Guide
The Bisexual Pride Flag: Colours and Meaning
Pink, purple and blue, and the story behind each stripe.
The bisexual pride flag has three horizontal stripes: pink on the top two-fifths, purple on the middle fifth, blue on the bottom two-fifths. Michael Page designed it, and Wikipedia, citing Page’s own account, dates its unveiling to 5 December 1998. As Page described them, pink is for same-sex attraction, blue for opposite-sex attraction and purple for attraction to both.
That 40/20/40 split gives the flag its look, with a narrower band of purple where the pink and blue meet. Below are Page’s own words on the colours, the exact shades, a short history and the dates when you are most likely to see it flying.
Pink, Purple and Blue: What Each Stripe Means
Page explained the stripes himself. Wikipedia quotes him:
“The pink color represents sexual attraction to the same sex only (gay and lesbian). The blue represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex only (straight) and the resultant overlap color purple represents sexual attraction to both sexes (bi).”
He saw the purple as the key to the whole design:
“The key to understanding the symbolism of the Bi Pride Flag is to know that the purple pixels of color blend unnoticeably into both the pink and blue, just as in the ‘real world,’ where bi people blend unnoticeably into both the gay/lesbian and straight communities.”
Page wrote of both sexes. Groups such as Stonewall now define bi as attraction to more than one gender, and our guides to what bisexuality actually is and bisexual vs pansexual cover today’s meanings.
The Exact Bi Flag Colours and Hex Codes
Making a flag, a badge or a profile banner? Wikipedia lists the official Pantone numbers and unofficial hex codes as:
- Magenta (pink): Pantone 226, hex #D60270, the top 40%.
- Lavender (purple): Pantone 258, hex #9B4F96, the middle 20%.
- Royal blue: Pantone 286, hex #0038A8, the bottom 40%.
Keep the stripes horizontal and in that order, pink at the top, and keep the purple band half the depth of the other two.
A Short History of the Bisexual Flag
- 5 December 1998. The first bisexual pride flag is unveiled at the BiCafe’s first anniversary party, according to Wikipedia, which draws on Page’s own account.
- 23 September 1999. Page, with Wendy Curry of Maine and Gigi Raven Wilbur of Texas, creates Celebrate Bisexuality Day. The Washington State LGBTQ Commission, which names Page as “the creator of the bisexual flag”, says the day was marked that first year in the USA, the UK, Canada, Japan and South Africa.
- 2014. GLAAD co-founds the first Bisexual+ Awareness Week, known as #BiWeek, with BiNet USA.
- Today. The same commission counts more than 30 countries marking Celebrate Bisexuality Day, and #BiWeek is run by GLAAD, the Bisexual Resource Center and Still Bisexual.
When to Fly the Bi Flag
Three times of year belong to bi people in particular.
March is Bi+ Health Awareness Month, founded and led by the Bisexual Resource Center to raise awareness of the social, economic and health gaps bi+ people face. Its 2026 theme was “Claiming the Right to Care as Bi+ People”.
16 to 23 September is Bisexual+ Awareness Week, which ends on 23 September: Celebrate Bisexuality Day, also known as Bi Visibility Day. Stonewall records that the day was founded “to celebrate bisexuality and combat bi erasure”.
Not ready to fly it in public? That is fine too. My Bisexual Secret is a discreet place to meet people who get it, with a username instead of your name and only your nearest town on show. Curious about the wider vocabulary? Our bisexual dating terms glossary explains it.
Bi Flag Questions, Quickly Answered
What do the bisexual flag colours mean?
In Michael Page’s account, pink stands for attraction to the same sex only, blue for attraction to the opposite sex only, and purple, where the two overlap, for attraction to both.
Who designed the bi pride flag?
Michael Page. The Washington State LGBTQ Commission calls him the creator of the bisexual flag, and he also co-created Celebrate Bisexuality Day in 1999.
When was the bisexual flag created?
Wikipedia, citing Page’s own flag website, says the first bisexual pride flag was unveiled at the BiCafe’s first anniversary party on 5 December 1998.
What are the bisexual flag hex codes?
Wikipedia gives magenta #D60270, lavender #9B4F96 and royal blue #0038A8, in stripes of 40%, 20% and 40% from top to bottom.
When is Bi Visibility Day?
23 September every year. It is also called Celebrate Bisexuality Day, and Bisexual+ Awareness Week runs in the days before it, from 16 to 23 September.
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