Fabrics of Our Community

By Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique, translated by Michael Anthony Fowler

A sister Pride in Canada designs a new flag for LGBTQ people of African descent

In an effort to increase the visibility of LGBTQ people of African descent and to encourage their inclusion within the Pride movement and its ongoing fight for equal rights, the Montreal-based organization Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique set out to create a flag representing queer black communities worldwide. Due to experiences of discrimination and of being left out from dominant discourses, for some the existing Pride flag – the rainbow – is not a symbol of inclusion. Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique hopes that the new flag gives this community a greater sense of belonging.

In the summer of 2016, the organization announced on social media its intention to create a new Pride flag and invited interested individuals in the community to participate by contributing their design ideas. Several flag designs were generated from the proposals received and then put to a public vote on social media. The winning design is presented here.

The raised fist is an emblem of solidarity and of resistance that has been used by black movements in their fight for equality and civil rights. To symbolize the LGBTQ community, the colors of the rainbow flag are grafted onto this fist. The downward pointing white triangle is inspired by the pink triangle badge, which was used to identify homosexuals in the Nazi concentration camps and has been appropriated by the queer community as an identity marker.

The new flag was officially inaugurated during the summer barbeque organized by Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique in the context of Fierté Afro (Black Pride), which is a series of events produced by the organization to coincide with Montreal Pride Week. Among these events is the Pride Parade, in which the flag made its marching debut in 2016. A few months later, members of Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique traveled to Montpellier, France for the Annual General Meeting of InterPride, where they proudly presented the new flag to the assembled delegates from Prides from around the globe, Boston Pride among them.

Interested readers may acquire their very own LGBTQ Black Pride flag for 70 Canadian dollars by contacting Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique (info@arcencieldafrique.org). For a virtual introduction to Black Pride in Montreal, check out the following short video (with French dialogue and subtitles): bostonpride.org/FierteAfro.