Temple University one of first colleges to display new Progress Pride flag

Temple University is one of the first institutions in Pennsylvania to display the Progress Pride flag, a newly designed flag to promote greater inclusivity in the LGBTQ community.

The flag has been on display at Temple University's student center since mid-January, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Jason Levy, senior director of student center operations at Temple, told the Inquirer that the flag shows that the school is “supportive of everybody” and “really wants students to feel comfortable here.”

The Progress Pride Flag was created by Daniel Quasar, an Oregon-based designer, in 2018. The new flag is based on the traditional LGBTQ Pride flag and includes the original six-stripe rainbow. Quasar added five arrow-shaped stripes with colors — three represent transgender people and two represent marginalized people of color and individuals living with AIDS or facing social stigmas.

Director of Communications for Temple Student Government Hailey McCormack also told the Inquirer that the flag is “proof that Temple takes steps to ensure it is an inclusive university fostering a safe environment.”

In 2017, Philadelphia was one of the first cities to release a new version of the LGBTQ flag that represented people of color. Amber Hikes, Philadelphia's LGBT affairs director, added a black and brown stripe to the original flag to represent people of color who are also part of the LGBTQ community.

Penn's LGBT Center Director Erin Cross is working to implement new initiatives that celebrate the LGBTQ community, such as mentorship programs and partnerships with PennGALA, the LGBTQ Penn alumni organization, and the LGBTQ Faculty Diversity Working Group.

Penn also ranked as one of the 30 Best of the Best LGTBQ-Friendly College and Universities in 2018 by Campus Pride, an organization that works to promote LGBTQ-friendly environments on college campuses.