To highlight the fact that LGBTQIA community acknowledges people of color within the community, Manchester Pride is all excited to adopt their new rainbow flag that comes with 2 extra stripes- brown and black.
For all 2019 events and celebrations, this 8-stripe flag will be their official banner. This was first adopted in 2017 by the city of Philadelphia. According to the reports, this flag is a variation of Gilbert Baker’s original rainbow flag.
The organizers of Manchester Pride released a statement about their adoption of the new flag. The statement said, “For many years, the LGBT+ community has collectively stood under the iconic six-stripe rainbow flag. But in the 40 years since its creation, the community has evolved into many facets, with each one creating and identifying with their own symbols and flags.’
Also, the chief executive of Manchester Pride, Mark Fletcher mentioned that the flag must be a symbol that adapts to ‘reflect the modern society that we live in’. He continued- ‘A lot has happened but there is still a long way to go, especially in the recognition of people of color in the LGBT+ community.’
The event also released a new video about 2019 Pride:
A voice in the musical video says, “Mine is the Pride, of a burning passion, a yearning inclusion of all.” According to the report, the event will now be known as Manchester Pride Live and will take place at Mayfield, close to Piccadilly Station.
But, the addition in the color of the flag has not gone down well with some. According to a poll released last year, people who were mostly those between the ages of 18 and 29, approved the new stripes, but it also showed that 58% of respondents don’t like the addition of the black and brown stripes and most of the opposition came from gay men, particularly older men over 50. Not just that, some white people also opposed the new stripes.
There are other versions of the rainbow flag as well. Last year, a Puerto Rican artist unveiled a new form of the controversial flag to acknowledge trans people and people of color in the community. In August 2018, a church in Calgary flew this flag.
