Colors in the gay rainbow

Other older uses of rainbow flags include a symbol of peace. While this use of the rainbow flag originated in San Francisco , it is now used worldwide. Originally devised by artist Gilbert Baker , the design has undergone several revisions since its debut in , first to remove colors then restore them based on availability of fabrics. The flag is typically flown horizontally, with the red stripe on top, as it would be in a natural rainbow. Currently LGBTQ individuals and allies use rainbow flags and many rainbow-themed items and color schemes as an outward symbol of their identity or support. The rainbow flag is also commonly used as a general symbol of social equality and individuality.

It goes back to , when the artist Gilbert Baker, an openly gay man and a drag queen, designed the first rainbow flag. Baker later revealed that he was urged by Harvey Milk , one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U. Baker decided to make that symbol a flag because he saw flags as the most powerful symbol of pride. Baker and a team of volunteers had made them by hand, and now he wanted to mass-produce the flag for consumption by all. However, because of production issues, the pink and turquoise stripes were removed and indigo was replaced by basic blue, which resulted in the contemporary six-striped flag red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.

After an honorable discharge from the military, he decided to remain in the City by the Bay to pursue a design career. Milk, of course, would go on to win a seat as a San Francisco city supervisor in , becoming the first openly gay man elected to public office in California in the process. Along with writer Cleve Jones and filmmaker Artie Bressan, Milk pressed Baker to create a recognizable emblem of empowerment for the queer community.

Above the traditional top red stripe were new brown and black ones. The additions, meant to represent LGBT people of color, brought feelings of excitement for many activists and advocates. But for some, the new stripes felt like an unnecessary alteration to an essential LGBT symbol.