The new flag was intended in part to replace the negative imagery around the pink triangle, which Nazis had used to identify and persecute gay people.
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images Milk had been elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors a year prior, becoming one of the first openly gay people to hold this type of visible and influential public position in a major American city. The official Pride flag was created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a gay artist and activist who lived in San Francisco and who had been tasked by politician Harvey Milk to come up with a positive symbol for the gay community. Let’s dive into the history of this important flag that represents a vital community. Though it’s colorful, bright and impossible to ignore, there is also great significance behind the design of the flag and the variations created over the years. But it’s also become an enduring, year-round symbol of unity and identity.
With its array of vibrant colors that resemble a rainbow, the Pride flag is boldly and joyfully visible at Pride events and protests and throughout the month of June as a major symbol of solidarity, acceptance, hope and love for the LGBTQ+ community.
