In some sources it is explained that this happened because the organizers of the Parade decided to split the flag equally, so it could adorn both sides of the street during the event, but other sources say that this happened a year later in 1979 because the dropped colors were being obstructed by the flagpoles holding the flags.Ī second design of the original flag was created by Baker together with the original eight-colored one. Another change happened when the indigo and turquoise stripes were dropped in favor of a royal blue one.
Baker had to drop the use of the hot pink fabric due to the short availability of the dye, which would have made it very complicated to mass produce before and after. The original flag underwent its first changes before the Parade, which ended with the current design of six colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. After the assassination of Harvey Milk, the organizers of the Parade selected the flag designed by Baker as decoration for the street where it was taking place due to its intent of representing the strength, pride, and hope. It originally consisted of eight colors: hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic/art, indigo for harmony and violet for spirit. Other sources mention that he might have drawn inspiration from the Oscar-winning song “Over the Rainbow” and its performing artist Judy Garland, who was considered a gay icon, and by the Stonewall riots but on an interview granted to the Museum of Modern Art, Baker himself suggested that the rainbow flag’s inspiration came from the sky as he considered it a “natural” flag.Ĭreated by Baker as a positive and all-encompassing symbol for the LGBT2Q+ community, the first version of the original flag was displayed in June of 1978 at the San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade. Sawn and hand dyed by Baker himself and a team of 30 volunteers, some sources say that he drew inspiration from the “Flag of the Race”, used by 60s activists who used it to demonstrate for peace. The original pride flag was created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a queer artist and Vietnam veteran based in San Francisco after the suggestion and encouragement of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected for public office in California. There are many different stories with slight variations that recount the creation of the first pride flag, a now widely know positive symbol that represents the LGBT2Q+ community’s strength and hope.