About The Colours

The Pride Flag

When Gilbert Baker designed the original 8-stripe pride flag in 1978, he designed it using symbolic colours to reflect the diversity of the queer community after being commissioned by Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist and the city supervisor of San Fransisco. Since then, the rainbow pride flag has evolved into a few different forms, with the most widely recognised being the 6-stripe version.

The contemporary rainbow pride flag, despite its changes, still holds those same symbolic values in the colours that remain. Here are what the colours mean in the context of Phases, both digitally and physically.

Photo of some walkers in Brighton Pride (2019) holding a pride flag between two teenagers

Red is for Life

Red represents the vitality, passion, and lifeblood of the queer community. In the Phases archive, this category houses stories of existing boldly and the everyday reality of queer life in Leeds. It’s about the personal acts of resilience we pursue and the mundane, beautiful moments that remind us we are here, living authentically.

Orange is for Healing

Orange represents recovery, comfort, and mutual care. For many queer people, finding our footing takes time, patience, and support. In our archive, these are stories of overcoming hardship, finding chosen family, and the safe spaces across Leeds that have allowed us to heal and rebuild together.

Yellow is for Sunlight

Yellow represents visibility, joy, and unapologetic self-expression that can happen when we no longer feel we have to hide. Here, you will find stories of coming out, moments of pure queer joy, and the confidence that comes from stepping into the sun and being seen for exactly who you are.

Green is for Nature

Green represents personal growth, rooting ourselves, and our connection to the world around us. Here, you will find stories that explore how we change over time and find our place within the local community.

Blue is for Harmony

Blue represents serenity and how we can come together to create something bigger than ourselves. In this section, we collect stories about finding queer community in Leeds, and the deep sense of belonging we find when we are in harmony with one another.

Purple is for Spirit

Purple represents the fierce spirit of the queer community. It connects us to our shared history, our elders, and those we have lost. This category is dedicated to the idea of legacy and sharing our ideas, wisdom and advice with one another.