How many colors are in the gay pride rainbow
You might be familiar with the six-colored rainbow flag that is widely used to represent the Homosexual community. But did you know that this is a relatively new rendition of the original?
The unique flag (shown here) was designed by activist, veteran, drag queen, and creator, Gilbert Baker, and made its debut at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Pride in 1978. He was inspired by the Rolling Stones song She’s a Rainbow, and the 1960s hippies movement, assigning each color with a specific meaning:
Pink: Sex (later removed)
Red: Life
Orange: Healing
Yellow: Sunlight
Green: Nature
Turquoise: Magic (later removed)
Indigo: Serenity
Violet: Spirit
The evolution to the six-colored flag used today happened out of practicality.
After the parade in 1978, demand for the Celebration Flag increased, but the hot pink fabric was difficult to find in large quantities. Then, the Paramount Flag Company started making a version out of the standard rainbow colors to help come across demand, and a seven-color pride flag was the new norm.
A year later, the flag evolved once more…
Rainbow flag meaning: A little history lesson on how the Pride flag came to be
Since its creation in 1978, the Pride flag has become a universal symbol for the LGBTQ+ community. It represents visibility and hope and reflects the diversity within the Gay community.
While the flag is easily recognized, its history may not be as well-known to everyone. Did you realize the current rainbow flag is an updated layout of the original?
Here is a history lesson on how the Pride rainbow flag came to be and the meaning behind its colors.
What do the colors of the Pride flag mean?
Each of the flag's six rainbow colors has a unique meaning:
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.- Red: Life
- Orange: Healing
- Yellow: Sunlight
- Green: Nature
- Blue: Serenity
- Purple: Spirit
The history of the Gilbert Baker Lgbtq+ fest flag
In the 1970s, Harvey Milk – the first openly gay elected official in California – tasked activist Gilbert Baker to plan a symbol of expect for the gay community.
"Harvey Milk was a friend of mine, an important homosexual leader in San Francisco in the ’70s, and he carried a really impor
Celebrating Pride and Progress: The Meaning Behind the Progress Identity festival Flag
As we observe Pride Month, we also take age to reflect on the work still needed to erect a more inclusive and equitable population. One way we honour that dedication is by using the Progress Self-acceptance Flag in our celebrations.
The Progress Celebration Flag was engineered in 2018 by Daniel Quasar, a non-binary artist and graphic designer from Oregon. Quasar’s blueprint builds on the traditional rainbow Event Flag by incorporating the colours of the Transgender Flag, along with shadowy and brown stripes. These additions symbolize Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) in the 2SLGBTQ+ community, as well as individuals living with or lost to HIV/AIDS. The flag was created to accentuate the importance of inclusion and forward movement.
A Brief History of Pride
Pride has its roots in the Stonewall Riots of 1969 in New York City—a pivotal moment in the fight for 2SLGBTQ+ rights. At the time, homosexuality and dressing in drag were criminalized. The riots marked the beginning of an organized movement advocating for decriminalization and equality.
In Canada, homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969, and the count
Flags of the LGBTIQ Community
Flags have always been an integral part of the LGBTIQ+ movement. They are a visible inclusion meant to observe progress, advocate for representation, and exaggerate the demand and drive for collective action. There hold been many LGBTIQ+ flags over the years. Some possess evolved, while others are constantly entity conceptualized and created.
Rainbow Flag
Created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, the iconic Celebration Rainbow flag originally had eight stripes. The colors included pink to portray sexuality, red for healing, yellow for sun, green for serenity with character, turquoise for art, indigo for peace, and violet for spirit. In the years since, the flag now has six colors. It no longer has a pink stripe, and the turquoise and indigo stripes were replaced with royal blue.
Progress Parade Flag
Created in 2018 by nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar, the Progress Celebration flag is based on the iconic 1978 rainbow flag. With stripes of black and brown to represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of color and the triad of navy, pink, and colorless from the transitioned flag, the style represents diversity and inclusion.
Trans Flag
Conceived by Monica Helms, an
The Progress Pride flag was developed in 2018 by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns). Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ collective and calls for a more inclusive society. In 2020, the V&A acquired a bespoke applique version of the Progress Lgbtq+ fest flag that can be seen on display in the Design 1900 – Now gallery.
'Progress' is a reinterpretation of multiple iterations of the pride flag. The original 'rainbow flag' was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 to celebrate members of the gay and lesbian political movement. It comprised eight coloured stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of expect. Baker assigned a specific meaning to each colour: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic, indigo for serenity and violet for spirit. A year later the pink and turquoise stripes were dropped owing to a shortage of pink fabric at the time and legibility concerns, resulting in the six-colour rainbow flag most commonly used in the first decades of the 21st century.
Baker's flag was embra