Although the symbolic use of bright colors has long been connected to queer culture, these flags, fittingly, are a highly visible, widerspread signal of queer identity compared to some of the slightly more covert LGBTQ+ symbols that preceded them. Today, there are dozens of LGBTQ+ flags representing just as many gender identities, sexualities and intersections of communities. Much like the communities they represent, these flags are in a constant state of evolution, expanding to better and more inclusively encompass every queer identity under the rainbow. The meme became popular enough that many brands posted their own version, typically involving a negative statement about their product.Ever since the first rainbow-hued LGBTQ flag was created in 1978, pride flags have been a colorful symbol of queer identity. In October 2021, the Red Flag emoji ? was used in a popular meme in which it was posted along with a seemingly minor or innocuous statement, with the joking implication that the poster considers such a statement to be a serious warning sign to avoid the person saying it. If she takes photographs of every food she eats ???. On social media, the Red Flag emoji ? is popularly used to refer to “red flags” in relationships or potential relationships-signs that someone would not make a good romantic partner or that they generally have a bad personality. Depending on the platform, the flag may be drawn to appear as if it is blowing in the wind or has a sheen as if it was made of plastic or similar material.
The Facebook version of the emoji displays just the flag. The Red Flag emoji ?, which is popularly known as Triangular Flag emoji ?, was approved under Unicode 6.0 in 2010 as “Triangular Flag on Post.” On most major platforms, the emoji depicts a triangular red flag attached to a grey flag post. The flag depicted in the Red Flag emoji ? closely resembles the flag depicted in the Flag in Hole emoji ⛳ , which is most commonly used to refer to the sport of golf.
This particular reaction to the meme is an example of the increasing awareness and advocacy around online accessibility and how online content is experienced by people with disabilities. People who use screen readers (such as people with visual impairment) have noted that the red flag meme can be particularly frustrating since screen readers, which read out the official name of every emoji included in a post, will repeat “Triangular Flag” as many times as the emoji has been included in the post (often many, many times).
In October 2021, this use became the focus of a popular meme in which a statement is followed by a series of Red Flag emoji ? to jokingly indicate that the statement is a relationship dealbreaker. On social media, the Red Flag emoji ? often represents the sense of the term red flag that’s used in the context of dating and relationships to refer to a sign that a person will turn out to be (or is) a bad or problematic partner.
Because a triangular red flag is often used to signal danger, this emoji is commonly used to refer to dangerous situations or to warn people of bad ideas or potential problems. The Red Flag emoji ?, officially known as Triangular Flag, depicts a triangular red flag on a pole.