Our Sacred Rainbow Flag, by Mala (Nim)
Our local high street in Havering, London, has had nylon St George's flags attached to almost every lamppost over the last 6 months. Recently, our MP also defected from the Conservatives to Reform, and in May, Reform also won majority control of the local council.
It has been less than a month, and already the councillors have stopped our town hall from raising the rainbow flag (a tradition for over 10 years) and have requested that all local libraries scale back pride events. My initial reaction was anger and disappointment; growing up in this area as a queer non-binary South Asian, I was well aware of the racism and homophobia, so seeing the flag at the town hall was a much welcomed sign of progress and a visual representation of change.
When the first St George's flags went up in September 2025, I emailed my MP directly to explain my concern and to support my requesting removing the unauthorised flags: The flags imply that there is a narrow view of what is "British" which excludes, diverse backgrounds and does not represent a modern Britain Would our community be permitted to fly rainbow Pride flags on lampposts in the same manner? This situation contributes to a feeling that some symbols of identity are welcome, while others are not. I also questioned his voting history on LGBTQ rights, highlighted government statistics on LGBTQ hate crime and described abuse I have witnessed.
I share some key points from his responses below:
"With regards to flags, I must say that I completely disagree with your assessment that national symbols such as the Union Flag and the St. George's Cross may make minorities feel unwelcome and may not be inclusive. It is my firm belief that these flags are our national symbols, should be displayed and flown with pride, and that they unite everyone in our Kingdom, not focusing on difference, but on what we have in common – history, culture, values, and our monarchy. It is disappointing that you do not support the monarchy and have a negative view of this country, the Empire, and the history of both."
My grandparents lived under that Empire.
"I am, however, very pleased that poll after poll shows that a majority of the electorate disagree with you, and you can also see that by observing how many patriotic people have been proud to display their unifying national flags in recent months, which I am pleased to support."
"Finally, I simply do not agree with the ideology that underpins your thinking on human sexuality and gender, which I believe no longer has the cultural zeitgeist, as much as I deplore violence, hate, or other forms of actual discrimination."
As we bounced emails back and forth until he became tired of me, I reflected on how quickly things can change. In the summer of 2025, I found myself walking in the London pride parade for my employer. As I looked around, every corporate brand I think of was handing out rainbow themed merch - eyelashes, baseball caps, fans, and vaseline. The pink washing I had been feeling for the last few years had peaked. The flag had come to represent a symbol of marketing for the pink pound.
This year, now faced with censorship, my relationship with the flag has shifted - it is a sacred symbol of our community that I am cherishing. As I walk around the city, and notice the flag on tube adverts or stickers in shop windows, I see them as a divine sign and a blessing. I imagine it is similar to folks that have a connection to angels when they stumble upon a feather.
I've placed the rainbow flag in the centre of my altar at home. I meditate on all the karma that has led to it being there. In 1978, the flag was hand stitched by artist and gay activist Gilbert Baker and offered as a symbol for the community to Harvey Milk. The original 1978 flag had eight stripes, each with meaning:
- Hot pink – sexuality
- Red – life
- Orange – healing
- Yellow – sunlight
- Green – nature
- Turquoise – magic/art
- Indigo – serenity
- Violet – spirit
As I sit before my altar, I practice energy work and remind myself of the magic when I first saw the original flag on display in a museum in San Francisco. I will work through the colours of the rainbow with the flag's intention in mind. I feel the evolution of inclusion to the progress flag. I feel gratitude to everyone who has raised the flag and worked with the symbol before me. I offer devotion to the queer spirit guides around me. As the energy bubbles up to my crown, I send it to the places where there is resistance to fly the sacred symbol with pride - from my local town hall to every other town hall in the world.
I share this so that others have insight to what we might be facing if Reform wins a general election or forms part of a coalition. I share this with loving kindness to people who are afraid of the energy of our sacred symbol, our community, and our collective energy. The rainbow is a symbol rooted in nature that magically appears in the sky all over the world; it can not be destroyed or controlled.
by Mala (Nim); A south asian queer non-binary yogi. Recently also started a substack here: https://rainbowmala.substack.com
