Butch Lesbian Pride 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 Butch Lesbian Pride flag, designed using shades of blue and purple, is one variation of several lesbian flags.

Main Document

What is a Butch Lesbian?

In lesbian culture, the word 'butch' indicates a woman whose gender expression and traits are present as typically 'masculine.' Being butch is about playing with and questioning traditional binary male and female gender roles and expressions.

The Butch Lesbian Pride Flag

Before the design of the Butch Lesbian flag, lesbians who fell under the "butch" category did not feel the more feminine Lipstick Lesbian Flag and the lightly colorful Lesbian Pride Flag represented them properly. The lipstick lesbian flag has been criticized for excluding butch lesbians. Some members of the lesbian community do not consider the derivative pink lesbian flag to be inclusive of butches, either.

The butch lesbian flag is one variation of several lesbian flags, including the lipstick lesbian flag and labrys lesbian flag. The first butch lesbian pride flag was created in 2016 by tumbler user Dorian-rutherford using shades of blues and purple. The flag was designed for lesbians who do not identify with the lipstick lesbian flag due to its feminine nature.

Another variation of the butch lesbian flag was created in 2017 by tumbler user butchspace to represent butch positivity using shades of orange. Today, both variations of the butch lesbian flag are slowly gaining traction in the community.

The Butch Lesbian Pride flag was created in the style of the Rainbow Pride Flag and the Lesbian Pride Flag, but with darker, more "masculine" colors as an alternative to the lighter feminine colors of the original. Although the flag designer never explicitly explained the meaning of the colored stripes, people assume blue represents masculinity and purple represents lesbian and woman-identified individuals. White represents people across the gender and sexuality spectrums more broadly.

Butch Lesbian Pride Flag

The Butch Lesbian Pride flag features seven stripes: three stripes using shades of blue, a white center stripe, and three stripes of shades of purple.

What the Butch Lesbian Pride Flag Colors Mean

• Blue stripes represent Masculinity.
• White broadly represents people across gender and sexuality spectrums.
• Purple stripes represent lesbian and woman-identified individuals.