Gay Male Pride Flag 3'x5' Polyester

The rainbow covers the whole community; the gay men's flag is specific. Its band of greens, teals, white and blues has become the go-to symbol for gay, bi and queer men who want a flag of their own, and this Flags Importer Gay Male Pride Flag puts it on a 3' x 5' polyester banner with header tape and two metal grommets.

Where this design came from

The teal-and-blue layout was shared online by a Tumblr artist known as gayflagblog, who posted a seven-stripe version and a simplified five-stripe one at the same time. Its fans sometimes call it the Vincian flag or, more casually, the "ocean" flag because of its sea-like palette. Earlier attempts at a men's flag existed, including a pink-toned design modelled on a lesbian flag, but this is the one that caught on.

The stripes, top to bottom

On the full version, the greens and teals at the top stand for community and joy, the white centre stripe stands for gender-nonconforming, trans, intersex and non-binary men who are part of the gay community, and the blues and purple below represent pure love, strength and diversity. Guides describe the individual shades slightly differently, but the overall message is consistent: a flag for men who love men that deliberately includes trans and non-binary people.

How the gay men's flag compares with others

The Double Mars flag uses two interlocked male symbols and is the older, more traditional choice. Bear, twink and leather flags each speak to a particular subculture. This one is the broad, everyday option, and it pairs well with a classic rainbow flag when you want to show both the wider community and your own corner of it.

Display tips

The two grommets on the hoist side take standard pole snaps, hooks or cable ties. On a balcony, fasten both grommets to the rail and weigh the lower fly corner with a small clip so the flag doesn't wrap around the bars. Indoors, hang it horizontally above a bed or sofa for the full gradient, or vertically from the grommets on a narrow wall. Since it's all horizontal bands, the mirrored reverse looks essentially the same, so it works in a window too. At a march, a flag this size on a two-metre pole stands out over a crowd without being too heavy to carry for a few hours. For photos, hang it against a plain wall in daylight; the gradient looks more even in soft natural light than under warm bulbs.

Construction and care

The colours are dye-sublimated into the polyester, printed from one side so the dye shows through on the back. All edges are double-stitched and the fly end, the free edge that takes the most wear, has four rows of stitching. Wash it in cool water by hand or on a gentle cycle, skip the bleach, and line-dry it. The pale stripes will stay brighter if you keep it out of hours of direct afternoon sun.

Specifications

• Brand: Flags Importer
• Design: gay male pride flag, teal-to-blue horizontal stripes with a white centre band
• Size: 3 ft × 5 ft
• Material: polyester
• Printing: dye-sublimated, single-sided with show-through to the reverse
• Mounting: header tape with 2 metal grommets
• Finish: double-stitched edges, 4 rows of stitching on the fly edge

More flags for every identity are in our LGBTQ+ Pride collection.