Why we fly the Progress Flag during PRIDE and throughout the year

Over the past few years, we’ve flown the Progress Flag on our social media pages as a symbol that our theatres are a safe space for LGBTQIA+ community and all marginalised groups. 

Often the message of PRIDE can become lost in a sea of rainbows, so we wanted ask ‘what does the Progress Flag represent?’ taking a look at its origins and what the colours stand for, both individually, and collectively on the Flag.

The start of the rainbow
The rainbow is a symbol of hope across many cultures. The colourful arcs which stretch across the sky, usually after rain, have often been regarded as a sign of better times to come. 

Political activist and vexillographer (or Flag maker) Gilbert Baker was tasked with creating a unique symbol for the gay community, and in 1978 the Rainbow Flag made its first appearance during San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade. This work created a lasting legacy for the LGBTQIA+ community, for whom the rainbow became a symbol of hope for acceptance.

The Progress Flag
In 2018, Graphic Designer Daniel Quasar added a five-colour chevron to the flag to reflect the many intersections of identities within the LGBTQIA+ community. 

The Progress Flag was designed to place a greater emphasis on progress and inclusion. The additional colours are: pink, blue and white, which represent the transgender community, gender non-conforming and non-binary people; and black and brown, honouring LGBTQIA+ people of colour and their experiences. 

These additional colours also pay tribute to activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, both transwomen of colour who were instrumental in the 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn.

Making our theatres a safe space
We proudly display the Progress Flag on our pages for Pride and that show of support and solidarity continues throughout the year. We want theatres to be a safe space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to experience, share and create in, all year round.

As part of our Safe Spaces commitments, we are signed up to Transcend Theatre’s Trans Casting Statement – the first step in our commitment to better support trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming artists.

Liverpool and the City Region is a hub of queer creativity and we want those voices to be heard. Working with organisations like Homotopia, the longest running LGBTQIA+ festival of arts and culture  and one of our Asssociate Companies, we will continue to give queer performers across the City Region and beyond a platform to share their work.

These are all small steps on the road to equality and safety for the queer community, but we are proud to be an organisation that listens, learns and implements change wherever necessary.