Then it’s just as easily discarded for the rest of the year. It belongs to the LGBTQ+ community, but not in any legal sense, so corporations are free to use it as a convenient fashion statement during Pride month. That’s the problem with the flag’s current iconic status: it’s so recognizable that it can be instantly stripped of its meaning, voice, and history, to be slapped on soda cans.

During Pride Month, you’ll also find it on Coca-Cola cans, mouthwash, and on the Twitter logo of almost every major brand. You can find the flag on pins, wristbands, or draped over the shoulders of a young queer person embracing their identity. It’s a symbol of identity, of rebellion, and a tribute to the activists who fought so hard for LGBTQ+ people to be able to openly show their Pride today. The Pride flag is more than a piece of cloth.