The Pride Flag
The Pride flag, commonly known as the Rainbow Flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) pride and LGBTQ+ social movements. The original flag featured eight stripes, each with its own distinct meaning: hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic/art, indigo for serenity, and violet for spirit. The most common variant seen today consists of six stripes, with the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, typically in horizontal bars. This flag is widely recognized as a symbol of diversity, inclusion, and the celebration of LGBTQ+ identities.
History of The Pride Flag
The original Pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker, an artist and drag queen, in 1978. Baker was encouraged by Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, to create a symbol of pride for the gay community. The first version of the flag was hand-dyed and stitched by Baker and a team of volunteers and was flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978. Following the assassination of Harvey Milk, demand for the rainbow flag increased significantly. To meet demand and due to fabric availability, the flag was modified to its more common six-striped version by removing the hot pink stripe and later also removing the turquoise stripe, resulting in a flag with the six colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Over the years, the Pride flag has been adapted to include variations that represent different identities within the LGBTQ+ community, such as the Transgender Pride Flag, Bisexual Pride Flag, and others, each with its own unique design and colors. The original Rainbow Flag is now an internationally recognized symbol, representing LGBTQ+ pride and rights movements around the world.