Light Up Your Instagram Story With A Rainbow When You Use These Pride Effects
Don’t let your support stop there.
June 1 marks the start of Pride Month, which means you’ll have plenty of chances to celebrate with and show your support for LGBTQ+ communities. You may have noticed rainbows popping up all over your Instagram, specifically around some of your friends’ Story circles at the top of your app. The rainbow-colored rings are part of Instagram’s Pride features, and they’re a small way to get involved. If you’re wondering how to get the rainbow circle on your own Instagram Pride Story for 2022, here’s what to know.
Pride features are fun and colorful ways to get involved during the month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ communities, but as you plot out your way to get a rainbow circle on Instagram, it’s good to also consider other actionable ways to get involved. But first up, your Story: Here’s what you need to get you started on your Pride-themed IG. You might recall Instagram’s colorful rainbow Pride feature was first introduced in 2018, along with rainbow-colored hashtag phrases and hearts. As it returns to Stories, you may need a refresher on how to get it.
There are several ways to light up your Story circle with a rainbow. First, you can use Pride Month hashtags. The rainbow Story circle launched in 2019, when Instagram partnered with non-profit GLAAD to identify the hashtags like #lgbtq, #bornperfect, #equalitymatters, and #accelerateacceptance that were used by LGBTQ+ communities. For 2022, the company also consulted the National Center for Transgender Equity (NCTE) to make sure the hashtag list is inclusive. New tags you can use include #genderqueer, #gayvisibility, #twospirit, and #pride2022. These and several other hashtags used in IG Stories will still transform the classic pink, orange ring around your Story icon into a rainbow for a colorful makeover.
Pride Tags To Use In Stories
- #PRIDE
- #PRIDEMONTH
- #LGBT
- #LGBTQ
- #LGBTPRIDE
- #LGBTQPRIDE
- #GAYPRIDE
- #GENDERQUEER
- #GAYVISIBILITY
- #TWOSPIRIT
- #PRIDE2022
For even more rainbows, these hashtags were display with a rainbow gradient when used in Feed posts.
Pride Stickers To Use In Stories
The second way to get all the colors on your Story ring is by adding a Pride sticker. Previous Instagram Story stickers have included the likes of adorable cacti, a rainbow cassette tape, and more multicolored designs to capture the diversity of LGBTQ+ communities.
To find the stickers for 2022, first create a Story, then click on the smiley face icon on the top right corner to open up stickers. The three stickers will appear at the top, under the heading “Pride.” The stickers were designed by Brooklyn-based illustrator Shanée Benjamin to “convey unity and joy,” according to a June 1 Instagram post announcing the stickers. “We go through so much as a community,” she said. “If my sticker can bring joy to your story, that's a win for me and a win for us.”
The 2022 stickers are:
- “Pride Love” is a rainbow heart with 11 colors from the Progress Pride Flag, combining the pride flag and the transgender flag.
- “Community” is meant to “show diversity within the community,” per Benjamin on @Design’s IG Story.
- “Show Your Pride” is a pair of rainbow sunflower sunglasses and eyes with one eye open and one eye closed.
Again, lighting up your IG Story with rainbows to celebrate as part of LGBTQ+ communities or as an ally is a small way to get involved during Pride Month. To stay involved, you can follow activists, and if you’re able, donate your time or money to causes uplifting and supporting LGBTQ+ communities.
