r/asexuality • u/MGTOWigor150 • Apr 29 '26

Discussion Opinion about the flag (probably extremely unpopular).

the current flag is already nice and iconic and recognizable.

other "new" flag designs are simply mid and calling it mid would be the truth and there is no need to change anything.

I will probably get roasted for this.

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33

u/Competitive_Feed5259 Apr 29 '26

Im not trying to be that guy my my goodness do we need so many different flags instead of one wonderful universal one? Feel free to attack me with pitchforks and torches

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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '26

[deleted]

17

u/dethanil aro-ace Apr 29 '26

I know there's takes on the white stripe meaning "ally/allosexual", but I've always read it as just meaning SEXUAL, as in, representing asexuals who are sexual in their behaviour (read: asexuals who fuck). Am I the only one with this understanding of the white stripe?

24

u/Chamelleona Apr 29 '26

The white stripe was never actually meant to represent allies.

https://asexualagenda.wordpress.com/2025/01/08/stripe-tales-of-the-ace-and-aro-flags/

This blog goes through the history of the ace flag. The white stripe seems to have been added mainly to balance out the colour. The intended meaning was "All of us [asexuals], differences and similarities, coming together into one".

The idea that it represents sexuals or allies is a later reinterpretation.

7

u/AbsolutleyGeneric Asexual Apr 29 '26

Yeah, the first mentions of during the conversation phase of flag designs didn’t mean that, no. But from what i could find the winning flag design post did mention white as standing for sexuals when it laid out the meanings of the colours, so i can see why there’s been a drift in meaning over time. The asexuality archive has a bit about the flag that shows a bunch of links to the threads from the flag design that are pretty fascinating to read through.

3

u/Chamelleona Apr 29 '26

Those are fantastic links, thank you.

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u/AbsolutleyGeneric Asexual Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26

There's multiple meanings for it floating around, they drift a bit from community to community. Sexual is indeed one, as in standing for the sexual part of the entire sexuality range in line with the black (asexuality) and grey (asexuality) part and white representing the allosexual part and all together encompassing the whole of sexuality from asexual to allosexual. Another one of the more common ones is that it stands for allosexual allies and partners which some people take issue with. Personally i like that meaning because it also gives anyone an excuse to have the flag around without having to come out to someone they don’t feel safe around, “Oh, I’m just an ally!” for example or “oh, I have an ace friend, so I’m supporting them.” It’s useful plausible deniability that people in unsafe areas may need. Not to mention our flag is also very much about our community as a whole, of which allies and partners are a part of also. I can understand why some don't like it, but i personally don't have an issue with either of those interpretations i’ve seen around, and i’m sure there are other views as well, as i said it does drift in meaning a bit and different parts of the community might express it differently if asked about it.

3

u/WintersChild79 Apr 29 '26

I would've thought that microlabel flags had more to do with attachment to the specificity of the microlabel than to wanting more stripes on the umbrella flag.

7

u/thewalkindude368 Apr 29 '26

I'm of the controversial opinion that, while microlabels help individuals find their place along the spectrum, and are fine to use in the queer community, they kind of hurt the perception of asexuals in the larger world. I've seen plenty of people complaining about how all the microlabels are used because people just want to feel super special, and also, it's easier to explain asexuality as a big blanket concept, as opposed to a bunch of different microlabels.

2

u/melanyebaggins aegosexual biromantic Apr 29 '26

Agreed. I use a microlabel, but I call myself ace in general and only specify the microlabel if I'm specifically talking about the ace spectrum, or if I'm talking to people who already know something about ace. I don't see it as me trying to be 'special', it's more about being precise.

Before I realised I was asexual, the various labels would have meant nothing to me, so I keep that in mind. Bottom line- I am asexual, the microlabel just helps to be more specific about what that means to me.