LGBTQ pride in the context of "Rainbow flag (LGBT)"

The rainbow flag or pride flag (formerly gay pride flag) is a symbol of LGBTQ pride and LGBTQ social movements, as well as a peace symbol. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender. Using a rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBTQ pride began in San Francisco, California and subsequently became common at LGBTQ rights events worldwide.

Originally devised by the artists Gilbert Baker, Lynn Segerblom, James McNamara and other activists, the design underwent several revisions after its debut in 1978, and continues to inspire variations. Although Baker's original rainbow flag had eight colors, from 1979 to the present day the most common variant consists of six stripes: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The flag is typically displayed horizontally, with the red stripe on top, as it would be in a natural rainbow.

A pride flag is any flag that represents a segment or part of the LGBTQ community. Pride in this case refers to the notion of LGBTQ pride. The terms LGBTQ flag and queer flag are often used interchangeably.

The rainbow flag, which represents the entire LGBTQ community, is the most widely used pride flag. As well as the LGBTQ community as a whole, pride flags can represent various sexual orientations, romantic orientations, gender identities, subcultures, and regional purposes. Some pride flags, however, are not exclusively related to LGBTQ matters, such as the flag for leather subculture.

Pride in London is an annual LGBTQ+ pride festival and pride parade held each summer in London, England. The event, formerly run by Pride London, is sometimes referred to as London Pride.

Pride in London celebrates the diversity of LGBTQ+ communities with the colourful Pride in London Parade, as well as free events that take place in Trafalgar Square and other areas in central London. This event brings together people of all genders, ethnicities, sexualities, and races.

Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor mostly used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. While mostly used in contexts involving sexual orientation or gender identity, it is sometimes used as a shorthand in other identity self-disclosure contexts, such as the revelation of atheism or irreligion, or of one's political affiliations.

LGBTQ self-disclosure is often framed and debated as a privacy issue because the consequences may be very different for different individuals, some of whom may have their job security or personal security threatened by such disclosure. The act may be viewed as a psychological process or journey; decision-making or risk-taking; a strategy or plan; a mass or public event; a speech act and a matter of personal identity; a rite of passage; liberation or emancipation from oppression; an ordeal; a means toward feeling LGBTQ pride instead of shame and social stigma; or a career-threatening act.