Gilbert Baker · 1978? stripes · No symbol

Tres banderas LGBT+

A side-by-side display of three early versions of Gilbert Baker's Rainbow Pride Flag, the broad symbol for LGBTQ+ people.

historicalgeneral-prideRedOrangeYellowGreenBluePurplePinkTurquoiseUSASan FranciscoCalifornia1970s

Designer

Gilbert Baker

Year Created

1978

First Flown

1978

Stripe Count

? stripes

Colors & Meanings

RedOrangeYellow

These colors represent important ideas connected to this flag and community.

History

Tres banderas LGBT+ shows three versions of the Rainbow Pride Flag, the broad symbol for LGBTQ+ people—everyone whose sexuality or gender falls outside straight, cisgender norms. Gilbert Baker created the original eight-stripe flag in 1978 for San Francisco's Gay Freedom Day Parade, with each color carrying meaning: pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art, blue for harmony, and purple for spirit. A seven-stripe version followed in 1979, and the familiar six-stripe version became the global standard after pink and turquoise were dropped for easier production.