Leather Pride Flag 3 x 5 ft Polyester with Grommets

Nine stripes of black and royal blue, a white band through the centre and a red heart in the corner: this is the banner of the leather, kink and BDSM communities, and has been flown at their events for decades. This Flags Importer Leather Pride Flag is the 3' x 5' polyester version, finished with header tape and two metal grommets.

Where it started

Tony DeBlase unveiled the design at the International Mr. Leather contest in the late eighties, and it was carried in a Pride parade in Portland, Oregon, the following month. It spread quickly through leather bars and clubs and is now the most widely recognized symbol of the leather scene.

What the colours mean (and don't)

People often say black stands for leather, blue for denim, white for purity or safety and the red heart for love. DeBlase himself refused to assign meanings. His words were that he would leave it to the viewer to interpret the colours and symbols. So there's no wrong reading; the popular ones are fine to share, as long as you don't present them as official.

Who flies the leather pride flag

It began in the gay men's leather community and is still central there, but today it's embraced across kink and fetish communities regardless of gender or orientation. You'll see it on club colours, contest sashes, dungeon walls and in leather contingents at Pride. Related flags have grown from it, including the Leather Girl flag and the puppy pride flag.

Displaying it

The grommets are set into reinforced header tape on the hoist edge, ready for pole snaps, hooks or cord. In a play room or bar, hang it horizontally with the heart at the top left as you face it; that's the standard orientation. For a club booth or vendor table, cable ties through the grommets will hold it to a pipe-and-drape frame. If you hang it from the grommets alone, the heart ends up at the top right corner of a vertical banner, which is how it often appears on narrow walls.

Members often hang a flag at home as well as at the club: above a bed, at the end of a hallway, or in a play space where it sets the tone without any words. If you'd rather keep it low-key around visiting family, it folds small and stores easily in a drawer between events.

Material and finish

The design is dye-sublimated: heat transfers the dye into the polyester itself so the black and blue stay crisp. It's printed from one side, with the dye showing through, so the heart is mirrored on the back. All four edges are double-stitched, and four rows of stitching reinforce the fly end. Wash in cool water, line-dry, and keep it away from bleach so the blue doesn't fade unevenly.

Specifications

• Brand: Flags Importer
• Design: leather pride flag, nine black, blue and white stripes with a red heart in the upper hoist corner
• Size: 3 ft × 5 ft
• Material: polyester
• Printing: dye-sublimated, single-sided, visible through to the back
• Mounting: header tape with 2 metal grommets
• Finish: double-stitched edges, 4 rows of stitching on the fly edge

New to the scene? Our guide to exploring BDSM covers the basics, and the BDSM collection has gear to go with the flag.