You see it in text messages, bios, and Pride posts: 🌈

The rainbow emoji has become one of the most recognizable digital symbols of LGBTQ+ identity. What started as a simple weather icon has evolved into a global sign of Pride and community.

The rainbow beginnings

Emoji first appeared in Japan in the late 1990s as a way to make digital communication more visual. Designed by artist Shigetaka Kurita, emojis became shorthand in an increasingly digital world. The rainbow sat alongside the sun, clouds, and raindrops. Back then, the rainbow wasn’t tied to identity, just part of a weather set.

In 2010, the Unicode Consortium expanded emoji to be standardized across devices, and the rainbow was included. 

Adopted by queer communities

The rainbow had been connected to LGBTQ+ life since Gilbert Baker designed the rainbow flag for San Francisco Pride in 1978. So when emoji became part of everyday communication in the 2010s, LGBTQ+ people started using 🌈 as a signal.

It showed up in Twitter bios, Instagram posts, and dating profiles. Dropping a rainbow in a caption or hashtag was a way to say “I’m here and I’m queer” or as a sign of support from allies. This small symbol expanded to have a big meaning.

The emoji has also been noticed by anti-LGBTQ+ factions. In April 2025, Russian activist and artist Alisa Gorshenina was arrested and served 10 days in jail under the Russian LGBT Propaganda law for using a rainbow emoji in an Instagram post.

Pride month mainstreaming

As Pride grew in visibility, the rainbow emoji became a shorthand every June. Brands, influencers, and media leaned on 🌈 in posts and ads. It became an easy way to join Pride conversations, often paired with hashtags like #LoveIsLove and #Pride.

By the mid-2010s, 🌈 had shifted from weather to culture. It’s now as common in corporate Pride marketing as it was in queer community spaces.

The rainbow flag arrives

In 2016, Unicode approved the rainbow flag emoji 🏳️‍🌈, created specifically to represent LGBTQ+ identity. That gave users a more direct symbol, but it didn’t replace 🌈.

In 2020, the transgender flag was added to the roster of Unicode emojis. 

(You’ll often see these emojis in News is Out newsletter subject lines too!)

A symbol shaped by people

What started as a digital weather symbol became one of the most recognizable queer identifiers online. Both the 🌈 and  🏳️‍🌈 carry the history of Pride into the digital age and continues to evolve as symbols of unity and community.