Why a Flag?
Why do minority groups have flags? Well, research suggests that the flags, logos or symbols adopted by a group increases their perceived entitativity. What does entitativity mean? I’m glad you asked, because I had to google it! Entitativity is the feeling of belonging to a group, and high or increased entitativity is a sense of inclusivity or integration into a social group who share similar goals or belief systems.
So, it may not surprise you to hear that the polyamorous community are one group who have adopted a flag.
How the Polyamory Flag Came to Be
In 1995 a fella by the name of ‘Polyamory Jim’, or Jim Evans, designed a flag to represent the polyamorous community. It consisted of three stripes, blue, red and black, with a ‘pi’ symbol in the center of the red stripe.
Of course, Polyamory Jim put a lot of thought into this flag, with each element holding a deeper meaning. The blue stripe speaks to the openness and honesty involved in polyamorous relationships. The red stripe represents love and passion. The black stripe is a mark of solidarity with polyamorous folks who hide their relationship dynamic due to societal prejudices. Lastly, the yellow ‘pi’ symbol simply represents the Greek letter ‘P’, for Polyamory.
Polyamory Jim did a great job, with the flag widely accepted throughout the community. However, the polyamory flag has undergone many changes and redesigns since then, with some people preferring an infinity symbol in place of the ‘pi’ symbol, a drastic change of colours, or an entirely new design. It seems that over the course of the last 28 years Polyamory Jim’s design never really stuck as well as one might have hoped.
A New Option
The PolyamProud Committee began searching for a new flag to better represent the polyamorous community and in 2022, on Polyamory Day, a winner was announced. Over 30,000 voters had their say, and a design by Red Howell was chosen. This new flag adopted the original 3 stripes, but changed the colours to blue, red/pink and purple. A while chevron also adorns the left-hand side, with a gold heart.
Again, each element was carefully chosen for it’s symbolism. The white chevron sits higher towards the top of the flag, with the asymmetry representing relationships that fall outside of the social norms. It also points to the right of the flag, representing the growth often displayed in ENM relationships. The gold heart represents the energy and perseverance of polyamorous folks and the love that is at the core of all non-monogamous relationships. The original flag is honored with the blue stripe indicating the openness and honesty that underpins polyamorous relationships, and the red/pink stripe symbolizing love and passion. Finally, the purple stripe serves to unite the non-monogamous community.
It seems many of the original intentions of Polyamory Jim’s flag are featured in Red Howell’s flag, with the addition of the chevron and heart, and an arguably more visually pleasing colour palette.
I don’t know about you, but I’m off to research other minority group flags to better understand the symbolism!
If you would like some support navigating ethical non-monogamy, or any other topic, please feel free to contact Bronwyn for a no-obligation 15 minute consult at bronwyn@floraisonmentalhealth.com.au
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