LGBTQ+ Lanyards

Aberystwyth University LGBTQ+ lanyards are based on the Rainbow Flag and Progress flag, celebrating and promoting our commitment to make our university a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive place for everyone - regardless of their gender identity or their sexual orientation.

Wearing a rainbow lanyard as either an LGBTQ+ person or as an ally, is a visible way to show your support and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and for equality, diversity and inclusion at Aberystwyth University.

Importantly, by wearing a lanyard, you pledge and signal to colleagues and students that 

  • you are a safe person for them to talk to and that you are willing to support them if they need you to.
  • you will help to create a safe and inclusive environment within your team and department.
  • you will speak out against hate speech and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.

 

Rainbow Flag Lanyard

This is the iteration of the Pride Flag that we all know today, used to symbolise the overall LGBTQI+ pride and the LGBTQI+ social movements – and the lanyard is worn by staff in pride and support of our LGBTQ+ community.

The rainbow flag was originally created by artists Gilbert Baker, Lynn Segerblom and James McNamara in 1978 and was first flown at the San Franciso Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25. The original design had eight colours, starting with hot pink on the top, with each colour having a specific meaning, although most variants today show the flag with the traditional six colours of a rainbow, with red always on the top. The original eight colour represented (from top to bottom); hot pink (sex), red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), turquoise (magic), indigo (serenity), violet (spirit).

Rainbow Flag Lanyards are available for staff to collect from the Department of Human Resources, Visualisation Centre.

 

Progress Flag Lanyard

The Intersex Progress Pride Flag is currently the most inclusive flag for the LGBTQIA community, with the colours, chevrons and circle all having a specific meaning. 

In 2017, Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs added black and brown stripes to the original Rainbow Pride flag to recognise people of colour. One year later, an artist called Daniel Quasar released a redesign of the Pride flag, called the Progress Pride flag, which was widely shared on social media. It included black and brown stripes (to represent marginalised people of colour in the LGBTQIA+ community), pink, pale blue and white stripes (to represent the trans community), and also represents those living with HIV and AIDS. Quasar explained that “the arrow points to the right to show forward movement, while being along the left edge shows that progress still needs to be made”. 

In 2021, Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK, shared an updated version to the Progress Pride flag, which included a yellow triangle and purple circle to represent the intersex community, creating the Intersex Progress Pride Flag.

Progress Flag Lanyards are given to staff who lead, champion and support LGBTQIA+ inclusive work at the University.