Is anyone ever too young to indulge in a little nostalgia now and then? Perhaps there are babies who pine for the halcyon days of the womb. “Oh, alas for the amniotic fluid, the vitamin-rich food on tap, the lovely cosiness” they would moan if only they knew how. Instead, they pass their time wordlessly wailing for what has been. Perhaps there are children, on their first day of nursery school, who heave a little sigh for the dearly departed – the onesies, the high-chair, the cot – before stoically resigning themselves to the serious, grown-up business of tidying the Wendy house and making sure that the Cabbage Patch doll gets to bed on time.

Certainly, at the not-too-ancient age of twenty, I’m no stranger to a spot of ‘fauxstalgia’ – that is, nostalgia for those who are young enough to know better. Midnight essay crises tend to induce severe bouts of fauxstalgia, during which I pine for my spoon-fed, well-read school days when I was a mere snip of a thing at eighteen. Gender divides at parties, Billie Piper on Top of the Pops (RIP), Starbucks-free high streets, and fake IDs comprise some of the things for which I’m occasionally fauxstalgic. And I’m not the only one. Indulging in fauxstalgia is a national hobby, largely thanks to the wonders of digital cameras, which allow us to pore over a photo only a moment after it has been taken (“didn’t we look pretty five minutes ago?”).

Yet, the term ‘fauxstalgia’ does not only apply to this kind of premature nostalgia for things only recently past. Fauxstalgia also encompasses our false nostalgia for those things past which we never actually experienced ourselves. That today’s fashions are so heavily influenced by the styles of bygone eras, from the mini-dresses of the sixties to the maxi-dresses of the seventies, most likely represents a dearth of creative inspiration but may perhaps also be symptomatic of our fauxstalgic tendencies. In fact, this reverence of yesteryear leads to the irony that anything awarded the suffix ‘retro’, whether it be music, fashion or film, is automatically up-to-the-minute.

Unsurprisingly, fauxstalgia is a financially lucrative business. Cashing in on the trend are bands as musically diverse as Take That and the Pixies, both of whom have performed to sold-out arenas on their recent comeback tours, with tickets exchanging hands for more than £200 on E-Bay. In the case of Take That, it was notable that the only former member of the band who did not participate in their reunion tour of 2006 was also the only one to have enjoyed a profitable music career since their demise almost a decade earlier. Likewise, by the time of the Pixies’ reunion in 2004, they had been defunct for twelve years and the royalties had dwindled substantially. Yet, as the BBC website reviewer said of the latter, “If nothing else comes out of this comeback tour other than a healthier bank balance for the four members of the Pixies then that’s fine, but that doesn’t have to mean that I won’t be down at the front of the stage in 2014 for their next show, manically singing along to Monkey Gone To Heaven, pretending I’m a teenager again.” It seems that you can’t put a price on fauxstalgia.

The latest to be announced in this recent spate of fauxstalgia-friendly comeback tours is that of the Spice Girls. Despite reports that they will earn a not-to-be-sniffed-at sum of £10 million each for the tour, the sponsorship, the accompanying documentary, and the inevitable greatest hits album, Geri has staunchly denied that money is a motivating factor for their reunion. Instead she attributes the reason for the tour to “nostalgia”, which is interesting if we consider that it was she who brought about their demise, dramatically resigning her place in the band during their world tour in 1998, on the grounds of in-band “differences”. At the recent press launch she said, “we’re doing this because it’s a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to be a Spice Girl again. Who would turn that down?” Who indeed, particularly if your last attempt at a solo-album, Passion, was met with such a distinctly passionless response that it failed even to reach the top-forty on first release. “Obviously it’s nostalgic,” she continued, “but  equally, if new fans want to come along, that’s fantastic.” And fauxstalgia is certainly to be cited for the astounding fact that the £85 tickets to the London dates of the tour sold out in just 38 seconds. As LMH second-year, gleeful golden-ticket holder and fauxstalgic fan, Gerard Lee, said, “Geri had already left the band by the time I got the chance to see them at Wembley Arena in 1998 so I decided I’d have to go this time round and see them all together”.

From my adamance that Baby Spice and I were soulsisters (“we have the same name and we both have blonde hair!”) to my long-overdue epiphany as to the meaning of ‘Two Become One’, the Spice Girls are bound up with many of my formative childhood memories. Not least do I remember the tremulous thrill of buying a packet of Spice Girls photographs (the latest ‘official’ merchandise product to guzzle my pocket-money), only to discover that fate had dealt me a cruel hand since this new acquisition did not contain that rare photo for which I longed but rather was a duplicate of a packet I already possessed. Yet, despite my predilection for Spice Girls fauxstalgia of this kind, I shall not be joining the ranks of former fans in begging, borrowing, stealing or selling my vital organs in the hope of obtaining a ticket. In fact, I’m thoroughly disillusioned by the hype surrounding the Spice Girls’ reunion and, contrary to appearances, this is not due to any lingering photo-related bitterness.

In my opinion, seeing the Spice Girls on their comeback tour will never be able to mean to me now what it did originally, not so much because I myself have changed but rather because the five members of the band have changed. Though the intricacies of the feminist ideology possibly underlying the motto, ‘Girl Power’, were lost on me as a child, I nevertheless appreciated the spirit of female friendship and sisterhood which the Spice Girls represented to girls of my age. Yet, the photo shoot which accompanied the press launch for their comeback tour made it abundantly clear that no such camaraderie still exists between them. No longer resembling a cohesive five-piece, no longer even friends, they stood stiffly as five individuals, all of whom are unrecognisable from their former individual ‘Spice’ personas. Mel C, Mel B and Emma, once Sporty, Scary and Baby respectively, were indistinguishable from one another, demurely and blandly dressed in top-to-toe black. Geri, in stark incongruity, was serenely encased in swathes of white fabric, perhaps in a misguided attempt to dispel the image of her as the black sheep of the band.

Yet, the sight of Victoria alone, her impossible breasts vying for attention and chihauhua-like frame squeezed into a corset, was enough to confirm that the endearing ordinariness and outspoken, girl-next-door charm which accounted for much of the Spice Girls’ appeal has long been lost. Indeed, she is no longer the likeable and fun Posh Spice of old but rather she is one half of so-called ‘Brand Beckham’, ironically managed in this enterprise by Simon Fuller, the media svengali whom the Spice Girls notoriously sacked as their manager during their heydey. Ruthlessly dedicated to her own self-promotion, from ‘DVB’ perfumes to her personal online blog, her entire image has been strategically crafted by a team of publicists with military precision.

The Spice Girls’ comeback tour is a bloated, cynical and ultimately pointless operation, not unlike ‘Brand Beckham’ itself. It’s a half-hearted resurrection of what was successful in its day; a shadow of its former self. It can only disappoint those leagues of fauxstalgia-driven fans who have come to see the Spice Girls as they once knew and loved them. Save your £85 and see Girls Aloud instead. Fauxstalgia is so last year. 
By Emma Bernstein

To attain an Extraordinary Blue is no mean feat, but 2^nd Dan Black Belt Justine Potts is no ordinary girl; President of Oxford University TaeKwon-do, she juggles her martial arts with a classics degree, as well as rowing for her college and captaining Balliol’s cricket side. Furthermore, having begun TaeKwon-do at the age of seven and reached Black Belt before her twelfth birthday, she staunchly insists: ‘I don’t actually like fighting’ – extraordinary?

When her father took his seven-year-old daughter to a TaeKwon-do demonstration in the hope that she might be inspired to learn to defend herself, he could not have anticipated how readily she would take the bait. Thirteen years later with a varsity win, National and International medals and 5 years of teaching TaeKwon-do behind her, she has also cross-trained in a variety of martial arts. For Justine, TaeKwon-do is ‘a way of life, not just a sport.’ She explains: ‘it trains the mind as well as the body,’ and is keen to emphasise the sparring as part of training up, and not as an opportunity to smash another person in the face.

Oxford was the first TaeKwon-do club in Britain, and Justine is loyal to the style they practice (ITF), which she describes as faster and more elegant than that of their Light Blue rivals (WTF). ‘Varsity is a very big thing,’ Justine asserts; ‘because Cambridge practices the other variety, it becomes almost a defence of our style.’

Last year’s varsity victory was sweet for this dedicated Oxonian, but competitions are not at the centre of Justine’s martial arts philosophy. To compete, she says, ‘you really have to believe that you are superior to the person you are competing against, which is not something I like thinking.’ In earlier years she was accused by peers of hypocrisy for teaching and not competing herself, so she entered the TAGB British Championship at the age of 17. With the gold medal hanging around her neck, Justine successfully silenced her critics by proving that an aggressively competitive attitude is not necessary to train and be the best in TaeKwon-do.

After years of training and extensive reading in and around this field, it is not surprising that Justine has developed her own philosophies: ‘for me, TaeKwon-do is more an art than it is a sport. And I think it should be more of an art.’ The science and art inherent to martial arts may be accessed on both a physical and intellectual level, she claims, and quotes Bruce Lee, who described martial arts as an ‘expression of the human body.’ ‘It is a question of defending yourself and knowing the limits of your own power and aggression,’ she says; ‘when it comes to teaching I really insist on people having good experience of all martial arts. I teach practical self-defence, and often incorporate weapons training, with sticks of knife defence techniques. TaeKwon-do does not teach grappling, so I sometimes teach a class in that, inspired by other martial arts.’

Naming Bruce Lee’s ‘Jeet Kune Do’ as the other martial art she would be keen to train in because of its incorporation of different styles, it becomes clear that Justine’s success in TaeKwon-do is due not simply to her physical fitness and stamina, but is a matter of intelligence and attitude. Given this 19-year-old’s size and stature, her assurance that, ‘I really wouldn’t be put off by an 18 stone man attacking me’, seems preposterous. It is not by aggressive self-assertion, but with characteristically calm demeanour that Justine reveals her secret: ‘there are pressure points that will take someone down, no matter how big or small they are.’ What would a Blues boxer make of that, I wonder?

Have you ever had to defend yourself outside training?

“Luckily not. I have had to step in for people before, but often the key is to talk yourself out of the situation and when you’re in situation like a crowded bar, to position yourself correctly to protect yourself in case of trouble.”

What is the hardest thing you have had to do?

“In physical terms, my black belt grading was the most horrendous experience of my life. In one of the pre-grading sessions the motto was: ‘it isn’t real training if you don’t throw up.’ I remember turning around in the corridor to see the 40-year-old man behind me breaking down into tears because of the physical effort and extreme pressure on us. It sounds horrible, but it made me stronger, and taught me to never give up and to remain calm when facing difficulties.”

What is the most difficult break you have managed?

“Probably a jumping twisting kick, breaking three boards. I did it first time – I had to!”

Is there any situation in which you would be scared to defend yourself?

“Well, I would never even attempt to fight if someone had a syringe, and possibly not in the case of a gun. You see, with a knife you are likely to get cut, but there are techniques to ensure you are not cut in a place that will be fatal. This is not possible with a syringe. If it sticks in anywhere you could have AIDS and that’s it. It depends on the circumstances though – I’d always weight up the situation and try to talk my way out first.”

 By Jack Marley-PayneiLiKETRAiNS are an interesting prospect: dressed in British Rail uniforms, bearded and surly, they play epic songs about obscure historical events (viz the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Percival). Thankfully, in person they are friendly and unpretentious- pretension being a quality they are keen to deny their music possesses. ‘The stories just seem to come to us,’ singer Guy Bannister explained. ‘Sometimes we hear about something that sticks in our mind – we don’t go out searching.’  This is well illustrated by the inspiration for their new single ‘The Deception.’ After a drunken night in Paris, trumpeter Ashley found a message saved on his phone instructing him to research Donald Crowhurst. The band discovered he had entered a race to sail around the globe and claimed to have achieved a record time. In truth, he had just been messing about in the Atlantic.Though the choice of topics seems impersonal, the band undeniably have a passion for the music. As each song reaches its inevitable climax, all members thrash their instruments with all their might. They explained that their aim is to ‘bring history to life.’ ‘The subject can be so dry in textbooks. Putting it in a song can help people empathise with the characters.’ This, however, can be hard to do when the lyrics are often little more than a few clichés said over and over – ‘I needed you like I needed a hole in the head.’The music itself is out of step with current fashion. Their songs often last well over five minutes and have long slow builds, a sharp contrast to the up tempo, dance friendly indie that dominates at the moment.  ‘We thought all that was going to end with Arcade Fire,’ Guy confessed. He believed Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party were good at what they did, but that the trend had run its course. Arcade Fire seemed to promise a return to more serious music with greater dynamic variation. As we all know this was not to be: superficiality has just kept rising since then. World conquering or not, they are keen to keep going. With a cult following, known as railcard holders, their tour is going well and they seem in good spirits (and clean to boot). Guy is already talking of a new album: ‘We definitely want it to be different but we’ve no idea how.’ This is an admirable sentiment since there is a distinct lack of variety on their most recent release. The aspirations of their music are promising and it certainly can be rousing. Its lack of invention and catchy melodies, though, mean it is unlikely iLiKETRAiNS will be starting a revolution any time soon.

OXFORD has hit back at comments made by a leading think tank criticising the University for falling behind on admissions targets.
Findings by the Institute for Public Policy and Research, which have been released ahead of a full report due out next year, show that Oxford is far short of hitting its target of admitting 62% of its students from the state sector by 2011. Present admissions figures for state school pupils stand at 54%.
IPPR Co-Director Lisa Harker condemned the figures and said that Oxford “must stop blaming a lack of applications for their failure to make progress”.
A spokesman for IPPR said, “On current progress, Oxford is going to take ten years to meet the access benchmarks that the University agreed with the Office for Fair Access. That is twice as long as the five years they pledged it would take.”
He added, “Oxford will need to radically rethink their approach to attracting students from state schools…and stop waiting for talented state school students to apply but seeking them out and making them offers.”
Oxford University attacked the allegations and criticised the analysis behind IPPR’s investigations, which it claimed was misleading.
A spokesperson for the University Press Office said, “Not all students gaining 3 As want to do a subject offered by the University of Oxford. Nor do they all have the right combination of A-level subjects to gain entry even if they are interested in one of the courses on offer.”
She said that three As alone are not enough to guarantee a place, pointing out that A-level results are only one of the criteria that tutors take into account when selecting candidates, as they also consider GCSEs, aptitude tests, interviews, personal statements and written work.  
OUSU Vice President for Access and Academic Affairs, James Lamming, said, “The University of Oxford does not offer degrees in every subject, nor will all students find an Oxbridge learning environment best for them.
“Any assumption that all students who get three A grades at A-level will therefore apply to Oxford or Cambridge is flawed. However, we would certainly aspire to encourage all pupils who have the potential to come to Oxford to consider an application,” he added.
Cambridge is faring marginally better than Oxford with state school numbers at 57%, but it will not attain its targets for another five years.
Harker said that both Oxford and Cambridge “need to be more proactive”. She said, “Students getting three ‘A’ grade A-levels at state schools are significantly underrepresented at both universities.
“Oxford and Cambridge must stop blaming a lack of applications for their failure to make progress. It does not matter how many bursaries they offer or how many students visit their campuses if students from non-traditional backgrounds are not applying.”
IPPR’s full report, Universities Challenged, will be published in 2008.By Natasha Vashisht

Aikido

A Japanese physical and spiritual discipline designed solely for self-defence, without weapons. It is essentially non-violent and non-competitive, with no bouts of sparring or contests.

Boxing

Participants of similar weight fight each other with their fists. Victory goes to the boxer left standing, or with the highest judges' score. OUABC has had the longest winning run in the Varsity record of any Oxford sports club with 16 consecutive wins, ending in 2001.

Fencing

The modern Olympic sport, essentially swordsmanship, has evolved from the art of armed combat involving weapons manipulated by hand. Three different swords are used today: foil, epie and sabre.

Jitsu

A Japanese martial art based on a system of striking, locking and throwing techniques, with emphasis on the use of an opponent's body weight and momentum. Students do not spar but take turns to attack each other with the emphasis being on developing defences to realistic attacks.

Judo

Punching, kicking and gouging are not allowed, the object of this Japanese martial art being to throw the opponent largely onto their back with considerable force and speed, which scores “Ippon” and ends the contest. Emphasis is placed on mastering the several methods of breakfalling.

Karate

A martial art and system of self-defence which uses only the hands, feet and body. The aim is balance, harmony and spirit through disciplined training.

Karate-do-shotokai

Teaches skills like how to move in a fast, yet physically relaxed manner; how to punch, kick or deflect attacks. Training is systematic, leading from fitness and flexibility exercises to pre-arranged and limited sparring, before free fighting.

Kendo

'The way of the sword' in Japanese, it involves a handful of basic moves which have been preserved from the ancient art of sword-fighting in Japan.

Kickboxing

A practical martial art of many varieties which is practised for fitness, to build up the major muscle groups, and for learning useful self defence skills. Essentially, sport-fighting using kicks and punches and sometimes throws and bows representing a certain martial art In full contact versions of the sport, such as Muay Thai, the male boxers are bare chested, barefoot and wear boxing trunks.

Shorinjikempo

A self-defence martial art that originated in Japan, with roots in Buddhism and the practices of the Chinese Shaolin monks. Techniques (including punches, kicks, throws and even massages for healing) are directed at one or more of the many pressure points that line the human body, exploiting an opponent's weaknesses regardless of his strength or size.

Sulkido

A Korean martial art that combines strikes, throws and locks in a single system for self-defence which does not involve competition training.

TaeKwon-do

Translated literally, 'Tae' means to jump, kick or smash with the foot. 'Kwon' means to punch, strike or smash with the fist. 'Do' means art, method or way. Developed from Korean martial arts, it is 'the scientific use of the body in the method of self-defence' which also emphasizes self-discipline, humility and a sense of justice. OUTKD coach Master Gary Miller (VII Dan) is former World and European champion and England coach.

Tai Chi

An ancient Chinese martial art and exercise system, thought to have originated in Taoist monasteries on Wudang Mountain, based around the concept of the yin and yang symbol. It can be practised martially for self-defence or with the focus on the tai chi hand form to promote health and relaxation.

THE UNIVERSITY has denied allegations published in a national newspaper on Sunday that Vice-Chancellor John Hood was engaged in a fight with police last month.
Oliver Marre, a writer for The Observer’s ‘Pedennis’ column, claimed that Hood had an “altercation” with Thames Valley Police after he tried to park his car.
“I was contacted by a disinterested bystander at last month’s St Giles’ Fair in Oxford, who says he witnessed an ‘altercation’ between the VC (who has a business background rather than an academic one) and the local constabulary over his attempts to park in a closed-off street,” Marre said.
A spokesperson for the University claimed that the story was “malicious rubbish”, adding, “There are people who would happily mouth off about the Vice-Chancellor, but I wouldn’t want to accuse them of anything.”
Hood has continued to face pressure from dons angry at his determination to reform the University’s governance structure. Hood finally abandoned his plans in March 2007, writing to the  Chief Executive of HEFCE and announcing that his reforms had been shelved. Despite this, opposition to Hood has persisted among rebellious academics.
Marre said, “Surely Hood doesn’t believe that his debates with dons over the governing of the University are leading them to brief newspapers against him? With relations this bad, can it be long before it turns into a case of fisticuffs in the Bodleian?” By Peter Wright

PLANS to establish a Varsity airship have been announced by a new company.
Using the ‘SkyCat Hybrid Air Vehicle’, World SkyCat Ltd will directly link Oxford with Cambridge, cutting commuting time between both cities by two-thirds.
The SkyCat will transport up to two coach-loads of people at a time, at a cost of less than twenty pounds per passenger in under an hour.
The planned airship uses a combination of technologies which, according to Gordon Taylor of Hybrid Air Vehicles, means it can land on a variety of terrains including water and fields. Taylor suggests that this will save money by not requiring any expensive ground infrastructure; and could offer an alternative to existing forms of transport between the two cities by offering a direct connection.
Currently, the only direct connection between the two university cities is by National Express coach, a journey that takes over three hours, while the quickest train routes are via London and take over two and half hours.
“There’s a significant market for point-to-point travel that negates the need to travel to London,” Taylor said. “We think there is a market for our product to do something linking Oxford and Cambridge.”
The SkyCat is also environmentally friendly, using less fuel than existing means of transport. “The aerodynamic shape makes the craft very lift efficient and therefore it has both a big body and is very light, meaning it needs very little power to make it go,” Taylor added. “It produces at least one-fifth less emissions than if the equivalent passenger numbers were on an aeroplane.”
So far, however, lack of finance has hampered the company’s attempts to begin the project.
Michael Stewart, Chief Executive of World SkyCat, cited the expensive collapse of a similar programme as an example of the idea’s dangers. “The light-aircraft service that recently started up from Kidington but sadly folded was quite expensive, and perhaps that contributed to its failure,” he said.
Stewart hopes that the programme may go ahead in the future. “If you could be sure the market existed, though, it could be really good fun,” he said. “These airships are quite spacious and with a new design we’re working on, you could have bars, viewing galleries and entertainment areas as well as just seating.”By Jake Whittal

By Sebastian Atay  8pm outside the Purple Turtle. It is cold, grey and distinctly sleazy. All in all, the exact opposite of the sunny, spirited melodies produced by my six interviewees: the members of promising Oxford band, Jonquil. Jonquil started life in Hugo’s kitchen, a reunion of sorts between Hugo and his ex-band members, Kit and Ben, who had now been joined by Jody. “Nothing that exciting, unfortunately.” Hugo apologises. United under the Try Harder label of a good friend, they released their first record, Sunny Casinos, last year, picking up a number of positive reviews on the way. Where does the name come from? Was it, as Google seemed to suggest, a sort of Spanish flower? “We like flowers,” Hugo says, and before he has a chance to go on, Sam continues: “We’re all just as gay as fuck.” Jody explains that the name reflects that they’re a summer band. “We used to have this thing that whenever we used to play, the sun just came out, all the time. It actually did. So, it seems fitting, I guess.”In the year between the release of Casinos and their new album, Lions, Jonquil have developed significantly as a group. “The first album was done before we’d ever done gigs, or played live”, Hugo tells me. “Since we got together to play live as a band, there’s been a fundamental difference.” Whereas Casinos has a more abstract, distant feel, concerning itself more with impressions and atmosphere, Lions is an album of discrete songs, branching out into some powerful, upbeat pieces which make for a completely different experience.Do they enjoy playing live? A resounding ‘yes’. The sensation of the audience participating in the music and the freedom of reworking songs on stage transformed what the band feared would be dreary gigs in the middle of nowhere into nights to remember. “In Preston,” Jody recalls, “we thought we were going to be playing to two people in a social club, but it turned out to be one of our best gigs.”Jonquil remain optimistic: Whilst they have a marked dislike for bands who undermine the positive collaboration and interchange of talent that goes on between groups, “the sort of people that brown nose the bands who get out of Oxford,” they think that the new Academy is, on the whole, a change for the better. “Bigger bands coming to Oxford would be a good thing,” says Hugo, encouraging enthusiasm and promoting activity in Oxford’s budding musicians. “It could be exciting.”

THIEVES made off with thousands of pounds in electronic equipment after breaking into two student houses in the Cowley Road area last week.
Police have urged vigilance against “opportunistic” criminals after two houses, both rented by Wadham students, were burgled while their occupants were out at parties.
In the first incident, which took place last Saturday, thieves entered through the front door without causing any damage.
One girl, who wished to remain anonymous, said she only noted valuables were missing when her housemate couldn’t find her laptop the morning after a night out.
“We all went out to a bop, and it was the first time we’d all gone out at the same time,” she said. “We came back and all went to bed. There was no sign of forced entry. One girl noticed a laptop was missing the next morning and came to my room. We noticed that three laptops and an iPod were also gone.”
The house did not have the correct level of security demanded by the insurance policy, meaning they may be unable to claim compensation for their losses. “We’re not sure if we can claim insurance,” she said. “There’s a certain grade of lock that you need in order to claim, and its quite a big issue.”
The other burglary occurred in a house nearby, during which thieves entered through an open back window.
According to one occupant, the house was empty at the time of the theft. “We went out at 11 and someone came back at 12 and the front door was open,” she said. “They took four laptops, a wallet, four MP3 players and a jewellery box.
“The police came round and fingerprinted the house but they said there were glove marks, and so weren’t sure if there was much chance of catching the thieves.”
Police have warned the students’ lax attitudes to security were partly to blame.
Graham Milne, a Crime Reduction Advisor at Thames Valley Police, said, “Most burglaries are opportunist and happen due to insecurities. Something has probably been left open. Nine times out of ten its due to students.”
Milne added that thieves were attracted by student houses due to the prevalence of expensive electronic equipment. “Students have what criminals want. Our advice is to keep everything out of sight and mark up your PC using UV pens so that if we recover it we can return it.”By Jake Whittal

It’s perhaps understandable that there are a lot of symbols that are used to indicate gay pride. The whole concept of being closeted seems to indicate a need for a code, a covert way of indicating we’re-here-and-we’re-queer, whether or not that symbol will register in wider society. But if there’s a gay pride symbol that everyone in the western world knows, regardless of their own orientation, it’s the rainbow flag. Seen hanging out of pubs, clubs, bars and bookshops, it’s an unashamed proclamation – this is a place where queer people are welcome.
With that in mind, it’s probably unsurprising that the first time a rainbow flag was used as an unambiguous symbol of gay pride was in San Francisco.
In 1978, local artist Gilbert Baker designed the first version of what would become the rainbow flag. The initial version had eight stripes, hand-dyed, with hot pink and turquoise in addition to the commonly-seen six colours. Later in the year, the city responded to the murder of its first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, by draping that year’s Pride Parade with a modified version of Baker’s flag. This new version, a symbol of the city’s defiance, was modified to enhance its symmetry, and the subsequent six-striped flag became the one most often seen today. As for why rainbow stripes were used at all – history seems a little reticent on that point. But it seems clear that the bright colours have taken root in queer cultural consciousness since.

So much so that the self-proclaimed “queer nation”, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands – which claims to be a country in its own right, having seceded from Australia, complete with its own mail service, currency and national anthem – has, perhaps inevitably, claimed the six-striped rainbow as its official flag. There are other pride symbols – notably, the pink triangle, originally used by the Nazis as a symbol to be worn by homosexuals in concentration camps, and reclaimed as a queer symbol afterwards, and the black triangle, used for lesbians specifically. There are other flags, too, denoting bisexual pride, transgender pride, family pride, even leather pride – but the rainbow flag did it first. There is no permanent settlement on the Gay and Lesbian Islands, so no embassies or ships fly it, but do they need to? It’s bright, it’s eye-catching, and it’s already flying in hundreds of places all over the world. 
By Iona Sharma