Within 24 hours, however, a media storm had been whipped up around this more inclusive design, with certain parts of the community rejecting the flag and claiming that black activists had “hijacked” this symbol of Pride. When the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for LGBT Affairs in Philadelphia, Amber Hikes, and her team unveiled a new eight-stripe rainbow flag for Pride Month back in 2017 it was with the aim of giving a new symbol to the community that better recognised LGBTQ people of colour and their experiences. It is a way to symbolise, to highlight, and to stand in solidarity with these other identities.”
“This eight-stripe flag is not a replacement for the six-stripe flag.
