Lipstick Lesbian Flag

Author: Sexual Diversity
Author Contact: Sexual Diversity (SexualDiversity.org)
Published: 20th Nov 2022
Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A
Additional References: LGBTQ+ Pride Flags Publications

Summary: The Lipstick Lesbian Flag, designed in 2010 by Natalie McCray, has six shades of pink and red stripes, one white one in the middle, and a red kiss printed on them.

Main Document

What is a Lipstick Lesbian?

The term lipstick lesbian was used in San Francisco at least as early as the 1980s. In 1982, Priscilla Rhoades, a journalist with the gay newspaper Sentinel, wrote the feature story "Lesbians for Lipstick." A lipstick lesbian is a slang term for a lesbian who displays a greater amount of traditionally feminine gender attributes, such as wearing make-up, dresses, or skirts, and having other characteristics associated with feminine women. Unlike a butch lesbian, a lipstick lesbian is a lesbian who prefers a glamorous, traditionally feminine style. The term "lesbian" can be traced to sometime in the 1800s. Before that, the term "sapphic" was used to refer to women who liked other women.

Lipstick Lesbian Flag

Natalie McCray created the original lipstick lesbian pride flag in 2010 to symbolize the lipstick lesbian sub-group. The original design, which is known as the "lipstick lesbian" flag, includes a red kiss and is introduced in the weblog This Lesbian Life in 2010. Although it's not a widely used symbol, it celebrates the femmes in the lesbian community, called "lipstick lesbians." The original lipstick lesbian flag had six shades of pink and red stripes, one white one in the middle, and a red kiss printed on them. The Lipstick Lesbian Flag design does not include butch lesbians, causing the butch group to create their version of the flag known as the Butch Lesbian Pride Flag.

This version of the Lipstick Lesbian pride flag has evolved into different variants of the colors and removal of the red kissing lips - view current versions of the Lesbian Pride Flag. McCray was also allegedly accused of holding transphobic and exclusionist ideals, and most people dropped her Lipstick Lesbian flag design within the community. As far as we know, the colors in her flag design were never explained.

Lipstick Lesbian Pride Flag

Image of the Lipstick Lesbian Flag designed in 2010 by Natalie McCray featuring six shades of pink and red stripes, one white one in the middle, and a red kiss overlay.

What the Lipstick Lesbian Pride Flag Colors Mean

The Lipstick Lesbian Flag has six shades of pink and red stripes, one white one in the middle, and a red kiss printed on them. The designer did not explain the flag's colors. But bright red, pink, white, and purple hues are traditionally girly colors.