Red= Life

Red is the top color of the flag and it stands for life. In this life everyone will struggle with their identity at some point or another. Life will constantly throw curveballs in your direction or you will have people who will go against you because of who you are. There are a lot of parts of society that are still unaccepting towards the community and it is truly heartbreaking. There are no lives on this Earth that are less valuable than another. Although there are a lot of difficult times we must go through, there are also going to be a lot of great things to look forward to such as legalized marriage and community gatherings.

Orange= Healing

People in the LGBTQ+ community are almost three times more likely to suffer from mental health conditions than others. The most common can include severe depression or generalized anxiety. For a lot of people, the pressure of coming out becomes too overwhelming and the fear of rejection consumes their lives.

I am a 21-year-old bisexual woman and l also experience severe anxiety. The best way for me to reduce my anxiety is by talking to others in the community and how they learned to overcome the fears that stayed glued in the back of their heads for years. Time will heal and the people who truly love and accept you will help you naturally heal too.

Yellow=Sunlight

The yellow stripe in the flag represents sunlight. The sun serves a purpose to provide warmth and life to all living things on Earth. It is metaphoric to not live in the shadows and be proud of who you are.

After nine years of living in the shadows, I finally came out. I felt as if a 55-pound backpack was released off of my shoulders- like I could breathe again. I looked at the world differently that day, I looked up at the sun peaking its way through puffy white clouds and smiled.

Green= Nature

The green represents mother nature. Being who you are will come naturally because it is not a mere thought but rather a consistent feeling in your heart.

Blue= Harmony and Serenity

The blue stripe represents harmony in the community and amongst others. Like the oceans, serenity comes over you in waves.

Purple= spirit

Purple is the last color in the flag and it stands for spirit. The best things in life are not seen but rather felt by the heart, because in the end, love wins. When you do find friends or a significant other who can love you and share similar experiences as you, love will flood your heart and calmness will wash over you. Remember wherever you go and wherever you are, you have an army of people in the LGBTQ+ community who are always here to support you, and there is no greater ease to your spirit than knowing that.