It had eight colours - two more than today's version - and was designed by Gilbert Baker, an openly gay artist and activist. The original rainbow flag first flew in San Francisco's United Nations Plaza for Gay Pride Day, on June 25, 1978. “Trans” is sometimes used as shorthand for “transgender.” Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female or something else gender expression refers to the way a person communicates gender identity to others through behaviour, clothing, hairstyles, voice or body characteristics. Transgender - Transgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression or behaviour does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. The word lesbian is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behaviour, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterise or associate nouns with female homosexuality or same-sex attraction The dictionary defines genderqueer as the following: "denoting or relating to a person who does not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions but identifies with neither, both, or a combination of male and female genders." Genderqueer - The term genderqueer is similar to non-binary, but has a slightly different meaning. Intersex - Intersex is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. Pansexual people may refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their romantic or sexual attraction to others. Pansexual - A sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity. Some people who are nonbinary experience their gender as both male and female, and others experience their gender as neither male nor female.
If someone tells you they’re nonbinary, it’s always important to ask what being nonbinary means to them. At its core, it’s used to describe someone whose gender identity isn’t exclusively male or female. Non-Binary - can mean different things to different people. A genderfluid person's identity may change constantly, so it's always best to ask what they are in that moment. Genderfluid - a gender identity which refers to a gender which varies over time. The 8 flags Ara will fly during Pride Week
Many people know the traditional eight colour rainbow Pride flag, with each colour having its own meaning ( red - life and sexuality, orange - healing and friendship, yellow - vitality and energy, green - serenity and nature, blue - harmony and artistry, purple - spirit and gratitude). However, there are many more that have been created over time to reflect the diversity that exists amongst the communities it represents.Īlong with the Rainbow flag, the following flags will also be flown at Ara across Pride Week: genderfluid, genderqueer, non-binary, lesbian pride, pansexual pride, transgender pride and intersex. This year, from Thursday the 4th March, these eight brightly-coloured flags will rise again outside Christchurch’s Madras Street campus.Īlthough World Pride takes place in June, Pride Week (and month) takes place in February and March in New Zealand. In 2020, Ara Institute of Canterbury was one of the few institutes around the country that flew all eight Pride flags.