The very first rainbow pride flag was designed and hand-made by Baker and a group of volunteers for the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. 'He just suddenly thought, 'These things are powerful.' He saw armies marching into war under a flag and he thought: 'We don't just need a new symbol. 'Gilbert had become fascinated with flags in 1976, during the Bicentennial,' said Beal. So, how did we get here with the rainbow pride flag? Its history starts in the 1970s with artist and activist Gilbert Baker. It is a global symbol,' said Charley Beal, president of the Gilbert Baker Foundation.īut the flag wasn't always so ubiquitous, and its predecessors included a lavender rhinoceros, the Greek letter lambda, and the pink triangle - all of which have their own separate meanings and histories but weren't accepted by the LGBTQ+ community at large. 'It is unsurpassed as a global icon in terms of something that stands for hope and diversity, as opposed to a product being sold or a country. It's one of the most recognizable symbols in the world, on par with the American flag or the recycling symbol, and especially during Pride Month, it's everywhere.
You already know what the rainbow flag stands for.
