Throughout history, flowers have carried rich symbolic meanings, from friendship and love, to grief and loss. For the LGBTQ+ community, certain blooms are powerful emblems of queer history, resilience and solidarity.
These flowers have served as symbols in times of oppression, allowing queer individuals to express identity and connection in secret, coded ways.
So let's explore the LGBTQ+ history behind these flowers, and uncover the stories of defiance, romance, and pride.
Violets
Violets act as a symbol of lesbian love and identity. Their association dates back to ancient Greece, where the poet Sappho wrote about love between women, with frequent references to violets. Then in the early 20th century, violets became a discreet symbol for women who loved women, especially after the 1926 play ‘The Captive’ featured a female character sending violets to another woman as a romantic gesture. Thereafter the flower was linked to lesbianism, and some women began wearing violets as a sign of solidarity. Today, violets continue to represent lesbian history and the quiet strength of queer women throughout time.
Roses
Roses have become meaningful symbols within LGBTQ+ culture, representing queer romance, resistance, and remembrance. In particular, the red rose has been embraced by various LGBTQ+ groups to honour same-sex love and commemorate those lost to violence or AIDS. The image of two men or two women exchanging roses has become a symbol of queer love, and roses have also appeared in LGBTQ+ literature and art as symbols of forbidden or resilient love. Additionally in some drag cultures, roses are used to celebrate gender expression and beauty beyond binaries.
Green Carnations
The green carnation is one of the earliest known symbols of LGBTQ+ identity, made famous by Oscar Wilde in the late 19th century. The playwright and his friends wore green carnations on their lapels as a subtle signal of their homosexuality. While the flower has no natural green colour, the artificial hue represented the hidden lives many queer individuals were forced to live at the time. Although its popularity faded in the 20th century, the green carnation still remains a historical symbol of queer defiance.
Pansies
‘Pansy’ was historically used as a derogatory term for gay men, but it was later reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community as a badge of pride and identity. In the 1930s, the term ‘Pansy Craze’ was used to describe a wave of popularity for openly gay performers and drag queens (known as ‘pansy performers’) in speakeasies and nightclubs across big American cities. Today, the pansy serves as a reminder of the community’s ability to turn stigma into strength.
Lavender
Lavender has long held a special place in LGBTQ+ symbolism, as a plant, colour and scent. Its significance dates back to the early 20th century, when it became a subtle marker of identity in a world where open expression was forbidden. In the 1920s and 1930s, ‘lavender boys’ was a term used to describe those suspected of being gay. Then during the 1950s ‘Lavender Scare’, LGBTQ+ individuals were targeted and dismissed from government jobs in the US, which further cemented lavender as a symbol of queer struggle and identity. Over time, lavender has evolved to become a symbol of empowerment and pride, and is used by LGBTQ+ activists as a way to reclaim their visibility.
The flowers tied to LGBTQ+ history are more than just beautiful blooms; they are powerful symbols of identity, resistance, and love, with each flower carrying its own unique story. Whether they were used to signal solidarity, honour lost lives, or express romance, these flowers began as hidden symbols that have blossomed into proud emblems of the LGBTQ+ community.
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