A new Pride flag design was flown in London & the internet hates it

London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s X account posted a new version of the Pride flag on Sunday, and people had a lot to say about it.

The new flag design is a take on the Progress Pride flag, which uses the six-striped rainbow Pride flag as its background and overlays a chevron made up of the colors of the transgender Pride flag and brown and black stripes.

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The London design had another chevron on the other side of the flag with black and brown stripes and the colors of the bisexual Pride flag, leaving the rainbow in an hourglass shape in the middle. The flag did not include the intersex symbol that is often put at the center of the chevron of the Progress Pride flag.

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Khan posted the image on the Transgender Day of Visibility and turned off comments on the post.

On #TransDayOfVisibility, we celebrate London’s trans community as they strive to live authentically and safely 🏳️‍⚧️ pic.twitter.com/FQYlpu3PjM

— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) March 31, 2024

Even though the comments were turned off, people still had a lot to say about the Pride design.

Much of it was not very supportive, but some people just made jokes.

Right, can we call a community armistice on the flag because it’s becoming irreparably ugly https://t.co/DlqT5hy48W

— Tom💐🏳️‍🌈 (@TomHulme79) April 1, 2024

As a bisexual, what the fuck is that abomination, get that second triangle OUT https://t.co/ogmQKJYhPx

— Nikolaj🍦🇺🇦 (@nikicaga) April 1, 2024

A second triangle insert has hit the Pride flag https://t.co/S6QMcNhN9k pic.twitter.com/q4cjOrJ9MO

— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) April 1, 2024

Y’all. Come on, let’s be real. The original pride flag is better design. It’s really okay to admit this.

You don’t have to let a bunch of scary, anonymous accounts make you pretend the new one is better. It’s not, and saying so doesn’t make you a homophobe. pic.twitter.com/XeIdWvpZxq

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) April 1, 2024

PLEASE stop adding shit good lord https://t.co/H1NZ3NTdqn

— DreamLeaf 🌻 🍉 (@DreamLeaf5) April 1, 2024

The year is 2034. This is now the LGBT flag https://t.co/0lh3khETKa pic.twitter.com/k5wcBIHHpb

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) April 1, 2024

I'm all for bi inclusivity on a progress flag but personally prefer this. It keeps the conventional flag aspect ratio, it's more subtle than an extra set of triangles, and most crucially flies the bi colours upside down – signalling and symbolising our permanent distress 💙💜💖 https://t.co/6tWihvSvx4 pic.twitter.com/0tEqmjqeHZ

— Josh (@JoshAlexCairo) April 1, 2024

I still don't understand why we can't just fly multiple separate flags I have to be honest https://t.co/1R8Pe33lwb

— Teddy (@leather_butch) April 1, 2024

holy shit 😮 https://t.co/0kWkDlaViP pic.twitter.com/7bJYP8hQfB

— ndk (@nermalhater_) April 1, 2024

While it’s unclear who designed this version of the flag, this isn’t the first time that Khan posted it to social media. In 2020 he posted a different picture of it during Pride Month.

I’m as proud as ever to be Mayor of a city where LGBTQ+ people are free to be who they want to be and love who they want to love. I’ve been inspired by your incredible community spirit during #COVID19. I will never stop championing your rights. #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/tMpFtmzEWd

— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) June 1, 2020

This is also not the first time that a city government has altered the Pride flag. In 2017, the city of Philadelphia added black and brown stripes to the six-striped rainbow flag, a move that would inspire Daniel Quasar to design the Progress Pride flag a year later.