Year Long Pride: 2021

Flags Spotlight

Among the LGBTQ+ community, there are many flags representing each sexuality, attraction, and gender but the most iconic one is the rainbow flag. First designed in 1978 by artist Gilbert Baker who was gay and a drag queen, the rainbow flag has been recognized as a sign for the LGBTQ+ community for decades. Baker explains that he was urged by Harvey Milk, one of the first openly-gay politicians in the US to create a symbol of pride for the community. Deciding on a flag because he saw flags as a sign of pride, Baker decided on the iconic rainbow colors because he saw a rainbow as a flag for the sky. In the original pride flag, there was a total of eight colors, each having its own meaning. Hot pink represented sex, red represented life, orange was for healing, yellow for sunlight, green represented nature, turquoise for art, indigo represented harmony, and violet stood for spirit.

On June 25, 1978, the first versions of the pride flag were flown during the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade. The original flags were hand-sewn but after the success at the parade, Baker wanted to mass-produce the flags. After a few production issues, the hot pink and turquoise stripes were removed from the design and the flag went from eight stripes to six. This iconic flag is now the most recognized version of the pride flag although there are others, all of which are beautiful and signs of pride for the community. 

Although the LGBTQ+ community might have seen the rainbow flag as a sign for pride, it was not officially recognized as such until 1994 when Gilbert Baker created a mile long rainbow flag to celebrate the 25th anniversary for the Stonewall Riots.

This isn't to say that there weren't symbols for the LGBTQ+ community before the 1978 creation of the rainbow flag. Throughout history we can find symbols of the community, some good, some controversial. 

Nowadays there are many versions of the original pride flag. One of these is a flag with a triangle chevron on the side with the trans flag, representing and honoring those who identify as trans. Another version of the rainbow flag is one with a brown stripe and black stripe on top, representing and honoring people of color with the LGBTQ+ community. Another redesign of the o/g flag is a combo of the two flags described above. All of these flags are honoring the LGBTQ+ community and the people who make it up.

The rainbow flag is not the only pride flag and each flag is special and unique, representing a different part of the community. Each flag means something to the people who identify with it and it's important to honor and respect them. We are community and we stand together.

Join me next week when we delve into the Stonewall Riots: What they were, the impact they had, and important people who contributed to them!

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Have a great day everyone!

-Elle :)