Gilbert Baker 1951-2017
On Flag Day, we recognize Gilbert Baker, the activist and artist who
created the first Gay Pride flag. Baker’s work spanned nearly four
decades and includes distinctions for creating two flags that attained world
records for their length. After serving as a medic in the U.S. Army, Baker
joined the Gay Liberation movement in San Francisco. As part of his work,
he created the first eight-color Rainbow Flag in 1978 and then went on to
readapt it in six colors for manufacturing and practical reasons. It is one of
the world’s most recognizable symbols and has been re-envisioned with
the times.
“… gay people were in the midst of an upheaval, a battle for equal rights…
A Rainbow Flag was a conscious choice, natural and necessary. The
rainbow came from earliest recorded history as a symbol of hope.” Gilbert
Baker
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