Pride relates to a feeling of comfort and accomplishment in oneself and ones’ community. Given the outcomes of bullying and other stressors lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth experience ( Rivers 2000), symbols of pride may be particularly important. In attempts to address environmental homophobia and gender-based bullying, public policy researchers have encouraged school teachers, counsellors, health staff and administrators to invest in ‘safe space’ initiatives by using stickers depicting the iconic symbols of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-associated rainbow ‘pride flag’ to proclaim certain areas as safe ( Payne and Smith 2013 Ratts et al.

2015).Īdding important nuance to minority stress arguments, in a study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth’s higher rates of self-destructive behaviors, McDermott, Roen and Scourfield (2008) argue that it is the general context of environmental homophobia that is distressing to youth, not the sexual minority identities themselves.

Even more significant are the protective effects of support from family, friends, teachers and community members, and especially the support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer peers ( Doty et al. Researchers have found that school-based support, like safe-space initiatives and Gay Straight Alliance or similar clubs, are instrumental ( Kosciw et al. In an effort to address these issues, research has focused on what conditions serve to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer groups from these negative outcomes. 2016 Eisenberg and Resnick 2006 Ryan and Rivers 2003 Saewyc, Konishi, and Smith 2011 Snapp et al. Factors influencing these negative health outcomes include discrimination, harassment and physical harm, lack of family and social support and internalised homophobia, which culminate in experiences of minority stress, or a unique set of stressors experienced by those on society’s margins ( Chard et al. 2011 Institute of Medicine 2011 Ryan and Rivers 2003). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth face greater risk of physical and mental health hazards than their heterosexual peers, including substance abuse, sexual risk-taking, suicidality and depression ( D’Augelli 2003 Eisenberg and Resnick 2006 Friedman et al. Thus, the pride rainbow connotes safety and support, but using it as a tool for navigation is a learned activity that requires caution. As part of this process, however, young people also recognize that there are limits to the symbolism it is useful for navigation but its display does not always guarantee supportive places and people. Constructed and shared meanings help make the symbol a useful tool for navigating social and physical surroundings. A semiotic analysis reveals that young people use the rainbow to construct meanings related to affiliation and positive feelings about themselves, different communities and their futures. During interviews, young people identified visible symbols of support, including recognition and the use of the pride rainbow. How do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth who experience greater feelings of isolation and discrimination than heterosexual youth recognise and deploy the symbol? As part of a larger study on supportive lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth environments, we conducted 66 go-along interviews with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth people from Massachusetts, Minnesota and British Columbia. While the pride rainbow has been part of political and social intervention for decades, few have researched how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer young people perceive and use the symbol.

Bisexual and gender fluid flag