Pink was removed from the original eight-stripe pride flag because the fabric and dye in that color were difficult to find. The demand for flags increased, making it impractical to source enough pink material for widespread production. As a result, the pink stripe was eliminated to ensure the flag could be manufactured and distributed more easily.
Additionally, turquoise was removed a year later to make the flag appear more balanced visually. This decision allowed the colors to be divided evenly when carrying the flag in parades.
While the original eight-stripe flag with pink and turquoise is a historical representation, the six-stripe flag with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet has become the most widely recognized symbol of the LGBTQIA2-S community.
