In 1986 AIDS Action, originally started as a committee of the Fenway Community Health Center, incorporated as a nonprofit organization under the leadership of Larry Kessler. That year, John Bush, a black gay activist, called the Boston gay community “painfully exclusive,” citing incidents at bars like Chaps that required multiple IDs from people of color and from femme lesbians. In response to anti-gay adoption policies of the Dukakis administration, the Gay and Lesbian Defense Committee urged members to place dozens of stickers outside the State House that read, “Foster Equality.”. A crowd of 34,000 people turned out for the Boston Pride 1986 March. PRIDE ‘86 FORWARD TOGETHER! From The History Project Button Collection. Gilbert Baker, who designed the most internationally known symbol for the gay culture, the rainbow flag, 25 years ago, heads the Stockholm Pride Parade carrying a 250-metre long flag in Stockholm (FREDRIK PERSSON/AFP/Getty Images) Why the rainbow on the pride flag? Self-described as a “gay Betsy Ross,” activist Baker was one of the original Pride marchers in the US as well as a print designer. The designer who Milk asked was a gay man named Gilbert Baker. Milk asked for a gay designer and activist to make the flag (Getty) Who designed THE RAINBOW SYMBOL? And, it was redesigned by Valentino Vecchietti.But as we grow that little bit more concerned about the rampant commercialisation of the rainbow symbol and its purpose, we want to answer a few pressing questions: where did the rainbow come from, and has it stood the test of time? How did the rainbow SYMBOL first come into existence?īefore he was assassinated later on in the year, gay politician Harvey Milk asked a talented gay designed her knew to design an all-encompassing symbol to take on San Francisco’s Pride March in 1978. Source: Even this year the Rainbow flag was updated yet again to ensure inclusivity. The new design incorporates intersex people into the movement. The pink represented femininity, blue represented masculinity and white represented non binary.
Source: In 2018, Daniel Quasar added the colors of the transgender cause into the flag- blue, white and pink. This was created in response to growing issues around racism and intersectionality. For example, in June 2017, two new colours were added to the 6-strip coloured flag- black and brown by Amber Hikes. Source: Though there are more versions of the flag that we've been introduced to and should know about. This is the most commonly recognised flag that has been around for almost 42 years. Source: Red (Life), Orange (Healing), Yellow (Sunlight), Green (Nature), Blue (Serenity), Violet (Spirit). And, each of the colours represented something. Source: Later, the rainbow flag comprised of 6 vibrant colours- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. This flag had two colours, Pink and Violet, which were later dropped out in 1998 by Baker himself for the purpose of functionality. He dyed and sewed the bands together himself. In case you didn't know, the first LGBT flag was a 8-strip flag, designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978.