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“Okay, so here’s the classic rainbow,” says Nomi-Nomi, picking up the rainbow flag draped over their couch and holding it out in front of you. “It represents everyone. It was like the ‘main’ pride flag. But there’s like a million other ones for so many different genders and romantic and sexual attractions, and I still haven’t made a lot of them! I really wanna make flags for everyone who’s interested and maybe hang up a few in the lounge or something, and there’s so many to make, and what if I designed my own? Not that I know what that would be, ’cause there seems to be a flag for everything already!”
You take the rainbow flag and admire how flashy and colorful it is.
“What are some of the other ones?” you ask, nodding at all the different flags rolled up side by side, spread out on the floor, and draped over the table and couch in Nomi’s quarters. You weren’t there for the recent humanities class on these things called “pride flags” that were apparently like color-coded celebrations of different identities back on Earth, so when Nomi just had to talk about their newest hyperfixation, you offered to listen.
“I don’t know where to start!” Nomi laughs, looking around and just grabbing the nearest flag. It unrolls down to the floor, and it’s striped yellow, white, purple, and black. “Okay, this one! It’s for people who aren’t boys or girls— you know, like you and me!” They whip it out and wrap it around their shoulders like a flashy shawl. “How do I look?”
You grin and give them a thumbs-up. “Super colorful!”
“For some reason, it’s got a lot of the same colors as the ace flag,” says Nomi, picking up one that’s black, white, gray, and purple. “And there’s another flag for demi-ace specifically, which is the same colors, just set up differently— where’d I put it?” They run around a little, picking up different flags, and soon find it and hold it up. “I’m probably keeping this one in my room.”
“What’s that one?” you ask, pointing to a pink, yellow, and blue flag on the table. “It’s colored kind of like your hair.”
Nomi giggles. “It is! That’s the pan flag. Apparently it represents people who could potentially be into anyone. Like, gender doesn’t matter. Just the person.”
“Isn’t that just most of our friends?” you ask. Cal and Tang seem to prefer girls (especially Tammy for Cal), but you think almost all your friends are kind of “pan.” Rex for sure— he likes everyone— and probably Marz, and maybe Dys too (you’re pretty sure Dys likes Sym because he’s Sym). And you don’t think gender matters to you either. Why would it?
Nomi giggles. “Yeah, good point! Maybe we’re all pan.”
You pick up the pan flag and smile at it. “Could I have this one?” you ask.
“Of course!” says Nomi. “I should make a few more, huh?”
“Good idea,” you agree.