LGBT Button Collection

 

Over the years, I’ve assembled an impressive collection of LGBT and abortion rights buttons. 

 

I’ve acquired several new and fun buttons since I last discussed this collection.

You can see how my collection has grown by comparing this article to videos I recorded in June and September 2022.

 

My button collection is divided into several sections, which are roughly organized by theme.

In addition to LGBT and abortion rights buttons, this section contains some miscellaneous buttons as well.

I recently showcased my buttons from the Smoky Hill River Festival. 

Now, let’s take a look at my LGBT button collection. 

 

 

 

Older Pins

 

I have several pins from when I was in high school. 

One pin displays the colorful and picturesque State Seal of Kansas. 

 

 

 

I was born and raised in Kansas. It’s also where I live.

The pin features our state motto, “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” which is Latin for, “To the Stars Through Difficulties.” 

 

I also have a Governor’s Scholar pin for earning a GPA near the top of my high school graduating class.

 

 

 

Next, we have pins from my Letterman’s Jacket for Quiz Bowl and National Honor Society.

 

 
 

 

 

I have a pin for Salina Public Schools, which represents USD 305, the Salina, Kansas, school district I attended from kindergarten through high school. 

 

 

 

 

Next are pins from the Dane Hansen Museum and Plaza. 

 

When I was in high school, I qualified for a college scholarship from the Dane Hansen Foundation.

I revisited the Dane Hansen Museum in 2022, during a trip I later discussed on Meticulous Musings.

 

 

 

 

New Pins

 

Next, we have my first new pin.

I have a pin for the Foon Mittens League, a popular sport in the mythical land of Foon. 

Foon is the setting for the improv comedy podcast, “Hello from the Magic Tavern.” 

 

 

 

Mittens has a potentially game-breaking rule that catching a bird scores a team 700 points, which dwarfs the point value of every other aspect of the game.

The pin features a hand catching a bird.

The pin includes the abbreviation for the Foon Mittens League, “FML”, which coincidentally also stands for, “Fuck My Life.”

The improviser Rush Howell created the amusing lore surrounding the game of Mittens.

Howell plays Larry Birdman, the commissioner of the FML on Magic Tavern.

Birdman has been featured as guest on the podcast several times.

I discussed Larry Birdman’s first appearance on Magic Tavern in a blog post about my favorite early episodes of the podcast.

 

 

I own a beautiful and elegant pin of a dragon displaying a heart in the colors of the genderfluid pride flag.

Here is what the pin looked like when I received it in the mail from the Etsy shop Lavender Minis. 

 

 

 

Lavender Minis, which makes “Itty Bitty Arts and Crafts,” has created similar dragon pins that feature the colors of other LGBT pride flags.

 

 

 

These photos first appeared on Lav's Blog on Tumblr. 

 

 

 

Pronoun Buttons

 

I have several pronoun buttons in the same design. 

 

 

 

 

 

I own a button that reads, “Trans Pride, Trans Power.”

I have a genderqueer button that can be worn with either the “gender” or “queer” side on top. 

 

 

I also own a shiny “they/them” button. 

 

 

 

I purchased all of these buttons from Rad Badges UK on Etsy, with the exception of the shiny “they/them”, which I purchased from Spencer’s Gifts. 

 

 

 

 

Trans Symbol Buttons

 

 

In the next row down, I display four similarly-sized buttons. 

 

 

 

 

 

I have two buttons that display the transgender symbol, both of which have a black background. 

One pin features the trans symbol in rainbow colors. 

The other features the symbol in the colors of the transgender pride flag. 

The next button displays a star in rainbow colors.

 

 

 

 

I have a button that reads, “Be a Voice, Not an Echo.” Images of several flowers surround the phrase. 

 

 

 

I purchased the rainbow trans symbol and rainbow star at Spencer’s Gifts.

The trans symbol in trans pride colors is available from Equality Designs on Zazzle.

The “Be a Voice” button was included as a free bonus when I purchased my abortion rights buttons, which I’ll discuss later. 

 

 

 

 

Pride flag buttons

 

Now, let’s discuss my pride flag buttons.

I have buttons that display the designs of the following pride flags: transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and pansexual.

However, I use the pansexual button to represent a similar identity, panromantic. 

 

 

 

Transgender refers to someone who identifies with a gender different than the one they were assigned at birth.

Nonbinary describes someone who has a gender identity that isn’t exclusively male or female.

Genderqueer refers to someone whose gender identity or expression falls outside the boundaries of what is typically considered male or female.

Genderfluid describes someone whose gender identity or gender expression varies over time.

Panromantic describes someone who can be romantically attracted to men, women, or nonbinary people.

 

I recently wrote LGBT by the Numbers, a series that explores how common various LGBT identities are in the United States.

I explored terms related to transgender identity in Gender Identity and Biological Sex.

I examined terms related to sexuality in Sexual and Romantic Orientations.

Both articles discussed the history of various LGBT pride flags, including the ones featured on the buttons above.

 

 

I also have a button that reads, “I Do Hot Girl Shit.” The phrase is surrounded by pretty flowers.

The button fondly reminds me of the bold attitudes of many trans women I follow on twitter. 

 

 

 

I purchased the “hot girl shit” and trans flag buttons at Spencer’s Gifts.

I purchased my other pride flag buttons on Zazzle.

I can’t find online listings for any of the buttons I purchased from Spencer’s Gifts.

If you would like to purchase a transgender flag button, I found one for sale on Zazzle.

 

 

 

 

Small Buttons

 

Next, we have eight small buttons.

 

 

 

 

 

 These buttons contain the following designs:

 

• A heart in the colors of the rainbow pride flag
• “Trans Equality Now” in the colors of the trans pride flag
• A blue trans symbol in a pink triangle on a white button
• Trans Rights Now! 

 

• Gender Liberation
• The Future isn’t Binary
• “Resist” in the colors of the trans flag
• Trans Rights are Human Rights

 

I interpret “The Future isn’t Binary” to mean “The Future isn’t only Binary.”

Obviously, there will be people with the binary genders, male and female, in the future. But hopefully, public understanding and acceptance of non-binary people will continue to grow.

 

All of these buttons are from Rad Badges UK, with the exception of the rainbow heart, which I received for free from a booth at the Kansas City Pride Festival.

 

 

 

Trans Pikachu

 

I have a very cute button of a Transgender Pikachu. 

 

 

 

The button’s design arises from an image that has been widely discussed by trans people on social media.

For example, here is one such discussion that took place on Tumblr.

 

 

 

Male and female pikachu have differently-shaped tails.

Male pikachu have tails that end in a straight line. Female pikachu have tails that end in a rounded shape that resembles the top half of a heart. 

 

 

 

(These two images are from CBR, a website that covers pop culture and entertainment, with a focus on popular fandoms.) 

 

Therefore, the Pikachu in the image discussed on social media is a male Pikachu with a heart taped to its tail to make it appear to be a female Pikachu.

Thus, many trans commenters have happily interpreted the image to depict a transgender Pikachu.

 

 

However, the source material the image is taken from tells a different story.

 

The image comes from the Pokemon anime, specifically the episode “Beauties Battling for Pride and Prestige!” 

The episode first aired in the United States in 2013.

In the episode, a group of mean girls insult the Pokémon of our heroes by calling them unattractive.  

Our heroes learn the girls belong to the Flower Garden Troupe, a popular group of theater performers.

But only girls are allowed into the Troupe’s headquarters.

So, our heroes go undercover, including Ash and his Pikachu, with the boys and male Pokémon dressing up as girls.  

 

You can purchase the episode on Amazon for only a dollar. Alternatively, a plot summary is available from Bulbapedia for free.

 

 

Thus, the widely circulated image doesn’t depict a Transgender Pikachu.

Instead, it depicts a Pikachu in disguise, which would be more akin to someone crossdressing or dressing to preform in drag, rather than someone expressing their underlying gender identity.

 

But people often create fan fictions that reinterpret and reinvent parts of their favorite stories.

The concept of transgender pikachus is incredibly cute and endearing. 

But just keep in mind that it wasn’t the original meaning of widely-circulated image that is often discussed in the trans corners of the internet.

 

 

The button is very cute, and it’s a fun addition to my collection.

I purchased the button from Lyrebird Enthusiast on Etsy. 

 

 

 

 

Gender Symbols

 

I own a lovely button featuring interconnected female and male gender symbols in the colors of the genderfluid flag.

I purchased the button from Live Loud Graphics on Zazzle. 

 

 

 

 

 

I have another button with three overlapping gender symbols, two female and one male. The symbols are colored pink, purple, and blue. 

 

 

 

I received the button during a transgender conference in Manhattan, Kansas, that I attended in 2015 with my then-girlfriend, a trans woman.

I was told the button features a trans symbol, but it’s not one I’ve seen elsewhere. 

I believe the button represents gender fluidity or gender transition.

It’s easily the most ambiguous LGBT button in my collection.

But it’s also one I’m glad to have.

 

The button could be interpreted to represent a Female to Male (FTM) transition for a trans man.

It could also be interpreted to represent a bisexual woman.

 

 

 

I own a button that features pink, blue, and white squiggles. 

 

 

The pattern of the wavy stripes resembles the designs of the transfeminine and femboy flags, although that may or may not be intentional. 

I received the button as a freebie when I purchased the trans pikachu button.

 

 

Protest Sign

 

I have a button that displays a photo of a protest sign that reads, “We are the Granddaughters of the Witches You Could Not Burn.” 

 

 

 

The photo is from the Women’s March, a large protest against President Trump, which was held on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after Trump’s inauguration as president of the United States.

Protestors advocated for reproductive rights, LGBT rights, and various other liberal causes.

 

You can see the original photo on Bounding Over Our Steps, a travel blog written by a vegan lesbian couple.

The blog post contains many photos of interesting protest signs from the event.

 

I purchased the button from Sluggo Pinbacks on Etsy.

 

 

Abortion Rights Buttons

 

I have several abortion rights buttons that read, “Keep Abortion Legal.” 

 

 

 

The buttons feature a classic design that has been around for decades.  

The design serves as a reminder that we’ve been debating abortion rights in America for a long time.

I purchased the “Keep Abortion Legal” buttons from  the shop, “I Love Pressing Buttons” on Etsy.

 

 

 

Finally, I own a large button that features concentric hearts in the colors of the transgender pride flag. 

 

 

This was another button I received for free when I purchased my trans pikachu button. 

Let's take another look at the collection as a whole. 

 

Thank you for joining me on this tour of my LGBT buttons. 

I hope you had fun, and learned something new along the way.