“We are showing the world that our city is a beacon of inclusiveness, acceptance and diversity”
BY VALENTINO VECCHIETTI
The journey to intersex inclusion and recognition continues today with an historic and beautiful show of allyship from the Mayor of London who has chosen to raise the Intersex Inclusive LGBTIQA+ Pride flag ahead of the Pride celebrations on Saturday.
The Mayor London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m delighted that for the first time the Intersex-Inclusive Pride flag is flying above City Hall this week. By raising the flag ahead of Pride in London this Saturday, we are showing the world that our city is a beacon of inclusiveness, acceptance and diversity. The Pride march has had an incredible impact on our society over the last five decades, and I’m hugely looking forward to seeing our LGBTIQ+ communities and allies join together in solidarity and celebration this weekend.”
I am immensely grateful to the Mayor of London and City Hall, as well as to everyone who has supported my flag and intersex inclusion.
I created intersex inclusion on the Pride flag to bring my community joy, and because I knew I needed to do something bold to raise intersex visibility. The Pride flag presents a beautiful tool of allyship and solidarity for the LGBTIQA+ community.
I presented it in May 2021 as part of @Intersex_Equality_Rights_UK Intersex Inclusion and Visibility campaign. My flag then went viral on the internet, and it is because of the outstanding support from people across the globe that my flag was internationally welcomed as the new Pride flag. #WeStandTogether #LGBTwiththeI #LGBTIQA+
One of the ways to understand the flag is to think of who each element of the flag represents:
- The trans flag represents diversity in gender identity and expression
- The black and brown stripes represent the intersectionality of Black, brown, and people of colour.
- The rainbow colours represent diversity in sexual orientation.
- The intersex flag represents diversity in sex characteristics
The international abbreviation for diversity in sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characterises is: SOGIESC
A History of the journey to the Intersex-Inclusive Pride flag:
- In 1978 Gilbert Baker devised the Rainbow Flag
- In 1999 Monica Helms created the Trans Flag.
- In 2013 Morgan Carpenter of Intersex Human Rights Australia designed the intersex flag.
- In 2017 under the leadership of American civil rights activist Amber Hikes, Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs developed the Rainbow flag to incorporate black and brown stripes to include Black, brown, and people of colour.
- In 2018 Daniel Quasar redesigned Amber Hikes’ version of the flag to include the Trans Flag, and to include people living with HIV, creating the Pride Progress Flag.
- In 2021, Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK developed Daniel Quasar’s Pride Progress flag design to incorporate the intersex flag, creating the Intersex-Inclusive Pride Flag.
What are sex characteristics?
Everyone is born with Primary sex characteristics which relate to our internal and external sex organs and our chromosomes. We typically develop secondary sex characteristics at puberty, which can include, facial hair, breasts, and changes in our vocal chords.
People with intersex variations are born with natural diversity in their sex characteristics.
If you’re in London during Pride do come and see the beautiful display of 100 Intersex-Inclusive Pride flags in the heart of London on Regent Street. #RegentStreet #LondonPride
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