Like Nazis who used the Star of David to target Jewish people, anti-gay persecutors used the pink triangle to mark those who were openly or presumed gay. Baker regards the resulting six-colour flag as a compromise of the original vision.ģ) The rainbow flag was a response to the homophobic pink triangle Each of the eight original colours, selected through colour therapy, had its own meaning: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for serenity and purple for spirit.Ģ) Pink and turquoise were dropped as demand grew When high demand prompted commercial production, Baker had to drop two colours - pink and turquoise - because they were not part of the standard flag manufacturer's palette. With the help of several members of the Grove Street gay community centre in San Francisco, Baker hand-stitched and hand-dyed the very first rainbow flag in 1978. The man behind the icon, Gilbert Baker, joined q guest host Talia Schlanger on Friday to share six things you may not know about the six-colour flag.ġ) The first pride flag had eight colours Supreme Court ruling in favour of gay marriage. The colourful banner has become an eye-catching international symbol for sexual diversity and pride - but how many flag-wavers know its history? Rainbow flags will soar all over North America this weekend as the LGBT community and its allies celebrate Pride and the aptly-timed U.S.
