The rainbow flag design: story of one of the most recognizable pride symbols

The rainbow flag, also known as the pride flag, is one of the most recognizable and embraced symbols worldwide. And even though it has been more than 40 years since then, the flag is not only a banner of acceptance but much more about the constant fight for equal rights.

To this day, the LGBTQ+ community faces discrimination, violence, and prejudice.

In these past few days alone, Europe has become a lot more unsafe and intolerant. In England, trans people were attacked based on their appearance. In Hungary, a law was passed prohibiting content that shows homosexuality or sex change to minors (less than 18 years old).

I stand with the LGBTQ+ community. I feel ashamed that we still need to fight for universal rights that only apply to the heterosexual, lucky white people that live by the norm, like myself.

June is a month to celebrate, but most importantly, to educate. It’s crucial to understand the origins of one of the most significant LGBTQ+ symbols, what led to its creation, and what the future might bring.

Dark past and empowerment: the pink triangle history

Before the rainbow flag was universally perceived as a representation and celebration of homosexuality, the pink triangle was imposed upon gay men during one of the darkest periods in the history of mankind: the Holocaust.

Before Hitler’s rise to power, homosexuality in Germany was already illegal and persecuted, but only occasionally. With the dictator in control, gay men became a threat to Arian values and the continuation of the bloodline.

As a result, between 5000 and 15000 men were sent to concentration camps for their sexual orientation and forced to wear an upside down pink triangle to differentiate them from the remaining prisoners.

These prisoners were treated even worse than those that showed the yellow star. Forced to take testosterone as a cure to homosexuality and perform sexual acts with guards in exchange for better conditions, gay men were constantly violated and tortured.

It was only decades later that their story came to light. Books such as The Men with the Pink Triangle provided much-needed proof of the horrors during the Holocaust.

Though this was a symbol created to inflict pain, LGBT activists reclaimed it as their own.

No longer upside down, the triangle uses the past as a reminder to stop all the hate and segregation.

The backdrop for the flag appearance

A decade before Harvey Milk’s commission of the flag, the LGBT community was still considered immoral and responsible for illegal acts.

Frequently stalked, insulted, and beaten, anyone deemed different — either by appearance or sexual orientation — had to hide and pretend to be someone else. Not even high-profile figures were immune to putting up a facade.

However, there was one place that, to this day, is credited as having a detrimental influence on the rise of gay rights movements and the reason why June is the month of pride. The Stonewall Inn.

Located in Greenwich Village in New York City, it was a safe gay club for socializing, owned by the Mafia.

Bar raids (common at that period) were tipped in advance by corrupt cops, giving enough time for everyone to hide the alcohol and act according to rules.

On the 28th of June, 1969, contrary to what was supposed to happen, the bar wasn’t warned in advance. The City police rated The Stonewall Inn, arresting 13 people for having alcohol or violating the gender-appropriate clothing statute.

But instead of running away, people started gathering outside the bar and fighting back. This was the beginning of the protests that would occur in the next 5 days, gathering thousands of people who demanded equal rights.

The Stonewall Riots and the sub sequential marching protest ultimately propelled LGBT political activists to stand and create several gay rights organizations in the 70s.

The pride flag and its meaning

In the late 70s, politician Harvey Milk — the first openly gay person ever to be elected to public office in California — commissioned Gilbert Baker, an artist, designer, veteran, and drag performer, to create a flag for San Francisco’s annual pride parade.

Milk, a friend of Baker, encouraged him to create a new symbol that would signify the independence of the LGBT community.

The symbol used by then was the pink triangle, but its origins were so dark and embedded in suffering, Baker decided to discard its usage. He wanted something different, and he saw the big picture.

America had gone through the Vietnam War and other subsequent big events, which led to a feeling of patriotism represented by the geometry of the stars and stripes on the flag. We wanted to take the same principle since he felt that “flags are about proclaiming power” (he told MoMa in a 2015’s interview).

He used a rainbow as his inspiration. The eight original colors were meant to represent union and inclusion, just like the LGBT community.

Rather than making the flag alone at home, Baker decided that it needed a fitting birthplace. He gathered 30 friends at a gay community center and dyed each stripe of the flag, later sewed together in a single piece.

The original flag had eight colors: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Each of them corresponded to sexuality, life, healing, sunlight, nature, art, harmony, and spirit.

Displayed for the first time, in June 1978, at the United Nations Plaza, in downtown San Francisco, probably by Harvey Milk. It was the version that he saw months before being shot by an anti-gay gunman.

The assassination of the politician — one of the primary voices for LGBT rights — increased the demand for the rainbow flag to be used in pride parades and events.

To be commercialized, the flag had to lose the hot pink stripe since it was a costly and hard-to-find pigment. After that, Baker decided to remove the indigo to make the flag symmetrical to hung horizontally and vertically.

Though it is not sure how the design spread across the globe, it has been a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride and fight ever since.

In 1994, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a mile-long version (1.6 km) of the flag spread through the streets of New York. A world record for the longest flag ever produced.

Gilbert Baker died in 2017, two years after the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.

The flag takes on a new purpose

Over four decades later, the rainbow flag retains its original meaning. Used not only by LGBTQ+ but also brands and individuals who support and identify with its values.

Two projects, in particular, caught my eye. They embody the flag’s original purpose — to give voice and raise awareness. At the same time, they demonstrate that a lot of change still needs to occur so that the LGBTQ+ community can live their lives freely and happily.

A protective symbol
In 2018, a creative agency called Rethink created The Pride Shield, an LGBTQ+ flag that can stop bullets, literally.

It was created to raise awareness on The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. It shows that people are still legally charged or, worse, physically assaulted in several countries.

Composed of 193 flags, one for each UN country, this installation stands against violence.

Creating a safe space
The same year, the creative agency FCB/Six took the flag and used it unexpectedly. They transformed it into a data visualization tool to show how LGBTQ+ visitors would be received in different cities worldwide.

The tool ranks cities based on info pulled from social media platforms and rates according to marriage equality, sexual activity laws, gender identity protections, anti-discrimination laws, civil rights, and social-media sentiment. Each of the factors is represented by one of the six colors from the flag.

The scores can range up to 100 for each factor of the list. A score below 50 indicates that it can be dangerous to travel to that city. From 51 to 70 signifies neutrally, and over 71 might mean an overall good experience.

A more inclusive pride flag

The last two years really saw some social changes pushing for ending racial problems and indiscriminate violence towards different sexual orientations.

As a result of more conversations being brought to light by public and private figures, the LGBTQ+ community developed new variations for the rainbow flag. The inclusion of black and brown stripes for racial equity and blue, pink, and white highlighting transgender identities. This redesign might not please both who love the previous version but represents the present and future better than its predecessor.

Conclusion

The rainbow flag has been the light at the end of the tunnel for several generations. From those who can still recall what it was like to be arrested for misconduct to newer generations still looked upon for being or acting differently, the flag symbolizes unity, understanding, and love.

I hope this post shined some light on the flag’s origins and understand some LGBTQ+ struggles throughout time. As humans, we all deserve to be seen, heard, and loved.