As some of you may or may not know, June marks the start of pride month! It’s a whole month dedicated to celebrating, raising awareness, starting a conversation and educating others about the LGBTQIA community. The struggle and the fight for equal rights have been an ongoing battle in India for years now. While the balance seems to be shifting slowly, section 377 still remains the biggest concern. Through this entire month, we will try to help educate and dispell many myths about the whole LGBTQIA community but first, we take you back to the most iconic symbol, the one that represents the community, the pride flag. Here are 5 important things that you need to know about it.
1. It Was Inspired By Harvey Milk
In the 1970’s, a young man named Gilbert Baker arrived in San Fransisco from Kansas. After being discharged, he stayed in SF and sewed clothing. Gay rights activist and first openly gay politician Harvey Milk challenged him to create a symbol the community could rally behind.
2. The First Flags
The first time Baker’s creation was used, was in 1978 at the Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day March. This took place in San Francisco and the saw hand-dyed versions of what is now considered a beacon of hope and love.
3. Every Colour Has A Meaning Behind It
The original flag creation had eight a total of eight colours. Each colour represented individual components of the community. According to Gay Pride New Orleans, hot pink is for sex, red is for life, orange is for healing, yellow is for the sun, green is for nature, turquoise for the arts, indigo for harmony and violet for spirit.
4. The Six-Colour Flag
Back in the day, the hot pink colour was difficult to reproduce. It was pretty expensive and wasn’t feasible once the flag reached mass-production status, hence it was dropped. The turquoise was dropped by activists after the assassination of Harvey Milk. The reason for this decision was because, in order to march with the flag after his assassination, there had to be an even number of colours on each side. It’s safe to say that the origins of the six-colour flag have a rather tragic origin.
5. The Largest Pride Flag Ever
To commemorate the gay rights movement’s 25th anniversary in 1994, Baker made a mile-long flag in New York. In 2003, Baker made the world’s longest of his creations to stretch from the Gulf of Mexico to the Florida Strait.
Probably one of the most significant contributors to the LGBTQIA community, Gilbert Baker passed away peacefully, in his home, at the age of 65. We pay our respects to him and thank him for leaving behind a legacy that will live on and inspire generations to come.
The history and struggles of the community all over the world is something we should know about. It’s easy to skip over such things, however, in order to understand a community, it’s important to understand how it all started. Happy pride month! #BeProud
Information courtesy: Out.com
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