It… is kind of a giant mess.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBTQ) is a good summary but the modern rainbow color scheme is a somewhat recent iteration.
But much as “LGBT” has become “LGBTQ” and “LGBTQIA” and “LGBTQIA+” and so forth, so too have the flag added and removed stripes. And… a lot of that is intentional animosity since a shocking number of LGBTQIA+ folk are actually REALLY bigoted (the old “jokes” about how bisexual people need to “choose a side” and so forth) and it becomes a whole thing.
I love the intersex-inclusive progress pride flag, which adds designs to the left that explicitly include three under-represented groups (BIPOC, trans+, and intersex).
I once had someone, in earnest, complain at me that if we kept adding chevrons, the flag would have to get wider, and showed me an image that was like 1000 pixels by 20.
And then got mad at me when I asked if I could have that as a scarf :)
Personally, the way I view it, the rainbow is most flexible, as it literally includes everyone (queer and nonqueer), and the progress pride (as in, pride + triangle with whatever is in there) mostly functions as an acknowledgement of especially repressed groups.
View it like how countries have their national days, or how there are weeks of reading focused on a particular theme or subject (school homework included). That, but for queer stuff.
The initialism, “LGBTQIA+”, feels disrespectful too. First because of everyone who falls under the “+” not being as important apparently, but second because it’s just a silly sounding name.
I’ve heard “Sexual and gender minorities” or “SGM” as a more academic and professional sounding replacement, and I much prefer it.
Wasn’t the one getting popular the other year ‘GRSM’, 'Gender, Romantic and Sexual Minorities".
After a while, the acronym just gets too long, especially when you have people complain that their particular group isn’t “properly” represented because their letter isn’t actually included in the acronym other than the “+” and it reminds me of that rap group OFWGKTA with all their ridiculous letters.
I do agree with the “SGM” abbreviation when referring to all groups under the LGBT+ acronym.
birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 months ago
I haven’t really heard of those jokes and animosity. We’re not letting ourselves get divided.
Comrade, remember that the fight is not with other queers, but with those who repress everyone; the oligarchs.