Who made the rainbow gay

Last Updated: June 27, The rainbow flag was created in by artist, designer, Vietnam War veteran and then-drag performer, Gilbert Baker. The decision to enlist Baker proved serendipitous, as the idea of a flag to represent the gay and lesbian community had occurred to him two years earlier.

And as a struggling drag performer who was accustomed to creating his own garments, he was well-equipped to sew the soon-to-be iconic symbol. At the time, the most commonly used image for the burgeoning gay rights movement was the pink triangle, a symbol used by the Nazis to identify homosexuals.

Using a symbol with such a dark and painful past was never an option for Baker. He instead opted to use a rainbow as his inspiration. By: Matt Mullen. The original flag featured eight colors, each having a different meaning. At the top was hot pink, which represented sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow signifying sunlight, green for nature, turquoise to represent art, indigo for harmony, and finally violet at the bottom for spirit.

Shortly after the historic Stonewall protest intwo transgender activists, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P Johnson, embarked on a mission to protect one of New York City's most vulnerable communities. With the help of close to 30 volunteers working in the attic of the Gay Community Center in San Francisco, Baker was able to construct the first draft of the now world-renowned rainbow flag.

After the design was unveiled, participants of the parade proudly waved the new symbol in solidarity. Baker then took the design to Paramount Flag Company, which sold a version of the flag without hot pink and turquoise, which were replaced with blue. After the assassination of Harvey Milk on November 27,demand for the rainbow banner only increased.

Popularity spiked again a decade later when a West Hollywood resident sued his landlord over the right to hang his flag outside his residence. Baker died on March 31,who made the rainbow gay the age of 65, just two years after the legalization of same-sex marriage throughout the U.

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You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States. By: Thaddeus Morgan. A Vietnam War veteran and drag performer came up with the iconic design in Thaddeus Morgan. Corbis via Getty Images. Published: June 02, More to History: Stonewall.

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