The original gay flag

With its vivid colours and significant definition, the Rainbow Flag is a symbol recognised all over the world to represent the LGBTQ+ communities. It’s a symbol of hope, unity and empowerment to allow love to be love regardless of gender, ethnicity or labels. But where did this renowned flag come from? And how was the design chosen? 

The original Self-acceptance Flag originates from San Francisco Activist Gilbert Baker, who desired to build an emblem of self-acceptance for the gay society. In the Rainbow Flag was created, as Baker recognised that a flag is one of the most significant aspects of identity, and wanted his creation to be a unified symbol of gratification for all those who identify within these communities. 

In England, homosexuality was decriminalised in , with Scotland following in , and Northern Ireland by Before this time, it was illegal to engage in ‘private homosexual acts’, and those caught or believed to be engaging in same-sex relationships could confront imprisonment, public shame and a life-long criminal records. Society was homophobic, with those in same-sex relationships being stripped of their basic freedom to affectionate the person they cherish and

Here’s What the Different LGBTQIA+ Flags Represent

LGBTQIA+

When we deliberate of Pride Month, the first image that typically comes to mind is the classic rainbow flag. However, many people don’t realize that along with the Rainbow Pride Flag, there are an array of different identifiers that represent the diverse gender non-conforming community. While many in the LGBTQIA+ community distinguish with the all-encompassing rainbow flag, each group has its own flag to represent its unique contributions and stories within the community. Here’s a rundown of the different flags and what they represent.

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The Gilbert Baker Pride Flag

The original rainbow pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in at the request of Harvey Milk, the first openly male lover elected official in California. Gilbert chose the rainbow as it represents a symbol of hope. 

Original flag colors and meaning: 

Pink: sex; Red: life; Orange: healing; Yellow: sunlight; Green: nature; Turquoise: magic; Blue: harmony; Violet: spirit.

Rainbow Pride Flag 

This is the iteration of the Pride Flag that we all know today, used to symbolize the overall LGBTQIA+ community. In this version, the pink and turquoise were excluded

LGBTQ+ Pride Flags

In the LGBTQ+ community, we signify our pride with flags. With many other identities in the collective, there comes many alternative flags to know. We have collected all of the flags and a guide to learn about all of the distinct colors of our community’s rainbow. We know that this may not be all of the flags that represent our group, but we will update the page as fresh flags become popular!

Explore the flag collection below! Notice a flag's name by hovering or clicking on the flag.

Umbrella Flags

• Gilbert Baker Pride Flag

• Traditional Pride Flag

• Philadelphia Pride Flag

• Progress Pride Flag

• Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag

• Queer Pride Flag

The original Pride Flag was created in after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each shade represents a different part of the LGBTQ+ community: hot pink represents sex, red symbolizes life, orange stands for healing, yellow equals sunlight, green stands for nature, turquoise symbolizes magic and art, indigo represents serenity, while violet symbolizes the spirit of LGBTQ+ people.

After the assa

History of the Rainbow Flag

The history of the rainbow flag is a prosperous, fascinating, and very recent one!

Artist and activist Gilbert Baker is credited with creating the first self-acceptance flag, meant to portray the gay community. He was approached by Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person elected to public office in California, in to create a symbol of pride for the community. “Flags are about proclaiming power” Baker said.

Baker was inspired by the United States flag, with its series of stacked lines, and also by Pop Art of the time. Several communities at the time had reclaimed the Pink Triangle as a symbol of queer power. The Pink Triangle was used in Nazis concentration camps to identify men imprisoned for their homosexuality. Despite the Pink Triangle’s prevalence, Baker argued that there was a need for a new symbol “We needed something beautiful. Something from us.”

The flag was first flown in San Francisco’s United Nation’s Plaza in June of Some historians have argued that the idea of the rainbow flag came about because of the rainbow’s link to actress Judy Garland. A strong supporter of the gay community, lgbtq+ men were occasionally called “friends of Dorothy”, in

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