Free shipping over $35 · Queer-owned in Canada.

Bisexual & Polysexual Pride Flags: Complete Guide

by Delwin Tan

The short version

  • Bisexual describes people attracted to two or more genders. Modern bi communities define this as "same gender + at least one other" or "two or more genders," explicitly inclusive of trans and non-binary attraction.
  • The bisexual pride flag was designed by Michael Page in 1998. It has 3 stripes: magenta, lavender, and royal blue.
  • Polysexual describes attraction to multiple but not all genders. The polysexual flag (pink, green, blue) was designed by Tumblr user "samlin" in 2012.
  • Bi and poly are related but distinct. Bi is the older, broader, more widely-used term; poly emerged as a more specific identifier for people whose attraction includes some genders but not others.
  • Both flags overlap with pansexuality. The differences are subtle and many people use multiple labels depending on context.

We're Delwin and Jimmy, co-founders of Proud Zebra, a queer-owned Canadian small business designing pride pins and accessories from the Lower Mainland, BC. The bi flag is consistently one of our top-selling identity flags across pins, lanyards, and lace locks. Bi and poly customers are a meaningful part of our community.

This guide covers both the bisexual and polysexual pride flags, their colours, designers, what each identity means today, and how they relate to each other and to pansexuality. It's part of our complete guide to LGBTQ+ pride flags.

What does bisexual mean?

Bisexual describes people attracted to two or more genders. The "bi" prefix means "two," which historically meant "men and women", but the community-current understanding is much broader. Modern bi organizations including Bi.org and the Bisexual Resource Center explicitly define bi as "attraction to same gender + at least one other" or "two or more genders."

This means bisexuality is explicitly inclusive of:

  • Attraction to trans people across the gender spectrum
  • Attraction to non-binary, agender, and gender-diverse people
  • Attraction to one's own gender plus any other

Some bi people use "bi+" as a shorthand to make this inclusivity explicit. Some bi people use additional labels (queer, pan, fluid) alongside "bi." The bi label is broad and takes up space.

Bi is often described as an umbrella term: it covers a wide range of attraction patterns, and many people who fit under it also use more specific words like pan, poly, or fluid. "Bisexual" as a phrase has sometimes been described as an admission of attraction to both genders, but the modern community framing is wider, attraction to two or more genders, including one's own.

What does the bisexual pride flag look like?

The bisexual pride flag has 3 horizontal stripes:

Stripe Colour Meaning
1 (top, ~40% width) Magenta / hot pink Attraction to the same gender
2 (centre, ~20% width) Lavender / purple The overlap, attraction across gender lines
3 (bottom, ~40% width) Royal blue Attraction to a different gender

The stripes aren't equal width. The pink and blue stripes are wider; the lavender is narrower. The narrow centre stripe is intentional, it represents the overlap between same-gender and different-gender attraction, the "in-between" space the bi identity occupies.

Who designed the bisexual pride flag?

Michael Page designed the bisexual pride flag in 1998. Page was a bisexual rights activist based in Florida and unveiled the flag on December 5, 1998, at BiNet USA's anniversary celebration.

Page took inspiration from an older bi symbol (overlapping pink and blue triangles with a purple overlap) and translated it into a flag format. He stated that the pink represented attraction to the same gender, the blue represented attraction to a different gender, and the purple overlap represented attraction across gender lines. The flag was specifically designed to be the bi community's distinct symbol, separate from the rainbow flag.

Page passed away in 2020. The bi community widely celebrates September 23 as Celebrate Bisexuality Day, established in 1999 partly to give the bi flag and identity their own day of visibility.

What does polysexual mean?

Polysexual (also written "poly sexual" or "poly sexuality") describes people attracted to multiple but not all genders. The distinction from pansexuality is the "not all" part, a polysexual person is attracted to several specific genders, but not necessarily across the whole gender spectrum. The noun form "polysexuality" refers to the orientation itself; "polysexual" is the adjective and identity label.

So in plain definition terms: a polysexual person is attracted to more than one gender, but not every gender, and which specific genders varies from person to person. Some polysexual people are attracted to women and non-binary people; some to men and non-binary people; some to a mix of three or more. The point is plurality without claiming the whole spectrum.

"Poly" here means "many", distinct from polyamorous (many loves), which describes a relationship structure rather than a gender attraction. Polysexual + polyamorous can describe the same person, but they're separate concepts. One is about who you're attracted to. The other is about how you structure relationships.

What does the polysexual pride flag look like?

The polysexual pride flag has 3 horizontal stripes:

Stripe Colour Meaning
1 (top) Pink Attraction to women
2 Green Attraction to non-binary, agender, and gender-diverse people
3 (bottom) Blue Attraction to men

The flag was designed by a Tumblr user known as samlin in 2012. The colour scheme is intentionally close to the pansexual flag (which uses pink-yellow-blue), both communities share the "I'm attracted to multiple genders" framing. The difference is the green centre stripe (poly) vs the yellow centre (pan), reflecting the community-specific framing each identity prefers.

Bisexual vs polysexual vs pansexual

The three identities overlap and the lines between them get debated. The community-current understanding:

Identity Definition Common framing
Bisexual Attraction to two or more genders "Same gender + at least one other"
Polysexual Attraction to multiple but not all genders "Several specific genders, not the whole spectrum"
Pansexual Attraction regardless of gender "Gender isn't a factor in my attraction"

In practice many people use these labels interchangeably, switch between them depending on context, or use multiple at once. The labels are tools for self-description, not strict categories. What matters is what feels accurate to each person. For the deeper pan-vs-omni split specifically, see our pansexual vs omnisexual comparison. For adjacent sapphic identity context, see our lesbian pride flag guide.

What does "bi poly" mean?

"Bi poly" is a shorthand some people use, and it can mean one of two things depending on context:

  • Bisexual + polysexual. Some people use both labels at once because each captures something slightly different about their attraction. Bi names the broad two-or-more-genders pattern; poly names the more specific "these genders, not all" pattern. Yes, you can be bisexual and polysexual at the same time. Many people are.
  • Bisexual + polyamorous. "Bi poly" is also widely used to mean a bi person who's polyamorous, attracted to more than one gender and in non-monogamous relationships. Same shorthand, different meaning. Context tells you which.

The "bi poly flag" or "poly bi flag" usually refers to a combined visual (often layering the bi and polysexual flag colours, or the bi and polyamory flag colours) used to represent whichever pairing the wearer means.

Polysexual vs polyamorous, the difference that matters

This one trips people up constantly, so it's worth saying clearly:

  • Polysexual is a sexual orientation, who you're attracted to (multiple genders, not all).
  • Polyamorous is a relationship structure, how you do relationships (more than one partner, with everyone's knowledge and consent).

A polysexual person can be monogamous. A polyamorous person can be straight, gay, bi, or any orientation. The two words share a prefix and not much else. For the full polyamory pride flag breakdown, see our polyamory pride flag guide.

For Arabic-speaking readers searching جنس متعدد (multiple genders), جنس مختلف (different gender), or جنس واحد (same/one gender): bisexuality covers attraction to two or more genders including one's own (جنس واحد + جنس مختلف), and polysexuality covers attraction to several specific genders (جنس متعدد) without claiming the whole spectrum.

"I absolutely love these laces and lace locks! Shipping was fast and customer service is very responsive. I'll absolutely be purchasing from Proud Zebra again."

Madison I., on our bisexual pride flag love lace locks

We design bisexual pride pins, bi pride lanyards, and bi flag lace locks across the Michael Page colours. Browse the full pride pins collection for the complete range.

And the polysexual cube pin in samlin's 2012 pink-green-blue:

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the bisexual pride flag?

Michael Page, a bisexual rights activist based in Florida, designed the bisexual pride flag in 1998. He unveiled the flag on December 5, 1998 at BiNet USA's anniversary celebration. Page was inspired by an older bi symbol of overlapping pink and blue triangles with a purple overlap.

What do the colours of the bisexual flag mean?

The 3 stripes represent: magenta for attraction to the same gender, lavender for attraction across gender lines (the overlap), and royal blue for attraction to a different gender. The lavender centre stripe is intentionally narrower than the pink and blue, representing the in-between space the bi identity occupies.

Does "bi" mean only attraction to men and women?

No. Modern bisexuality is defined as attraction to two or more genders, explicitly inclusive of trans and non-binary attraction. Major bi organizations (Bi.org, the Bisexual Resource Center, BiNet USA) all use this broader definition. The "bi" prefix has historical roots in a binary framework, but the community has moved well past that.

What's the difference between bisexual, polysexual, and pansexual?

Bisexual = attraction to two or more genders. Polysexual = attraction to multiple but not all genders (more specific subset). Pansexual = attraction regardless of gender (gender isn't a factor). The lines blur and many people use multiple labels depending on context. None is more "correct" than the others.

Who designed the polysexual pride flag?

The polysexual pride flag was designed by a Tumblr user known as samlin in 2012. The 3-stripe flag (pink, green, blue) intentionally resembles the pansexual flag (pink, yellow, blue), both communities share the "attracted to multiple genders" framing, distinguished by the centre stripe colour and the specific community framing each prefers.

What does polysexual mean? (plain definition)

Polysexual means attracted to multiple genders, but not all of them. A polysexual person might be attracted to women and non-binary people, or to men and non-binary people, or to any specific combination of several genders. The noun is "polysexuality." The point is plurality without claiming the entire gender spectrum.

Can you be bisexual and polysexual at the same time?

Yes. Many people use both labels because each captures something slightly different. Bi names the broad two-or-more-genders pattern; poly names the more specific "these genders, not all" pattern. Using both isn't contradictory, it's just more precise self-description.

Is polysexual the same as bisexual?

Not quite. Both describe attraction to more than one gender, but bisexuality is the older, broader term (modern definition: two or more genders, often inclusive of your own). Polysexuality is a more specific subset, attraction to several specific genders, but explicitly not all. The difference is the "not all" framing, which polysexual people use to distinguish themselves from pansexual people while still naming attraction to multiple genders.

What's the difference between polysexual and polyamorous?

Polysexual is a sexual orientation (attraction to multiple genders, not all). Polyamorous is a relationship structure (more than one partner, with everyone's knowledge and consent). They share the "poly" prefix but they're different categories. A polysexual person can be monogamous; a polyamorous person can be any orientation. The two often get conflated in search results but they describe different things.

What does "bi poly" mean?

"Bi poly" is shorthand that can mean either bisexual + polysexual (both labels at once for more precise attraction description) or bisexual + polyamorous (bi person in non-monogamous relationships). Context tells you which. The "poly bi flag" or "bi poly flag" usually refers to a combined visual layering the two flags' colours.

Is bisexual an umbrella term?

Yes, in modern usage. Bi covers a wide range of attraction patterns to two or more genders, and many people who identify as bi also use more specific labels like pan, poly, fluid, or queer alongside it. The bi+ shorthand is sometimes used to make this umbrella-style inclusivity explicit.

Carrying the flag forward

The bisexual community has spent the last 30 years building visibility against persistent bi-erasure, from media that defaults to gay or straight when describing visibly queer people, to communities that have at times treated bi people as not-queer-enough or not-straight-enough. The flag is part of how that visibility gets claimed: a small, specific, unmistakable signal.

If you wear a bisexual pride pin, polysexual flag merchandise, or one of the more specific identity flags from our complete pride flags guide, you're carrying forward an identity that's been quietly building space in queer communities since the 1980s.

We've donated $10,219.58 CAD to LGBTQ+ organizations to date (lifetime, as of 2026-05-13), including Rainbow Refugee Society, Covenant House Vancouver, GLSEN, UNYA (Urban Native Youth Association), and BC pride societies. Sayoni was previously supported through our charity-pin partnership program (paused 2025+). See our donations page for the full breakdown. Every order helps that number grow.

Written by Delwin Tan, Co-Founder of Proud Zebra

Published 2026-05-06. Last updated 2026-05-06.

Delwin co-founded Proud Zebra with his partner Jimmy Cheang in late 2020. We're a queer-owned Canadian small business, designing pride pins, patches, stickers, and accessories from the Lower Mainland, BC. We've donated over $10,219.58 CAD to LGBTQ+ organizations to date.

Related Posts

Back to LGBTQ+ Pride