Gilbert Baker · 19786 stripes · No symbol

Rainbow-flag-1978-jun

The original eight-stripe rainbow flag created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 as a unifying symbol of pride for LGBTQ+ people.

sexual-orientationgeneral-pridehistoricalredorangeyellowgreencyanbluepurplemagentaSan FranciscoUSA1970s

Designer

Gilbert Baker

Year Created

1978

First Flown

1978

Stripe Count

6 stripes

Colors & Meanings

redorangeyellowgreencyanbluepurple

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.