The History And Meaning Of The Rainbow Pride Flag

The River of Pride Flag gilbert baker
OVER 40 YEARS, THE ICONIC, SIX-STRIPE FLAG HAS GENERATED A MYTHOLOGY OF ITS OWN.

Stroll across any number of cities throughout June, and you’ll find the near-ubiquitous presence of the rainbow pride flag, which has come to represent the LGBTQ community worldwide. This year alone, the iconic, six-stripe pattern has been seen in children’s books, at theme parks and on a seemingly endless series of clothing lines; a revamped version of the design was worn by “Master of None” writer and star Lena Waithe as a “queer superhero” cape at the Met Gala last month in New York.

The original rainbow pride flag dates back to 1978, when it was created by San Francisco-based queer artist Gilbert Baker for a mere $1,000. A self-described “geeky kid from Kansas,” Baker relocated to San Francisco as an Army draftee in 1970. After an honorable discharge from the military, he decided to remain in the City by the Bay to pursue a design career.

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A colorful Inspiration

The River of Pride A Colorful Inspiration

Did you know how the creator of the Gay Pride Rainbow Flag come up with the idea? Harvey Milk, an openly gay elected politicians challenge Gilbert Baker who worked making clothing. Some say because he was from Kansas, his inspiration came from “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in “The Wizard of Oz” according to Queer Sites: Gay Urban Histories Since 1600