‘Gay Symbols: Visibility, Identity and Community in 1970s Belfast and Boston’

Despite increasing openness about sexuality in the 1970s, visual codes remained important when signifying gayness. The most popular and well-known gay symbol is the rainbow flag designed in 1978, but what about gay symbols before the flag? This paper examines the role of gay symbols in America and internationally. It looks specifically at the lambda symbol, the lavender rhino, the intertwined male and female signs and the raised fist. The symbols contribute to key questions about gay visibility, acceptance, feminism and consumerism. By examining the symbols in the countercultural gay press, advertising and gay organisations this paper suggests that gay symbols were an important and often overlooked part of transnational exchange. It considers how these symbols increased gay visibility and fostered a transnational identity and community.