Flag
The original flag was created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, having been commissioned by the then member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Harvey Milk. Milk, being the first openly homosexual man elected to public office, was trying to create a symbol to bring the gay community together. The flag was debuted that same year.
It did not take long for the pink stripe to get the axe, simply because hot pink fabric was in short supply, especially after demand for the flags rose following Milk’s assassination in November 1978.
The turquoise stripe was soon to follow, simply for an aesthetic choice this time.
In 1979, when preparing to decorate the lamp posts along a parade route, Baker wanted to split the flag’s design in half so that an even number of stripes (three on each side) could flank each pole. Removing the turquoise stripe resulted in an even number of stripes.
Not only does returning the two missing stripes to the flag bring the representation of sex back, but it symbolizes a return to a time before queerness and public fetishism took over the gay community. It's a reminder of where we came from and what this community is actually about. It reminds us that there was a time before the TQA++ that is worth honoring.
While I'm not so sure we need the “magic” of the turquoise stripe, I think now is an excellent time to bring back the art meaning. The art of this community has value, and it is worth celebrating. It may even offer an opportunity to raise our voices in new forms, which is sorely needed at the moment.
What do you think? Should we leave the 8-stripe in the past, or is there value in bringing it back? Does returning the “sex stripe” matter to you? Do you think we should stick with the 6-stripe instead? Let's talk about it.
Until next time, stay guilty of thought crimes!
XMadFemX
Quantifiably so!
lol wut?
I love the rationale behind returning the pink and turquoise to the LGB flag! I never thought about bringing them back to separate us from the TQ+, especially the pink.
Personally, I'd also like the flag to have the space where that ugly chevron is torn out as a reminder to future generations what happened and to NOT repeat the same mistake. Makes less sense considering the original iteration was spared the travesty, but I like the symbolism.
The chevron and stripes design of the Progress Pride flag is the same as the 'Palestinian' flag, actually the flag of the Ba'ath Party of Saddam Hussein and a related Ba'ath Party in Iran. Hussein attempted to link his invasion of Kuwait to the Palestinian cause, which helped discredit Palestinian ambitions for statehood.
That Ba'ath flag is based on the flag of the Arab Revolt, designed by British officer Mark Sykes to unify tribes in the region, but with two of the colours reversed. The symbolism is forced teaming to attack a common enemy. In the case of Progress Pride, I think we know who has been doing the forced teaming.