These colors represent important ideas connected to this flag and community.
History
The rainbow flag is the broad symbol for LGBTQ+ people—everyone whose sexuality or gender falls outside straight, cisgender norms—standing for pride, unity, and visibility. Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist and activist, hand-dyed and sewed the first version in 1978 for the city's Gay Freedom Day Parade. The original eight stripes each carried a meaning: hot pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. Later versions dropped pink and turquoise for easier production.
