He quickly became well known for his sewing skills and flamboyant creations, such as drag costumes and political banners for street demonstrations. Thought to have been lost for over 40 years, the fragment is the only known surviving remnant of the two inaugural rainbow flags.īaker arrived in San Francisco in 1972 during the early years of the Gay Liberation movement. Displaying the original design’s eight colored stripes, it was created by Baker and hand-stitched and dyed with the help of volunteers and friends, including Lynn Segerblom (Faerie Argyle Rainbow), James McNamara, Glenne McElhinney, Joe Duran and Paul Langlotz. In April, the GLBT Historical Society received an archival donation, a fragment of one of the two monumental rainbow flags. Heads up: LGBTQ definitions every good ally should know Gilbert Bakerīaker worked tirelessly to ensure that the rainbow flag would become a universally recognized, global emblem of the LGBTQ community and its proud legacy. Though in the recent years, members of the community have modified the flag with a chevron along the hoist that features black, brown, light blue, pink, and white to represent people of color and the transgender community. In 1979, the hot pink stripe was dropped due to the unavailability of flag fabric in this color.īaker also removed the turquoise stripe to create an even number of stripes for display on each side of the streetlamps on Market Street for the Gay Freedom Day parade.Īs a result, the six-stripe variant of the flag was born. The initial 30-feet-high by 60-feet-wide flag design featured eight colors, but underwent several revisions due to cost and display considerations. Here's what each one means Original colors
There are many Pride flags: LGBTQ Pride flags go beyond the classic rainbow. “We trust that its message of diversity, liberation and hope will continue to inspire queer people for generations to come.” “We are deeply grateful that Gilbert Baker saved this fragment, and that it has been brought home to San Francisco,” they said. In a joint statement, Charley Beal, president of the Gilbert Baker Foundation, and Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society said, “For LGBTQ people, there are few artifacts that carry the historic, political, and cultural significance of this seminal work of art, the original rainbow flag. It will be the centerpiece of the exhibition “ Performance, Protest and Politics: The Art of Gilbert Baker.”
On Friday, the historic artifact was added to the Gilbert Baker Collection at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archives in San Francisco. More than four decades later, a remnant of one of those two original flags measuring nearly 30-feet-by-13-feet has been located and authenticated.
But the following year, one was stolen and the other was believed lost. Measuring nearly 30-feet-by 60 feet, the enormous banners flew over United Nations Plaza. The first two rainbow flags were designed by Gilbert Baker and fabricated by a team of volunteers for the 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco. Created 43 years ago, the rainbow flag is the most widely recognized symbol of LGBTQ community around the world.