The bear pride flag was adopted in 1995 by psychology undergraduate student Craig Byrnes to represent the bear community within the LGBTQIA+ community. The colors of the flag; dark brown, orange/rust, golden yellow, tan, white, gray, and black, symbolize the varying fur colors of bears around the world. Though not necessarily referring to human skin and hair color, the flag was designed with inclusion in mind.[1][2]
History[]
In 1995, Craig Byrnes created the bear flag in Washington, D.C. Byrnes' undergraduate degree in psychology involved designing a project about the bear community that has exploded since the early 1980s, of which he had first-hand experience.