From LGBT+ Pride to NHS Praise
Drawing on cultural materialism, this article addresses the changing meanings of the rainbow flag over time and space, and focuses on its use in Great Britain in the context of the Covid-19 global pandemic. The flag, a long-standing emblem of the LGBT+ community, was temporarily used to express supp...
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| Dans: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles, |
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| Auteur principal: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Langue: | Anglais |
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Angles
2025
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| Accès en ligne: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Résumé: | Drawing on cultural materialism, this article addresses the changing meanings of the rainbow flag over time and space, and focuses on its use in Great Britain in the context of the Covid-19 global pandemic. The flag, a long-standing emblem of the LGBT+ community, was temporarily used to express support for National Health Service workers. The article deconstructs this semantic shift, which turned a symbol used by a marginalised group into a consensual symbol of hope centred on a state institution. In order to make sense of this shift, the article first establishes a taxonomy of rainbow symbols, and delves into the various uses of the rainbow flag in different parts of the world. Building on this, it explores the relational modalities of rainbow symbols, which range from coexistence to contention, through coalescence. It can then explore the most recent competing uses of the rainbow flag (LGBT+ pride VS NHS raise), the conversations that this conflict produced, and its ultimate resolution. |
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