Flags Importer Lipstick Lesbian Pride Flag 3' x 5' Polyester

A bright red kiss pressed into the top corner of seven pink-and-red stripes: the lipstick lesbian flag is unapologetically girly, and that's the point. The Flags Importer Lipstick Lesbian Pride Flag prints the design at 3 × 5 ft on polyester, ready for a pole, a balcony or a party wall. It's aimed at femme lesbians and anyone who loves the idea of a flag with a lip print on it.

Who the lipstick lesbian flag is for

"Lipstick lesbian" is slang for a lesbian with a strongly feminine style, and the flag was made with that group in mind. Blogger Natalie McCray introduced it on her blog, This Lesbian Life, around a decade and a half ago. The stripes grade from deep magenta at the top, through lighter pinks to a white centre band, and down to red at the bottom. The kiss mark sits in the upper hoist corner, where a canton would be on a national flag.

The history worth knowing

This flag never became the main lesbian flag. Critics said a lipstick mark left butch and masculine-presenting lesbians out, and the blog it came from drew complaints over biphobic, racist and transphobic comments. Within a short time many people removed the kiss and used the stripes alone, which became the pink lesbian flag. Later, the orange-and-pink sunset flag overtook both. Some people buy the lipstick version today as a playful femme statement, and others steer clear of it. If you're buying it as a gift, it's worth knowing that background so you can choose with the recipient in mind.

If you prefer the same colours without the kiss, choose the pink lesbian flag. For the most widely used current design, see the sunset lesbian flag.

How the kiss looks from behind

The flag is dye-sublimated on one side, and the colour soaks through the polyester to the back. The stripes look much the same either way, but the lip print shows as a mirror image on the reverse and appears in the opposite corner when you look at it from behind. On a pole nobody will notice. On a wall or in a window, hang the printed face toward the people you want to see it.

Party and photo ideas

The lip print makes this flag a natural backdrop for a femme-themed party, a drag brunch or a Galentine's night. Hang it from the two metal grommets in its header tape on a curtain rod, add a strip of removable tape at each bottom corner to keep it flat, and match it with red or pink balloons. For an outdoor event, the double-stitched edges and four-row stitching at the fly end help it handle a breezy afternoon. Fold it with the kiss on the outside afterwards so the lip print doesn't sit on a hard crease.

Specifications

• Brand: Flags Importer
• Design: seven horizontal stripes from deep magenta through pinks and white to red, with a red kiss mark in the upper hoist corner
• Size: 3 × 5 ft (about 91 × 152 cm)
• Material: polyester
• Print: dye-sublimated on one side; the colour shows through to the back
• Hanging: header tape with two metal grommets
• Edges: double-stitched, with four rows of stitching on the fly end

Find more lesbian and identity flags in our LGBTQ+ Pride collection.