In 1978, while preparing for that year’s Gay Freedom Day celebration, City Supervisor Harvey Milk (1930–1978) and other local activists appealed to Baker, the co-chair of the Decorations Committee, to create a new symbol for the LGBTQ community to be unveiled at the event in June. He quickly became well known for his sewing skills and flamboyant creations, such as drag costumes and political banners for street demonstrations. Gilbert Baker arrived in San Francisco in 1972 during the early years of the Gay Liberation movement. Thought to have been lost for over 40 years, the fragment, shown in the banner above, was recently rediscovered and is the only known surviving remnant of the two inaugural rainbow flags.
If you’re not yet a member, but are interested in learning how to support the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace, get in touch today.In April 2021, the GLBT Historical Society received an archival donation of an extraordinary, unique piece of history that we are unveiling during the Pride season: a fragment of one of the two monumental rainbow flags first raised on Jin San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.ĭisplaying the original design’s eight colored stripes, it was created by Gilbert 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.
Tasked by Harvey Milk, a historic figure in the fight for LGBTQ rights, to create a flag for the queer community, Baker created a rainbow flag with eight different colors. If you’re a member, take a look at our LGBTQ+ resources. Gilbert Pride Flag, the flag that started it all It was created in 1977 by Gilbert Baker, an artist, activist, and openly gay military veteran.
You can help people in the workplace by learning more about the community and broadening your knowledge. You can make the LGBTQ+ community feel more at ease by displaying your support. In today’s climate, having a safe and welcoming place to go is critical, especially for the trans community.
If you own a public business, having stickers in windows or flags on the outside of cafes, bars, and restaurants can indicate a safe and supportive environment. Having LGBTQ+ flags on display can mean a lot more to the community than you might think. Whether you’re a member of the community yourself, or are attempting to be an ally, understanding what the flags represent is an important part of the learning process. It is critical to understand the history of the LGBTQ+ community. The yellow with a purple circle represents intersex people.White/Blue/Pink represents the trans community.Black/Brown represents people of colour.The following are the various meanings of the new flag: The new flag has been redesigned to incorporate elements from various LGBTQ+ subcultures. If you’re going to display a flag in your workplace in support of the LGBTQ+ community, we would recommend the new pride flag. All of these flags, from the original LGBT rainbow flag to the new and updated versions, carry a message and represent a group of people. The importance of having LGBTQ+ knowledge in your workplaceĪlthough we have covered some of the flags in this article, there are many variations of all LGBTQ+ flags. Originally, there were eight different coloured stripes – each with its own meaning.Īccording to rumour, the rainbow theme was inspired by the Hippie movement, Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow,” and other influences. Bressan put it, the new LGBT flag represented “the dawn of a new gay consciousness and freedom”. This symbol had a dark history, as Nazis used it to identify men as homosexuals in concentration camps.Īs Arthur J. Prior to the creation of the pride flag, the pink triangle (Trigger Warning) was used to represent the LGBT community. Gilbert Baker became involved in the LGBT flag’s creation after meeting influential gay leader Harvey Milk, who challenged Baker to create a representative flag for the community. The LGBT rainbow flag history dates back to 1987, when Gilbert Baker designed it, but it has since been modified. The “original” LGBT flag, also known as the rainbow flag or the pride flag, is a six-coloured striped flag with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.