Why does the rainbow represent gay pride
LGBTQ+ Pride Flags
In the LGBTQ+ community, we signify our pride with flags. With many distinct identities in the group, there comes many distinct flags to know. We have collected all of the flags and a guide to learn about all of the distinct colors of our community’s rainbow. We know that this may not be all of the flags that represent our people, but we will update the page as modern flags become popular!
Explore the flag collection below! Watch a flag's name by hovering or clicking on the flag.
Umbrella Flags
Gilbert Baker Pride Flag
Traditional Pride Flag
Philadelphia Pride Flag
Progress Pride Flag
Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag
Queer Pride Flag
The original Pride Flag was created in after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each shade represents a different part of the LGBTQ+ community: hot pink represents sex, red symbolizes life, orange stands for healing, yellow equals sunlight, green stands for nature, turquoise symbolizes magic and art,
The Progress Pride flag was developed in by non-binary American artist and artist Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns). Based on the iconic rainbow flag from , the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and calls for a more inclusive community. In , the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Pride flag that can be seen on display in the Design – Now gallery.
'Progress' is a reinterpretation of multiple iterations of the pride flag. The original 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in to honor members of the gay and sapphic political movement. It comprised eight coloured stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of expect. Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, verdant for nature, turquoise for magic, indigo for serenity and violet for soul. A year later the pink and turquoise stripes were dropped owing to a shortage of pink fabric at the time and legibility concerns, resulting in the six-colour rainbow flag most commo
How the Rainbow Became a Symbol for Pride – and Why it Matters
Every June, the LGBTQ+ community and allies celebrate Pride Month, and, in recent years, we include seen a substantial increase in companies showing their support by incorporating the rainbow flag as part of their logos and/or products. To those outside of the community this seems favor a wonderful way to acknowledge Pride Month — but many in the LGBTQ+ community experience otherwise. The term “rainbow washing” has become the new label for the seemingly instantaneous and universal change from company colors to rainbow colors on June 1. Rainbow washing is viewed as a performative act of support, rather than as a meaningful or intentional expression of support.
I’d like to get a moment to explain what the colors on the Celebration flag mean and share a brief history on the evolution of the flag — from where it started to how it is presented today.
A symbol of and for pride
It is common knowledge that the rainbow flag is a symbol of LGBTQ+ Pride. However, it is less commonly known that the colors
History of the Rainbow Flag
The history of the rainbow flag is a prosperous, fascinating, and very recent one!
Artist and activist Gilbert Baker is credited with creating the first self-acceptance flag, meant to symbolize the gay community. He was approached by Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person elected to public office in California, in to create a symbol of pride for the community. “Flags are about proclaiming power” Baker said.
Baker was inspired by the United States flag, with its series of stacked lines, and also by Pop Art of the time. Several communities at the time had reclaimed the Pink Triangle as a symbol of queer power. The Pink Triangle was used in Nazis concentration camps to identify men imprisoned for their homosexuality. Despite the Pink Triangle’s prevalence, Baker argued that there was a need for a new symbol “We needed something beautiful. Something from us.”
The flag was first flown in San Francisco’s United Nation’s Plaza in June of Some historians have argued that the idea of the rainbow flag came about because of the rainbow’s link to actress Judy Garland