Satisfy Cravings By Looking at Food 30X

If you’re torn between losing weight and satisfying your cravings for calorie-packed meals, now it seems that you could have the solution in your pocket, so long as you have a social media account. 

 

After all, who hasn’t seen tantalising photos full of tempting foods on Instagram or TikTok? Usually, when you look at pictures of food, it doesn’t take long for your mouths to water and your hunger to awaken. 

 

It is, it seems, because you tend only to look at these appetising photos once or twice that they don’t have the opposite effect, actually serving to satisfy our appetite. 

 

Published in the journal Appetite, a study from Aarhus University, Denmark, reveals some surprising findings about how images of food can actually help control appetite, since repeatedly looking at pictures of the same food was found to give people a sense of satiety. 

 

Over a thousand people took part in the experiment, looking at photos of orange M&Ms either three or 30 times. Those who looked at them repeatedly felt more satisfied, and so had less desire to munch on the chocolate confectionery. 

 

And when the experiment tested the effect of photos featuring other colors of the candy, the results didn’t change. 

 

The same was even true for the last stage of the analysis, involving Skittles, candies that taste different depending on the color. 

 

One possible explanation for these findings lies in the brain, in the areas stimulated by food. Whether you imagine them or actually eat them, the same areas of the brain are activated. In other words, appetite is determined by cognitive perception, according to PhD student Tjark Andersen from the Department of Food Science at Aarhus University. 

 

And so, according to this research, looking at images of food 30 times can help control weight gain. But what about looking at the actual food itself, I wonder? Will it have the same effect?

Let Women Exist, Says Billie Eilish

Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish (right) is taking on critics who apparently have an issue with how her style has evolved over the years. 

 

The 21-year-old posted a series of photos to her Instagram stories over the weekend and wrote: “I spent the first 5 years of my career getting absolutely OBLITERATED by you fools for being boy ish and dressing how i did & constantly being told i’d be hotter if i acted like a woman. 

 

Now when i feel comfortable enough to wear anything remotely feminine or fitting, i CHANGED and am a sellout”, the caption over a photo of herself continued. “And ‘what happened to her’ ‘OMG it’s not the same Billie she’s just like the rest’ blah blah blah”. 

 

Eilish went on to call out the “true idiots” and “bozos.” 

 

“LET WOMEN EXIST!” she retorted.

 

Hear! Hear! 

 

Interestingly, Eilish told Elle magazine in 2021 that she lost 100,000 social media followers after she shared a different look. 

 

“People hold on to these memories and have an attachment”, she told the publication. “But it’s very dehumanizing”. 

 

For the record, she swept the 2020 Grammys, becoming the youngest and first female artist to ever win all the Big Four categories (Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year). And she became the youngest artist to write and record a James Bond theme song for "No Time to Die".

Bud Light Rebate Means (Almost) Free Beer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bud Light sales continue to take a beating as the consumer boycott persists. 

 

So much so that US customers who purchase a 15-pack of Budweiser beer this Memorial Day weekend can get it for just about free, the latest move to stem the tide of falling sales. 

 

Through May 31, beer drinkers can get up to a $15 rebate on the purchase price of Budweiser, Bud Light, Budweiser Select and Budweiser Select 55 in a 15-pack or larger. The rebate, in the form of a digital prepaid card, will be equivalent to the purchase price, up to $15. In most cases, the rebate will be enough to cover the entire cost of the case! 

 

That’s how desperate Anheuser-Busch are. 

 

Customers must be at least 21 years old. The rebate is available through a website where customers must upload a photo of the UPC and receipt for a purchase made between May 17 and May 31. The sweepstake isn’t open nationwide though. 

 

Bud Light’s sales are wallowing in deep shit. 

 

Sales of the US’s No. 1 beer were down 24.6% for the week ended May 13 compared to a year ago – slightly worse than the 23.6% dip they suffered a week earlier, according to Bump Williams Consulting and NielsenIQ research. [Kindly refer to my May 18 post “Bud Light Sales in the US Continue to Tumble”]. 

 

Even more alarming, industry experts say, is the negative impact on Anheuser-Busch InBev’s other brands, including Budweiser, Michelob Ultra – with the latter being the nation’s No. 3 beer last year with more than $3.3 billion in sales last year. Michelob Ultra sales were off 2.9% versus a year ago in the latest week, in line with a drop a week earlier, according to a Bump Williams analysis of NielsenIQ data. 

 

And sales of Budweiser, last year’s No. 7 beer with more than $1.8 billion in sales, were down 9.7% in each of the two most recent weeks. 

 

Sales of Busch Light were also down 6.8% compared to 0.3% decline the previous week, while Anheuser-Busch’s Natural Light sales were down by 2.8% in the week ended May 13 compared to a 2.5% decline the previous week. 

 

“Bud Light is ‘sick’”, Bump Williams, founder of the consultancy said of the US’s top-selling beer, which raked in $4.8 billion in sales last year. “It’s now infected other healthy brands with the InBev portfolio and that’s a bigger problem in my mind”. 

 

Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch’s competitors are guzzling market share with Coors Light up 23.2% in the week ended May 13 compared to a bump of 22.2% the previous week. Sales of Modelo Especial – the second most popular beer brand in the US with more than $3.7 billion in sales last year – are up by 10% in the most recent week compared to a 5% increase the previous week. 

 

Earlier this month, JPMorgan acquired most of First Republic’s assets after the San Francisco-based regional bank was seized by the US government – read my post “First Republic Bank in the US Bites the Dust” dated May 02, 2023. 

 

And on Thursday, they informed about 1,000 First Republic Bank employees that they will no longer have jobs. 

 

JPMorgan said the company’s May 01 deal with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to buy most of First Republic did not include all of the company’s employees.

 

No surprise here because mergers and acquisitions typically tend to result in job losses.

Malaysian Women Didn't Win the Doubles Decider

A follow-up on yesterday's post "Badminton's Amazing 211-shot Marathon Rally".

Malaysia’s badminton pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan fell just short in their bid to land their first title on home turf after going down to South Korea’s Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee in the women's doubles decider of the Malaysia Masters 2023 yesterday. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In fact, they got off to a shaky start and were 4-6 behind before they raised their game to lead 19-16 when the umpire stopped the game for four minutes to allow Tan to seek medical treatment for an injury on her left calf. 

The Koreans then took advantage of the situation to chase the score and close out the opening game 22-20. 

Deafening cheers from the home fans inside KL's Axiata Arena pumped up the world No 11 duo as they were in cruise control from start to finish in the second game to force the final into a decider after roaring past their opponents 21-8. 

After trailing 10-16 in the final game, the Malaysians stretched themselves to the limit while the Koreans stood firm to fend off Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan’s last-ditch effort to stage a comeback as lady luck was on the unseeded South Koreans’ side and they secured the title after a 21-17 victory in a nail-biting contest that lasted 101 minutes. 

Still, they did well as this was their best result yet this year. They had previously reached the semi-finals at the India Open 2023 and Indonesia Masters 2023 in January followed by the German Open 2023 in March. 

On Sunday, in the Premier League, Liverpool wrapped up their 2022/23 season with an ultimately irrelevant 4-4 draw against bottom club Southampton. 

The former opened the scoring through Diogo Jota in the 10th minute before Roberto Firmino made it 2-0 four minutes later as he scored in his final match for the Reds. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the 64th minute, the relegated Saints had netted four times to bring up the score to 4-2. 

Thankfully, Liverpool responded with Cody Gakpo's 72nd-minute tap-in, and Jota leveled maters with his second a minute later.

All I can say is that at least, they didn’t end up losing the match! But the fact remains that they will miss out on Champions League qualification.

 

Enjoy the summer off, Reds, and let’s hope we don’t see another 10 months like these any time soon. I'll be honest – with Jürgen Klopp still in charge, I'm not confident.

Three Cheetah Cubs Born in India Die in Heatwave

Three cheetah cubs born to a big cat that was brought to India from Africa last year have died in the country’s Kuno national park in the past week as a heatwave in the region sent temperatures soaring. 

 

The cubs were the first to be born in India in more than seven decades. 

 

Once widespread in India, cheetahs became extinct in 1952 from hunting and habitat loss. Their mother was among the 20 cheetahs India flew in from Namibia and South Africa as part of an ambitious and hotly contested plan to reintroduce the world’s fastest land animal to the South Asian country. 

 

The first cub died on Tuesday, prompting veterinarians in the national park in Madhya Pradesh state to closely monitor the mother and her three remaining cubs. 

 

The cubs appeared weak on Thursday afternoon – a day when temperatures reached 47C (113F) – and authorities intervened to help the cats. 

 

They were “weak, underweight and highly dehydrated” and two of them later died, forest officials said in a statement on Thursday. 

 

The last surviving cub is being treated in a critical care facility.

 

And here's something to ponder. I read that only 5 percent of cheetah cubs make it to adulthood.

 

China's first domestically developed jet, the C919, has its inaugural commercial flight this morning. 

 

The China Eastern Airlines flight MU9191 departed from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport, a flight time of two-and-a-half hours.

 

Finally, the Boeing-Airbus duopoly is over. China's Comac may still need a little bit more time but the writing is on the wall for both of them.

Badminton's Amazing 211-shot Marathon Rally

This is one epic badminton game! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s Axiata Arena (actually Putra Indoor Stadium), Malaysia’s top women’s pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan on Thursday, survived a 211-shot marathon rally in their round-of-16 encounter against Japan's Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto at the BWF Malaysia Masters 2023 (May 23-28).

[Note: The rally could be the longest ever seen in competitive play. At last year’s Korea Open, another women’s doubles match produced a 195-shot exchange, which the Badminton World Federation said at the time was a record].

The home pair were leading Miyaura and Sakuramoto 16-14 in the final set of the match when the rally began. More than three minutes later, after a jaw-dropping showcase of athleticism and perseverance, Tan produced a well-disguised drop shot, which Sakuramoto could not reach, to seal the point, bringing an incredulous crowd to their feet. The home hopes then went on to seal a 21-17, 18-21, 21-19 victory. 

Watch the amazing rally here:

 

Then, on Friday, in the quarter-finals, Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan secured a dramatic 13-21, 21-19, 21-16 victory over Japan's Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota. 

And in the semi-final yesterday, the never-say-die Malaysians staged a remarkable comeback in the second game, recovering from 11-2 down, to beat World No. 5 Jeong Na Eun-Kim Hye Jeong of South Korea 21-19, 23-21. 

The world number 11 pair will face Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee of South Korea in the final today. 

Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan are just one win away from becoming the first Malaysian pair to win the women's doubles title at the Malaysia Masters since Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty in 2012.

Book Selling is Hard Work

As an indie author, walking the route of self-publishing requires marketing as much as writing. And the marketing work doesn’t really stop. How else are you going to grow your readership? 

 

Therefore, Ahmad Fakhri and I promise to remain resilient and persistent. Push, push, push book sales, we will!😅😅

 

We are strong in our resolve to achieve what we had set out to do, i.e. to sell one thousand copies of “The Diamond in Your Speech”.

 

Book selling is hard work, that's for sure! But we are undeterred. We will stay the course and not give up! 

 

FYI, we’ve already sold 743 copies (including twelve books in Penang this morning!) and we will finish our balance of stocks of “The Diamond in Your Speech”. After all, just 257 remain. 

 

WE CAN DO IT!  

 

Liverpool Only Good for Europa League Football

Mohamed Salah (left) who has scored 30 goals in all competitions this season is right when he said there was “no excuse” for Liverpool's failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons after Manchester United secured the final place in the Premier League top four. 

 

The Red Devils' 4-1 rout over Chelsea yesterday ensured they will join Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle as England's representatives in Europe's elite club competition next season. 

 

We all know Liverpool suffered a horrific plunge in form this season after coming close to an unprecedented quadruple last year. 

 

I blame Jürgen Klopp!

 

[I suggest you read my post “Jürgen Klopp Looks to the Future” published April 22, 2023].

 

Like it or not, Liverpool are only good for Europa League football!

Only Sparkling Wine from Champagne is Champagne

France is in the news again! This time around, its border police destroyed nearly 35,000 bottles of a soda drink that called itself a "champagne"!

 

Customs officials in the northern port of Le Havre said the bottles labeled "Couronne Fruit Champagne" which were seized in October 2021, originated from Haiti. 

 

The Champagne industry has determined that the only products that should use the term "champagne" are bottles of sparkling wine that are made using the traditional method in Champagne, France. 

 

The name is designated under France's Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system, which is meant to give them exclusive use of the word in countries that follow EU laws. There are currently more than 121 countries that follow the ruling on the use of the name, according to the Champagne trade association.

 

If you must know, the 27-nation bloc has a system of protected geographical designations created to guarantee the true origin and quality of artisanal food, wine and spirits, and protect them from imitation. FYI, Greek Feta, Italian Parmesan and British Stilton blue cheese are similarly protected by such rules. 

 

French customs said the bottles of the orange drink were intended for sale on the French market. In October 2022, a Parisian court ruled the bottles should be destroyed as they infringed the AOC regulation. 

 

Charles Goemaere, director-general of the Champagne Committee said their destruction enforced the importance of the regulation. 

 

"This kind of use contributes to weakening the reputation of the appellation", he said. "The fight against the abuse of the Champagne name started in 1844 and hasn't stopped since". 

 

Needless to say, this is not the first time beverages have met their fate for using the Champagne name. 

 

On April 17, 2023, a shipment of 2,352 cans of Miller High Life beer were deleted in neighboring Belgium at the request of the French champagne committee on the grounds that the century-old slogan "The Champagne of Beers" used by the American brewery and printed on the cans infringed the protected designation of origin "Champagne".

 

The consignment was intercepted in the Belgian port of Antwerp in early February and was destined for Germany. Molson Coors Beverage Co., which own the Miller High Life brand, do not currently export it to the EU, and Belgian customs declined to say who had ordered the beers.

 

In any case, the guardians of Champagne are not letting anyone take the name of their bubbly beverage in vain!

 

Gentle Reminders To Be Thankful For The Small Things In Life

Mongs from Singapore and of Milkyprint Illustrations fame, finds joy in the simple moments of everyday life – and transforms them into whimsical illustrations. 

 

These illustrations go beyond just being funny pictures, they serve as gentle reminders to be thankful for the small things in life and to spread joy wherever you can.

 

 

 

 

France Bans Short-haul Flights

France has formally banned domestic flights on short routes that can be covered by train in less than two-and-a-half hours in a move aimed at reducing airline emissions and fight climate change.  

The legislation, which came into effect on Tuesday, will mostly rule out air trips between Paris and regional hubs such as Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux, with connecting flights unaffected. 

Max Boycoff, chairperson of environmental studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said the French law will be a test case for governments around the world. 

“While this material impact is quite minimal – only 2 percent* of global emissions come from aviation – in symbolic ways, it has a lot of purchase”, he told Al Jazeera. “The way in which this generates conversations, much like the one we’re having now, can open up further possibilities for emissions cuts elsewhere”.

[* The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) put it as 2.5 percent based on 2018 data]. 

FYI, aviation – while it often gets the most attention in discussions on action against climate change – accounts for 11.6% of transport emissions. It emits just under one billion tonnes of CO2 each year – around 2.5% of total global emissions. International shipping contributes a similar amount, at 10.6%. And rail travel and freight emit very little – only 1% of transport emissions. Other transport – which is mainly the movement of materials such as water, oil, and gas via pipelines – is responsible for 2.2%. 

The biggest culprit is said to be road travel which accounts for three-quarters of transport emissions. Most of this comes from passenger vehicles – cars and buses – which contribute 45.1%. The other 29.4% comes from trucks carrying freight. 

As Boycoff said: “Everything does count and the ways we get from place to place does matter, and transportation overall contributes to somewhere between one-quarter and 30 percent of global emissions. This demonstrates the power of climate policy action”. 

Although the measure was included in a 2021 climate law and already applied in practice, some airlines had asked the European Commission to investigate whether it was legal. 

The law specifies train services on the same route must be frequent, timely and well-connected to meet the needs of passengers who would otherwise travel by air – and able to absorb the increase in passenger numbers. 

Laurent Donceel, interim head of industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E), said governments should support “real and significant solutions” to airline emissions, rather than “symbolic bans”. A4E highlighted their own net zero by 2050 strategy, which includes switching from jet fuel to non-fossil sources and deploying battery or hydrogen-powered aircraft.

The US is Hell-bent on Crossing China's Red Line

The island of Taiwan is being quietly invaded – but not by Chinese troops. 

 

The United States defied its own policies and landed its troops on the island, denied it did so, only to admit it a year later. But despite that, hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese have an active, positive relationship with friends, co-workers and colleagues in Mainland China. 

 

This video by Nury Vittachi (right) provides a clear and uncomplicated explanation of long-held international agreements on China and sets the record straight on undisguised US attempts to destroy the cordial and conflict-free status quo. It even shares a powerful secret weapon the Chinese have been using for decades and which has kept the peace.

 

Kindly give a listen to this 5-minute-and-42-second-long clip – and then reach your own conclusion as to who is the agitator, provocateur and troublemaker:

 

Please share it with anybody who needs a quick, easy briefing on the topic of Taiwan.

Nike Shoes Spotted in 400-year-old Painting

Fiona Foskett and her 23-year-old daughter Holly who paid a visit to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London, UK were left baffled by what appeared to be an iconic logo in a 400-year-old painting which is on loan from a private collection. 

 

“Portrait of Frederick Sluysken” was the work of Dutch master Ferdinand Bol (right) in the seventeenth century and it seems little Frederick was wearing some very modern shoes, LadBible reports. 

 

Of course, It would be nigh impossible for him to be wearing Nike shoes, considering the footwear brand was founded only in 1964 – unless time travel exists. 

 

The 57-year-old woman first laid her eyes on the swoosh: “I said to my daughter ‘hold on, is he wearing a pair of Nike trainers?’” 

 

She wondered, “Looking at the age, he must have got his hands on the first pair of Nike trainers ever made. Or is he actually a time traveler?” 

 

The oil on canvas painting which depicts the son of a wine merchant and the second cousin of artist Bol's wife has been dubbed “one of Bol's finest portraits” by the said gallery. The description of the artwork says: “The boy is elegantly attired in a grey suit and matching cloak, trimmed with shiny gold buttons and ribbon bows; his wide-brimmed hat is hooked over the back of a chair behind him”. 

 

However, I think we can all agree that, Nike or not, 8-year-old Frederick is one stylish chap.

Pride Colors

June is #Pridemonth. In case you didn't know, this is the most colorful month of the year since the LGBTQ+ pride is celebrated. 

 

The RAINBOW flag is used widely but it is not the only flag that people in the community connect with. In fact, there are more than 20 different Pride Flags! 

 

The 14 more common ones are:

 

Gilbert Pride Flag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The flag that started it all! Created in 1977 by Gilbert Baker, an artist, activist, and openly gay military veteran, the rainbow flag has eight different colors. 

 

Inspired by the classic song "Over the Rainbow" from the 1939 film “The Wizard from Oz”, Baker created a rainbow flag to represent LGBTQ folks. Each color in the flag also had a specific meaning:

Hot Pink symbolizes sex 
Red equals life 
Orange symbolizes healing 
Yellow stands for sunlight 
Green represents nature
Turquoise equals magic & art
Indigo stands for serenity 
Violet represents the spirit of LGBTQ people

6-Color Pride Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 6-Color Pride Flag is one of the most well-known and used LGBT flags throughout history. 

 

This flag includes the colors red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet on it. Hot pink wasn´t included in the fabrication of these flags, because the fabric was hard to find. 

 

In 1979, the flag was modified again. Aiming to decorate the streetlamps along the parade route with hundreds of rainbow banners, Gilbert Baker decided to split the motif in two with an even number of stripes flanking each lamp pole. 

 

To achieve this effect, he dropped the turquoise stripe that had been used in the seven-stripe flag. The result was the six-stripe version of the flag that would become the standard for future production. 

 

Philadelphia Pride Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Philadelphia Pride Flag came out in response to the demand of more inclusivity across the LGBTQ+ community. The flag launched in 2017 as part of the "More Color More Pride" campaign in Philadelphia and was designed by a small Philly-based PR agency. 

 

The addition of black and brown stripes to the traditional pride flag symbolized people of color, who historically were not always included in aspects of the mainstream gay rights movement. 

 

Lena Waithe, an American actress, wore the Philadelphia Pride Flag as a cape at the 2018 Met Gala. She is a powerful advocate for black people within the entertainment industry and this flag spiked in popularity after she elevated its visibility. 

 

Transgender Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Transgender Flag was first created in 1999 by Monica Helms, a transgender woman. 

 

Light blue and pink are featured because they’re the traditional colors associated with baby boys and girls, respectively. The white stands for those who are intersex, transitioning or those who don´t feel identified with any gender. 

 

Progress Pride Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given the evolving nature of the LGBTQ+ community and society at large, the Progress Pride Flag integrates many of these flags into one. 

 

The modern pride flag now includes stripes to represent the experiences of people of color, as well as stripes to represent people who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming (GNC) and/or undefined. 

 

Daniel Quasar’s flag includes the colors of the trans flag, as well as black and brown stripes harkening back to 2017 Philadelphia Pride Flag, which sought to further represent the queer and trans identities of black and brown people. Those two stripes also represent those living with HIV/AIDS, people who have passed from the virus and the overall stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS that remains today. 

 

Nonbinary Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2014, Kye Rowan created the Nonbinary Pride Flag to represent people whose gender identity does not fit within the traditional male/female binary. 

 

The colors of the nonbinary flag are yellow, white, purple, and black. The colors each symbolize a different subgroup of people who identify as nonbinary. 

 

Yellow signifies something on its own or people who identify outside of the cisgender binary of male or female. A cisgender person would be a person whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth. White, a color that consists of all colors mixed, stands for multi-gendered people. Purple, like the lavender color in the genderqueer flag, represents people who identify as a blending of male and female genders. Finally, black (the absence of color) signifies those who are agender, who feel they do not have a gender. 

 

Generally-speaking, non-binary/genderqueer people use gender-neutral pronouns. Usage of singular 'they', 'their' and 'them' is the most common. 

 

Intersex Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This flag went through a number of iterations before the current Intersex Flag emerged. Previous versions embraced the rainbow that is often associated with queer pride, while others used colors like blue and pink, which are found on the transgender flag. In 2013, Morgan Carpenter chose the colors yellow and purple for the intersex flag. 

 

Morgan moved away from the rainbow symbolism and selected these colors because neither is associated with the social constructs of the gender binary. The circle is claimed to represent the wholeness of intersex people and that, supposedly, intersex people are perfect the way they are or choose to be. 

 

Asexual Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flag for the Asexual Community was created in 2010 by the Asexual Visibility and Education Network. Asexual is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or a low interest in sexual activity, but it is said asexuality can mean different things to different people. 

 

It seems that for some people, it may even mean that they rely on other types of attraction instead of or in place of sexual attraction. 

 

Asexual can be an umbrella term and each color in this flag also represents something unique. Black stands for asexuality. Gray represents demisexuality, for those who develop sexual attraction to someone only after forming a deep emotional bond with them. White stands for the allies of the community. Purple represents the entire community of asexual folks. 

 

Bisexual Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bisexual Pride Flag was created in 1998 by Michael Page. His idea for the flag represents pink and blue blending to make purple. The way that bisexual people can blend into the straight community and the gay community. 

 

The colors of the flag also represent attraction to different genders. The pink symbolizes attraction to the same gender, while the blue represents attraction to a different gender. The purple represents attraction to two or more genders, the definition of bisexuality. 

 

Pansexual Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This flag was created in 2010. Pansexuality represents those people who feel attracted to a person without thinking about gender. 

 

Pansexual people may refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their romantic or sexual attraction to others. This means that they can feel attraction to those who identify as women, men, both or neither. 

 

The pink on the flag represents attraction to women, blue represents attraction to men, and yellow stands for attraction to those who don’t identify with either gender. 

 

Pansexuality may be considered a sexual orientation or a branch of bisexuality, to indicate an alternative sexual identity. 

 

Because pansexual people are open to relationships with people who do not identify as strictly men or women, and pansexuality therefore rejects the gender binary, it is often considered a more inclusive term than bisexual. 

 

Lesbian Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This flag features different shades of pink and sometimes comes with a red kiss on it to represent lipstick lesbians (or femme lesbians and whose appearance and behavior are seen as traditionally feminine). 

 

This flag was created by Natalie McCray in 2010. Some lesbians oppose this flag because of its exclusion of butch lesbians (most often a term used to describe a lesbian who exhibits a masculine identity) – but no other flag has as much popularity as this one. 

 

In the new flag, the colors represent the following:

Darkest Orange: Gender nonconformity

Middle Orange: Independence 

Lightest Orange: Community 

White: Unique relationships to womanhood 

Lightest Pink: Serenity and peace 

Middle Pink: Love and sex 

Darkest Pink: Femininity 

Abrosexual Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Abrosexual Pride Flag has existed since 2015. The flag was created by Mod Chad of pride-flags-for-us after another anonymous person requested it. It is unknown why this person chose these colors specifically. 

 

Abrosexual refers to an individual whose sexuality is changing or fluid. E.g., someone could be gay one day, then be asexual the next, then polysexual the next. While it has been claimed that it is possible – and even common – for a person's sexual identity to shift or change in some way throughout their life, an abrosexual person's sexuality may change more frequently, over the course of hours, days, months, or years! 

 

Gay Men’s Pride Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gay Men’s Pride Flag is another lesser known pride flag. It features different shades of green, blue, and purple. 

 

This modern gay men’s pride flag is a revamp of an earlier gay men’s pride flag that featured a range of blue tones. That version was problematic because it used colors that were stereotypical of the gender binary. 

 

This updated flag is inclusive of a much wide range of gay men, including but not limited to transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming men. 

 

Heterosexual Pride Flag 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Straight is most viewed as men attracted to women and women attracted to men. The term "straight" is used to describe for both straight men and straight women. 

 

While straight is often used to describe non-LGBT people it is said that it is possible for straight people to be part of the LGBT community. E.g., they might be transgender. They also might be, asexual heteroromantic, or aromantic heterosexual, which also makes them LGBT. 

 

However, some believe “straight pride” events are simply the latest manifestation of anti-LGBTQ bigotry.