The rainbow symbol

@2Olives1Onion well said, it is totally racist.

It's a symbol of hope. "After the rain comes the rainbow" or "You can't have a rainbow without the rain." Yes the rainbow flag is a symbol of the LGBT community but the rainbow symbolism is very general and used by many groups of people.

There are plenty of rainbows to go around. You're making an issue out of hot air.

The 🌈 belongs to everyone. So no, you can't claim it back or try and stop others using it for whatever they want.

@MarkRuffaloCrumble ah, I forgot that on my list! You've put the theme tune in my head now.

Just thought of another- Skittles 'Taste the Rainbow'.

@ToTheLetter01 - would you tell parents who have lost babies to miscarriage or stillbirth that they can’t call a subsequent, much loved and wanted baby, a ‘rainbow baby’?

It’s a naturally occurring phenomenon OP, there for all of us to be embrace and enjoy, like trees, or shall we trademark those too because the Tories already use them as a logo.. Oh gosh yes, I have a tree in my front garden - will be sure to chop it down before the next election

TBH when I think of rainbows my first association is neither NHS nor pride. It’s these guys.

You're annoyed about it? I'm a leprechaun and I'm fecking fuming!

There is a growing movement in LGB circles to ditch the rainbow.

I always thought the horizontal striped flag was pride, any other type of rainbow (as drawn by kids since forever and more recently for the NHS) is up for grabs as a beautiful phenomenon of nature and/or symbol of hope and forgiveness from God.

Do I think Pride should “claim it back” as try to stop anyone else being able to use it?! Erm. No

A political or societal movement can’t claim all 7 colours of the spectrum to themselves. Give your head a wobble.

I remember when the symbol was the pink triangle for gay men and the labrys for lesbian women.

Yes! I remember not liking the rainbow flag when it came in in the UK (the 90s sometime?) but I can't remember why! Maybe it was linked with the commercialisation of Pride?

So children shouldn’t have been able to use the rainbow as a symbol of hope and better times after the shitstorm of covid, because LGBTQIA? Utter bollocks.

It’s a naturally occurring phenomenon OP, there for all of us to be embrace and enjoy, like trees, or shall we trademark those too because the Tories already use them as a logo.

Give your head a serious wobble OP.

I was delighted to see rainbows repurposed, so to speak, last year, even though ofc the pride flag isn't a rainbow.

I hadn't considered that adding black and brown to the pride flag is racist. Thank you 2Olives1Onion.

The first thing my DD said when she saw the NHS rainbow was why is the gay pride flag everywhere, which did make me think as I doubt she’s the only one.

If I see a flag I assume it’s for gay pride if I see a rainbow I assume NHS but I don’t give it much thought which one the family who has it in their window is supporting.

I remember when the symbol was the pink triangle for gay men and the labrys for lesbian women.

Not a rainbow in sight.

Ah. The good old days.

If you think losing the rainbow is bad what do you think about losing the word woman?

I don’t know why this is in FWR, but as a child I always associated the rainbow as a symbol representing the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior ship.

Rainbows (word and image) are used by a few groups. Off the top of my head -

• Rainbow section of Girl Guiding and is part of their logo
• a term for babies born after a previous loss
• Christians as a sign of God's common grace.
• The Rainbow flag was used as a symbol at peace and anti - nuclear marches in the 60's.
• as a symbol of support to the NHS during this pandemic

And of course, as a meteorological phenomenon.

It may be "a" new, proposed and sometimes used symbol. But it is racist, because people of all races and skin tones (do I really have to say that?) are and always have been gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (and any other category included; they vary by polity and by organization).

There is no need to add black and brown to the flag; those of us who are are not white and who are also LGBT+ were always LGBT+, and those who are black, brown, etc. and NOT LGBT+ don't need (or generally want) to be added to the LGBT+ flag when their white counterparts are not.

As a very old person, I can assure the OP the Pride symbol is the rainbow flag, not a rainbow. The NHS used a rainbow. Different things.

And what everyone else said too.

Although isn't it 8-10 different colours now depending on if you are including brown and black.*

In this country at least it tends to be the flag Sappho posted, from last year onwards, to differentiate it from the NHS.

Rainbow colours, not rainbows, have been used by the LGB for many years, the rest of the letters weren't stuck on until 2015.

The LGBT Community hijacked the rainbow if anything. It was fitting and apt that it was used during the pandemic as a symbol of hope and if anybody is "infuriated" (can't imagine many people are) with the LGBT trying to reclaim the rainbow, I would understand. As a pp said upthread, the rainbow doesn't belong to anybody or any group of people. It belongs to everyone. It's not exclusive to the gay community, it's not trademarked. It's not a feminist issue.

Poor Noah. He's been robbed.