History of the rainbow pride flag
The symbol of Pride The symbol of Pride
"I was always fabulous," Baker announced with a laugh when we sat down to discuss his incredible story. From his childhood in Chanute, Kansas, to his eventual role as the creator of one of the most recognizable symbols of our time, Baker experienced a great deal of change in his life.
Baker was raised in a small town in Kansas in the s, by a family whose ethics were informed by their humble beginnings. His parents started out with very little, but would eventually become respected middle‐class society members. For Baker, the environment was stifling. Though he found ways to express his interests through art, his perspective was often poorly understood.
Growing up in the s in Kansas was nowhere for somebody as gay as me.
After completing high university, Baker was ready to leave it all behind. Drafted into the Together States Army at 19, he set his sights on studying medicine. But medicine, he discovered, did not allow him to be creative. That’s when San Francisco called.
After study to sew on a friend’s machine, Baker began to make banners – lots of them. Famed gay liberation activist and politician Harve
The History of the Identity Flag
With its radiant colours and significant interpretation, the Rainbow Flag is a symbol recognised all over the world to represent the LGBTQ+ communities. It’s a symbol of hope, unity and empowerment to allow love to be love regardless of gender, ethnicity or labels. But where did this renowned flag come from? And how was the design chosen?
The original Self-acceptance Flag originates from San Francisco Activist Gilbert Baker, who desired to construct an emblem of celebration for the gay group. In the Rainbow Flag was created, as Baker recognised that a flag is one of the most significant aspects of identity, and wanted his creation to be a unified symbol of gratification for all those who identify within these communities.
In England, homosexuality was decriminalised in , with Scotland following in , and Northern Ireland by Before this time, it was illegal to engage in ‘private homosexual acts’, and those caught or believed to be engaging in same-sex relationships could encounter imprisonment, public shame and a life-long criminal records. Society was homophobic, with those in same-sex relationships being stripped of their basic freedom to adore the person they cherish and
The Progress Pride flag was developed in by agender American artist and architect 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 society. 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 first 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in to celebrate members of the gay and queer woman political movement. It comprised eight coloured stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of hope. Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for essence, turquoise for magic, indigo for serenity and violet for spirit. 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 commonly used in the first decades of the 21st century.
Baker's flag was embraced internationally a
History of the Rainbow Flag
The history of the rainbow flag is a loaded, fascinating, and very recent one!
Artist and activist Gilbert Baker is credited with creating the first event 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. A strong supporter of the gay community, homosexual men were occasionally called “friends of Dorothy”, in
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