COMMUNITY
Can You Claim Ownership of the Bisexual Pride Flag?
Bi group deletes Twitter account amid backlash; Trans Flag creator sounds off
BY MATT TRACY
BiNet USA, a longstanding
online community
of bisexual individuals,
is embroiled in controversy
after the organization fi red
off a series of Tweets claiming
ownership of the Bisexual Pride
Flag and threatening those who
display the fl ag on their own pages,
igniting new discussions about the
commodifi cation of Pride.
“The copyright of the fl ag is solely
BiNet USA’s,” BiNet USA’s account
wrote in April 29 tweets that
are no longer online because the
organization’s account was subsequently
deleted. “It does not belong
to one founder and no founder can
approve its use without the President
and/ or board approval.”
The organization also began directly
calling out those using the
fl ag, including bi activist Jayne
B. Shea, who featured Bisexual
Pride Flags during a recent virtual
event.
“Hi JayneBShea,” @BiNetUSA
wrote in a tweet on April 29 directed
at Shea. “We at BiNet USA are
asking you to get in touch so we
can discuss your use of the bisexual
pride fl ag without any money
going to our organization. Thank
you for removing the fl ag from your
site, socials or work. We know this
is a lot so we hope we can work a
new deal.”
In another tweet, BiNet USA
wrote, “So if you’re using the bi
pride colors, or any @BiNetUSA
work, please remove them from
your website before we send a legal
letter advising same. cc: @BRC_
Central.”
BiNet USA faced widespread
criticism for the unprecedented assertion
that it owns copyright of
the Bisexual Pride Flag, which was
created by Michael Page in 1998.
Monica Helms, who created the
Trans Flag after Page encouraged
her to do so, voiced criticism of Bi-
Net USA’s claims in an interview
with Gay City News, and a close
friend of the late Gilbert Baker
— who created the LGBTQ Pride
Rainbow Flag — also pushed back
The Bisexual Pride Flag, created by Michael Page, has become the subject of controversy after a
bisexual organization claimed the rights to the fl ag.
against BiNet USA’s actions.
BiNet USA, which was led by
Faith Cheltenham until stepping
down in the way of this fl ap, did
not respond to multiple questions
from Gay City News about the organization’s
ownership claims, its
role in the origins of the fl ag, why
the Twitter account was deleted, or
why claims of ownership are only
popping up now — in the middle
of a coronavius pandemic that has
crushed the economy.
But in a long statement on Bi-
Net’s Facebook page on April 29,
Cheltenham said her words have
been miscontrued and asserted
that the group is focusing its
copyright gripes toward for-profi t
re-sellers that she believes have a
resopnsiblity to raise money for bisexual
individuals.
In one Facebook comment exchange,
Cheltenham was asked
by Tommaso Mori whether she
has signed proof from Page stating
that he offered full copyright of his
work.
“To be very clear he asked me
personally to see what I could do
to remove his name from being the
creator of this fl ag cause he said he
wasn’t,” Cheltenham responded,
before adding, “like maybe he was
the fi rst to have the idea and he
certainly sold it on his store but he
says other BiNet organizers helped
and picked fl ag colors, fl ag size,
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ MICHAEL PAGE
and dimensions. I told him I’d do
what I could but that white bisexuals
would probably yell a great deal
and I’d need to come back to him
and get him to say it for himself.”
Mori then wrote, “Legally it
doesn’t count and it’s still your
word against previous written declarations
by Michael Page.”
Mori’s response drew 20 likes.
Following the tweetstorm, Shea
announced she was addressing
the issue with her legal counsel,
some board members of BiNet USA
distanced themselves from the
organization’s actions, and queer
people in general were expressing
outrage that any Pride Flags would
be owned by anyone or tied to fi -
nancial compensation.
The issue exacerbated existing
frustrations that Pride has become
too commercialized less than a
year after that issue reached a boiling
point in New York City, where
the shadow of corporate infl uence
in the New York City Pride March
prompted the emergence of an alternative,
corporate-free Queer
Liberation March on the same fi -
nal Sunday in June.
Ironically, Cheltenham defended
her organization’s actions by
claiming that she, too, has called
to “reclaim Pride,” while also arguing
that bisexual individuals have
suffered while corporations have
profi ted off of Bisexual Pride.
“This BiNet USA shitstorm is an
excellent example of how folks can
wield and warp social justice language
as a smokescreen for behavior
that is absolutely not aligned
with the values and interests of the
communities they claim to serve,”
Sam Dylan Finch, an out bisexual
editor at Healthline, wrote in a
tweet.
Signs of friction within BiNet
USA were evident on social media,
where a board member, Lauren
Beach, issued a statement on April
29 after the organization landed in
hot water.
“Though I am a BiNet board
member, I was not consulted about
the decision to state that BiNet had
trademarked/ others must license
the fl ag,” Beach wrote on Twitter. “I
want to clarify these are the views
of #BiNet President @thefayth,
who also was the person tweeting
this content earlier today from the
now-defunct BiNet twitter. I do not
share the view that #BiNet owns or
should seek to license the #bisexual
pride fl ag. #BiNet board members
are in dialogue with @thefayth.
We will issue a statement soon
to clarify #BiNet’s views and identify
next steps to address the hurt
and confusion that have emerged
in #bisexual+ communities in response
to today’s tweet.”
A statement had yet to appear
on social media as of the evening
of April 30.
BiNet USA has some ties to the
origins of the Bisexual Pride Flag,
but the extent of those ties are
murky. Page is listed on the byline
of an archived BiFlag.com article
stating that he came up with the
idea of a Bisexual Pride Flag at a
time when he was volunteering
with BiNet USA. It does not, however,
state that he came up with
the fl ag in his capacity with BiNet
USA.
In that article he said the “fl ag
is for free public usage” and “The
Bi Pride Flag is the only bisexual
symbol not patented, trademarked,
or service marked.”
Monica Helms, who invented the
➤ BISEXUAL PRIDE FLAG, continued on p.19
May 7 - May 20, 2 18 020 | GayCityNews.com
link
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