CW: Death
Have you ever wondered why the gay pride flag changed through the years? M answers that question today by guiding you through the evolution of the main flag, the rainbow we all know. What do the stripes stand for? What is the meaning behind the new stripes? All covered in this brief mini.
An M led episode means M-led resources!
Our job as gay people was to come out, to be visible, to live in truth, as I say, to get out of the lie. A flag really fit that mission, because that’s a way of proclaiming your visibility or saying, ‘This is who I am!’
Gilbert Baker in a MoMA interview, 2015
MoMA Acquires the Rainbow Flag
1978
In 1978, the rainbow flag was created by Gilbert Baker. Baker had created the flag at the request of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California. The flag was meant to overtake the pink triangle as a symbol of pride, to bolster positive memories and thoughts without associating with the legacy of the pink triangle. It originally consisted of eight colors, meant to both represent the diversity of the gay community and each individual stripe carrying additional meaning:
- Magenta: Sex
- Red: Life
- Orange: Healing
- Yellow: Sunlight
- Green: Nature
- Turquoise: Magic and Art
- Indigo: Serenity
- Violet: Spirit
1979
And then in late 1978, Harvey Milk was assassinated. It increased demand for the flag, and Gilbert Baker brought it to the Paramount Flag Company to mass produce it. The pink stripe was dropped due to a lack of magenta fabric, bringing us the 7 stripe flag.
Not long after, a protest protesting the assassination of Harvey Milk proceeded, and with it came a newly designed 6 stripe flag so that the colors could be evenly divided on either side of the street.
2017
The Philadelphia Pride Flag, designed by Amber Hikes (they/them, she/her), was debuted at the Philadelphia Price celebration. This flag added a black and brown stripe to the flag in order to recognize the contributions of people of color and in protest of the racism in local neighborhoods.
2019
When the Pride flag was recreated in 2017 and 2018 to include both black/brown stripes, as well as the trans flag stripes, I wanted to see if there could be more emphasis in the design of the flag to elevate its message.
This new design forces the viewer to confront on their own feelings towards the original Pride flag and its meaning as well as the differing opinions on who that flag really represents, while also bringing into clear focus the current needs within our community. You can’t avoid the message as it is right there in front of you.
I challenge you as the viewer to look at this design and acknowledge the thoughts and feelings it brings up within yourself. No matter what they are, take this opportunity to reflect.
Daniel Quasar (they/xe)
Progress Initiative
I backed this kickstarter!
The design shifts the black and brown stripes to the hoist, and adds the trans flag colors as well in a chevron design.
2021
2021, Valentino Vecchietti (she/they) created the intersex inclusive progress pride flag, adding the intersex flag in the chevron of the 2019 Progress Pride flag.
The design of the pride flag also birthed a variety of other pride flags to stand for other queer identities! The design is constantly morphing, with a variety of colors and shapes applied to suit the people it represents.
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