A gay goth named Darkness Vlad Tepes has launched a campaign to include a black stripe in the rainbow Pride flag, saying that goths are "not always welcomed" as members of the LGBTIQ+ community.
In an interview with the Lancashire Telegraph, the UK-based Tepes says: “Very few goths are ever seen in the gay community but when they are they are not always welcomed due to their dark gothic fashion."
The 27-year-old continues: “When some goths go to the gay scene a minority of them get confused with being into the dominatrix sexual lifestyle which is not the case."
"The current colours in the gay flag don't really represent the gothic community. With a black strip we will be treated as equals within the gay community."
It's not the first time campaigners have fought for the Pride Flag to be changed, with a U.S. group called More Colour More Pride arguing that brown and black stripes should be included as a symbol of race inclusivity.
“In 1978, artist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag,” the group's website reads.
It continues: “An iconic symbol of LGBTQ+ unity. So much has happened since then. A lot of good, but there’s more we can do. Especially when it comes to recognizing people of colour in the LGBTQ+ community."
This is not the first time campaigners have fought to add stripes to the pride flag. Source: Twitter
“To fuel this important conversation, we’ve expanded the colours of the flag to include black and brown. It may seem like a small step. But together we can make big strides toward a truly inclusive community.”
However, for Tepes, this particular road to goth inclusion seems steep, with local organisation Lancashire LGBT saying that they “wish the gay goth community well but our view is that the rainbow flag already reflects the full diversity of LGBT people."
In a statement, the a spokesperson for the group said: “The designer of the flag, Gilbert Baker, said the stripes do not stand for specific subgroups but for themes such as life, healing, art, nature and spirits."
