i think that the winning, subject to change submission and standard flag should both beflown.

ALL of them are poor...none of them speak to me. One of them even looks like a gay olympic flag. Others so abstract they have little attraction. And why a flag that only speaks of gay America? What about the rest of the LGBT world?

I'm old enough to remember the emergence of the rainbow flag as a gay symbol. I had been part of several “Rainbow Family gatherings”, which were temporary communities in wilderness areas where everyone was encouraged to be themselves without fear, as long as they treated the environment and everyone else with peaceful respect. I never knew the rainbow flag was designed specifically for the gay pride movement. My understanding then was that it was intended to symbolize that the human community is most harmonious when we are each true to ourselves. For that reason, I particularly like all the variations that include the smoothly blending spectrum, which is an even better symbol of the full range of people. As a heteroperson who is passionately committed to gay equality, I hope any evolution of the flag will deliberately represent full acceptance, embrace, and celebration of ALL our fellow humans.

I think the rainbow flag is a classic. Meanwhile, the current designs up on the flickr page would do well to read this trenchant list of do's and don'ts for flag designers, with case studies:

http://www.otago.ac.nz/philosophy/Staff/JoshParsons/flags/alpha.html#rw

And while you are at it why don't you redesign the American flag as well, huh? After all, it has only been redesigned 26 times since 1777, and the colors are a bit overused -- just look at the flags from France, Panama, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, just to name a few. And don't get me started with the stars, Iraq may make it 51 of them (?) Just kidding; but I hope you are too, just kidding about redesigning the Rainbow Flag!

As the comment above by David says, the Rainbow flag has a story to tell and I may add that its colors are have a simple but great significance to gay as well as straight people: INCLUSION of everybody!

Why mess with perfection?

Oh, now it is a contest for who is the gayest! Isaac! You are Gay no matter what! And I have had the privilege of meeting and being with the most extraordinary gay men and women in my life... some of them members of my own family. I have found that such contests as being the gayest is not always one of those great moments. Actually they can be pretty small. This maybe one of those. Isaac, you can do better than this. You don't have to be a booby for the straight world... we still don't have gay marriage yet do we?. We are still not that accepted. Don't be so naive. Do not change a thing, especially in this venue. Also, I agree with the previous commentator... Kurt it would have been nice if you would have reviewed the history of the Rainbow flag. Too bad, this is nothing to joke about. Like I said before, you're better than that.