New Hope Celebrates announced its adoption of the Progress Flag. Since the organization’s inception in 2003, along with many other LGBTQ+ groups, the six striped rainbow flag created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 has been a symbol of pride and solidarity among the gay community. However, in recent years, the need to become more inclusive and raise awareness for transgender and minority communities has ushered in new symbols as a way to expand representation.
“We have many reasons to continue the Pride movement for minority groups of people in our communities, such as transgender individuals and people of color who need and deserve equality,” said New Hope Celebrates president Matt Hanson. “New Hope Celebrates has formed an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Anti-Racism (IDEAA) committee to acknowledge this problem and start working on a solution. We could not be more excited to exhibit our commitment to this cause by showcasing the Progress Flag during our annual flag unfurling on Saturday, May 8.”
The rainbow Pride Flag became a symbol of the bisexual, gay, lesbian and queer communities in 1978. In 2017, the City of Philadelphia reimagined the original Pride Flag with the addition of two more horizontal stripes – black and brown – on top of the original rainbow. As a further push to recognize the LGBTQ+ community, in 2018, designer Daniel Quasar acknowledged the presence of the trans community by adding the colors white, pink and light blue. In addition to these colors, Quasar included a chevron pattern into the original 1978 flag to then create the Progress Flag that NHC will proudly display moving forward.
The upcoming flag unfurling marks the beginning of NHC’s Pridefest and a different kind of gay pride celebration. Although the traditional parade and fair will not take place this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NHC has planned a variety of events throughout May that will support the local community, encourage people to come OUT, and allow everyone to celebrate who they are, safely. The group also has plans to highlight Hispanic Heritage Month in September, and future events aimed to recognize the importance of the intersection of the LGBTQ+ community and POC.
Visit newhopecelebrates.com/events-calendar for more information.
