The non-binary flag is a

pride flag A pride flag is any flag that represents a segment or part of the LGBTQ community. ''Pride'' in this case refers to the notion of LGBTQ pride. The terms ''LGBTQ flag'' and ''queer flag'' are often used interchangeably. Pride flags can represen ...

that represents the

non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...

community. It was designed by Kye Rowan in 2014.

Design

The non-binary flag consists of four equally-sized horizontal bars: yellow, white, purple, and black. There is no official or agreed-upon proportion (the images in this article are 2:3). The yellow stripe represents people outside the

gender binary The gender binary (also known as gender binarism) is the classification of gender into two distinct forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system, Culture, cultural belief, or both simultaneously. Most cultures use a gender binary, ...

. The white stripe represents people with multiple genders. The purple stripe represents people who identify specifically as a blend of male and female. The black stripe represents

agender Non-binary or genderqueer gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gender that is differ ...

people. File:Nonbinary flag (coloured cosmic latte).svg, Alternate version later proposed by Kye Rowan, which uses

Cosmic latte Cosmic latte is the average color of the galaxies of the universe as perceived by a typical human observer from the position of the Earth, found by a team of astronomers from Johns Hopkins University (JHU). In 2002, Karl Glazebrook and Ivan Bal ...

instead of plain white. The design of both the genderqueer flag and the nonbinary flag include the colour lavender (purple) in reference to

LGBTQ+ history LGBTQ history dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love, diverse gender identities, and sexualities in ancient civilizations, involving the history of lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LG ...

. The word

lavender ''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...

had long been used to refer to the gay community. A 1935 dictionary of slang included the phrase "a streak of lavender" meaning a person who was regarded as effeminate. A different-gender marriage where both parties were assumed to be gay was called a

lavender marriage A lavender marriage is a male–female mixed-orientation marriage, undertaken as a marriage of convenience to conceal the socially stigmatized sexual orientation of one or both partners. The term dates from the early 20th century and is used almo ...

. The Lavender Scare was a moral panic in the mid-20th century, where LGBT+ people were dismissed ''en masse'' from their jobs with the United States government. Expressions used by the LGBT+ community are sometimes referred to as

lavender linguistics LGBTQ linguistics is the study of language as used by members of LGBTQ communities. Related or synonymous terms include lavender linguistics, advanced by William Leap in the 1990s, which "encompass sa wide range of everyday language practices" ...

History

Kye Rowan created the pride flag for non-binary people in February 2014 to represent people with genders beyond the male/female binary. The flag was not intended to replace the

genderqueer flag Non-binary or genderqueer gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gender that is differe ...

, which was created by Marilyn Roxie in 2011, but to be flown alongside it, and many believe it was intended to represent people who did not feel adequately represented by the genderqueer flag. During

Eurovision 2024 The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Malmö, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Tattoo" by Loreen. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ...

, the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

singer Nemo, who came in first place, sneaked a non-binary flag into the opening ceremony. Nemo later said "I had to sneak in the flag of my non-binary gender because Eurovision told me I couldn't take it out." Despite banning the non-binary flag, Eurovision's official

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

account posted an image of the flag after the contest.

Emoji

Due to the

Unicode Consortium The Unicode Consortium (legally Unicode, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated and based in Mountain View, California, U.S. Its primary purpose is to maintain and publish the Unicode Standard which was developed with the in ...

having a blanket policy on not adding any additional flag

emoji An emoji ( ; plural emoji or emojis; , ) is a pictogram, logogram, ideogram, or smiley embedded in text and used in electronic messages and web pages. The primary function of modern emoji is to fill in emotional cues otherwise missing from type ...

s, an emoji for the non-binary flag will not be added unless the flag policy is rescinded or modified.

References

{{reflist 2014 in LGBTQ history LGBTQ flags Flags introduced in 2014

flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...