MEET THE TEAM

Behind Palaeoiris is a team of queer early-career STEM researchers who are passionate about our queer community and queer outreach. Representing many letters in LGBTQ+, our stories are different but united by a passion for science and for the wonderful people of the Rainbow.Palaeoiris is our passion project. We work on it alongside our everyday science jobs. By buying our merchandise, you allow us to continue creating. Thank you!

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MARTA
ZAHER

They/Them | She/Her

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Founder, Art Director, Product Designer, Social Media Manager and Executive, doing everything else eCommerce related.Part-time PhD
Palaeobiology student. Perpetually hindered by the lack of time. Loves to illustrate, create small merch, and run creative projects.
User of many labels: Non-Binary, Trans, Lesbian, Ace-spec, Polyamorous, Queer, Disabled, Temporary Immigrant.

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DR CATHERINE STRICKSON

She/Her

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Social Media Executive. Copyrighter.Palaeontologist (hire me as your postdoc). Freelance science/LGBT+ writer and editor. Email for commissions. 30 under 30 Nottingham MVP. Occasional podcaster and You-Tuber. SFF Author.
Trans woman. Lesbian.

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YASMEEN ERRITOUNI

They/Them

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Writer and Editor. Not active anymore.PhD Student. Molecular Geneticist. Bird Iridescence. Decolonizing the Science Curriculum. Perpetually looking for other Moroccan-Brazilians. Occasionally singing. Often cooking.
Genderqueer and Pansexual.

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FRANE
BABAROVIC

He/Him

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Palaeoiris assistant. Not active anymore.PhD student. Somewhere between evolutionary biology, ecology, and feminism. Exploring the colour blue in bird plumage. Climber. Marta's number one stan, here to help!
Queer

MONOSEXUALITIES

Lesbian Community Flag

An all-inclusive Lesbian Pride Flag

The Community Lesbian Flag was created in a collaborative attempt over a year in the making within the lesbian community. The goal was to create a flag that could represent all lesbians, not just a subset like the previous lesbian flags. The dark orange stripe represents gender non-conformity. The orange stripe represents independence. The light orange stripe represents the community. The white stripe represents unique relationships to womanhood. The pink stripe represents serenity and peace. The dusty pink stripe represents love and sex. The dark rose stripe represents femininity. This flag is meant to be a symbol for all lesbians, a symbol for the diversity of lesbians and the lesbian experiences, and a symbol of unity within the community, no matter our differences. This flag is trans-inclusive.And where is a pride flag for Gay Men?While there is a masculine version of the Community flag for homosexual men this flag is not as widely used. Homosexual men widely just use the Pride flag.

MULTISEXUALITIES

Bisexual Pride Flag

Represents bisexuality/biromanticism

A bisexual person experiences sexual attraction to persons of the same and different genders. A biromantic person experiences romantic attraction to persons of the same and different genders.As the oldest and most recognizable multi-sexual/ romantic orientation, it has undergone some changes in definition (see note). Controversy arose over the “bi” prefix which was believed to limit gender to the binary "woman" and "man". However, as the language around gender evolved, the bisexual community has come to include non-binary persons in their definition.Although bisexuality broadly overlaps with pansexuality and omnisexuality, there are subtle differences and a person may find one label more fitting for themselves.More info on bi.org.

Pansexual Pride Flag

Represents pansexuality/panromanticism

A pansexual person experiences sexual attraction to persons regardless of their gender. A panromantic person experiences romantic attraction to persons regardless of their gender. Often called the “gender-blind” sexual/romantic orientation as many pans say they are attracted to people, and that gender is not a factor in their attraction.
Rapidly rising in popularity as the second most common multi-sexual/ romantic orientation, pans are sometimes non-binary people wishing to distance themselves from the “bi” prefix of bisexuality that previously had binary gender connotations.Although pansexuality broadly overlaps with bisexuality and omnisexuality, there are subtle differences and a person may find one label more fitting for themselves.

Polysexual Pride Flag

Represents polysexuality/polyromanticism

A polysexual person experiences sexual attraction towards more than one, but not all genders. A polyromantic person experiences romantic attraction or desires towards more than one, but not all genders.Not to be confused with polyamory -  intimate involvement with multiple persons at once, or pansexuality - attraction to ALL genders.One of the newer orientations grown out of moving away from the binary gender concept. The polysexual flag's pink stripe represents attraction to women, its green stripe represents attraction to people who identify outside the traditional woman-man binary, and its blue stripe represents attraction to men.

ASEXUALITY

Asexual Pride Flag

Represents asexuality

An asexual person does not experience sexual attraction – they are not drawn to people sexually and do not desire to act upon attraction to others in a sexual way.Not to be confused with celibacy, which is a chosen abstinence from sexual activity.Asexual people might experience other types of attraction (romantic, aesthetic, sensual – to name a few) and strive to develop emotional connections with people.Asexual people can be sex-repulsed, averse, indifferent, or favourable. Arousal capabilities, libido, and participation in sexual activities vary among asexual people but do not play a part in sexual identification.ASEXUAL UMBRELLA 
Some more common sexualities under the asexual umbrella:
•DEMISEXUALITY – a person experiences sexual attraction only after a strong emotional bond is formed
•GREY(A)SEXUALITY – sexual attraction is extremely rare or otherwise in the grey area.More info on www.asexuality.org and wiki.asexuality.org

Aromantic Pride Flag

Represents aromantic people

An aromantic person neither experiences romantic attraction nor desires a romantic relationship.Aromantic people might experience other types of love and attraction (platonic, aesthetic, sensual – to name a few) and strive to develop emotional connections with people.
Aromantic people can still experience sexual attraction and be of any sexuality.Aromantic people can still desire life-long platonic partnerships.ARO SPECTRUM
Some more common romantic orientations under the aromantic umbrella:
•DEMIROMANTICISM – a person experiences romantic attraction and/or desire only after a strong emotional bond is formed.
•GREY(A)ROMANTICISM – romantic attraction extremely rare, infrequent, or otherwise in the grey area.More info on aromantic.wikia.org

PolyamoryPride Flag

Represents Polyamory

Polyamory is the practice of, or desire for, intimate relationships with more than one partner at the same time, with the full knowledge and consent of all parties involved.Often described as “consensual, ethical, and responsible non-monogamy”.The polyamorous community rejects the view that sexual and romantic exclusivity is necessary for deep, committed, long-term relationships.Polyamory is more about romantic than sexual relationships, as it involves a commitment to building lasting relationships that meet the needs of the people involved. But of course, it can be built around sexual relationships as well.Polyamorous relationships come in many forms, but they all need to be built on honesty, openness, and communication.More info on www.morethantwo.com

Transgender Pride Flag

Represents Transgender People

A transgender (trans for short) person is a person who identifies differently than a gender assigned to their sex at birth.The transgender label encompasses both people of the more-traditionally binary gender identity and people of non-binary identity.The still mainstream explanation of an X brain in the Y body is now outdated both due to science progress and language change but is still sometimes used when a situation needs a simplified explanation.The transgender umbrella is about queer gender identities, not sexuality. Transgender people can be of any sexual and romantic identity.Many transgender people experience gender dysphoria but intensity and type vary among individuals. Body dysphoria and medical transitioning are NOT required for a person to be transgender.Persons who are not transgender are called cisgender (cis for short).For help with many terms of transgender, umbrella check out translanguageprimer.com

Genderqueer Pride Flag

Represents Genderqueerness

Genderqueer(ness) can be used as an adjective, a noun, or as a personal identity denoting or relating to a person who does not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions and rules.Genderqueerness is not a new concept, and queer people have always been showing defiance to gender norms and redefining their personal relationships with them.The genderqueer term emerged in the 1980s and 1990s out of a need for an all-inclusive term for individuals pushing gender rules hand in hand with sexual rules, and questioning norms around class and race.As queer activism and political organizing grew in the early ‘90s, genderqueer became a way for transgender people to be part of the broader movement.More on the contemporary approach to binary gender defiance will be presented in the Nonbinary Pride Flag section.More on the history of gq on inqueery by them (You Tube).

Non-Binary Pride Flag

Represents Non-Binary Gender Umbrella

Non-binary (NB) is a younger twin of genderqueer representing a wide spectrum of gender identities, varying in intensity and conformity to one of the binary gender concepts.
NB represents identities outside of strict and static gender binary. The only rule is that there are no rules.Non-binary identities can express a combination of femininity and masculinity, or neither, in their gender expression.Gender non-conformity, gender queerness, and non-binary are different words used to describe basically the same concept.Non-binary umbrella has many gender identities, some of most common ones being bigender, genderfluid, agender/genderless, pangender, trigender, neutrois, demigender, etc.Even though non-binary identity is technically part of the trans umbrella, not all non-binary people identify as trans.For help with many terms of transgender, umbrella check out www.translanguageprimer.org.

Gender, gender identity, gender roles so many different uses of the word gender. What does all that actually mean? What if I want to learn more?

They all refer to different concepts.Gender = social categoryGender Identity = personal relationship with gender; gender internalized on a personal, individual levelGender roles, gender expression, etc = different manifestations/ aspects of gender

Please consult the worldwide web to better understand all different aspects and uses of gender. This is not an easy thing to learn, whole fields in sociology are devoted to studying gender. An easy place to start would be the Gender Wikipedia page, and Social Construct of Gender Wikipedia page as well as references used in those articles. We also recommend Gender: a graphic guide and Queer: a graphic history by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele, brilliant introductory reads that will make you rethink and see many things in a new light. If you are a Questioning individual these books will definitely clear your head. This is our personal recommendation and we are not affiliated with iconbooks publisher in any way.

So...how many genders are there?

Depends on which concepts you use to navigate this gendered world. Various sources will tell you different things but it's easy to understand that in a binary gendered world we currently live in there are two binary genders and many ways to break away and destroy the gender binary. As for gender identities, one could argue that there are as many gender identities as there are people, or at least non-binary/genderqueer people.Answers to this question will depend on the background knowledge of the person you ask. This is our personal answer.

My pride flag is not included in your store :(
When can I expect its inclusion?

Please get in touch! Especially if you are studying/working in Biological/Earth Sciences! We will try to sneak in an extra item in your pride flag even if we don't include it in our standard lineup. We wish to bring happiness and catered merch to every queer person but as we are working on a tiny scale it is not feasible to offer every item in every pride flag (there are so so many). That's why we cannot stock your pride flag unless you let us know about you :DFeel free to use our contact form, email, or DM us on Instagram/Twitter and Marta will see what's the fastest way to get you that merch item(s) you want.

I want to collect gender data for diversity monitoring purposes or my study, which gender options should I include in my questionnaire?

Woman/Female
Man/Male
Other: __If you need a strictly limited number of groups then: 'Woman'/'Female', 'Man'/'Male', 'Non-Binary' (You may choose to name the third category other). It is also always nice to include the 'Questioning' category.If you are interested in collecting data on transgender people include that as a separate question (e.g. 'Do you identify as transgender?' with Y/N/Questioning answers).DO NOT INCLUDE TRANSGENDER AS SEPARATE OPTIONS WHILE ASKING FOR GENDER! It is inaccurate, incredibly othering, rude, and transphobic!Example of what NOT to do:
Woman
Man
Transgender Woman
Transgender ManAt least one other than woman/man category is always necessary not just for inclusion purposes but because otherwise, your w/m samples are going to contain people with genderqueer socialization/expression/opinions/etc.To summarize here's the most simple way to collect diversity data on gender that is inclusive and accurate:Which gender do you identify with?
Woman/Female
Man/Male
Other: Do you identify as transgender?
Yes
No
Questioning

*Remember the golden rule when attempting to collect this data: What am I trying to study? What information do I really need? Is this data even necessary for this? We also recommend including a queer-identifying author in your study to make sure you are using appropriate terminology.

WHAT WILL YOU SUBSCRIBE TO

This is not a regularly sent newsletter.We will only be sending informative emails when we launch new projects. New projects mean more different designs, pride flags, and goodies for you and your friends. Stay in the loop and don't miss a thing!We will also send you alerts about incoming site-wide sales, so you can plan ahead, and give you access to site-wide sales ahead of everyone else. This way you will have first dibs on limited stock, which means you won't miss snagging that one item you want for only a fraction of its price.We promise not to spam your inbox with marketing emails. They waste your and ours time, flood inboxes, and are just annoying, aren't they?You will be able to unsubscribe at any time directly from the emails we send you, so if they don't turn out to be your cup of tea you can easily opt-out.