June 1978
Design of the Pride Flag
Cultural International
Artist Gilbert Baker designed the first rainbow flag for San Francisco's Gay Freedom Day Parade, with each colour symbolising a different aspect of LGBTQ+ community and pride. Originally featuring eight stripes, the flag was later simplified to six colours and rapidly became the most widely recognised symbol of LGBTQ+ identity worldwide.
Impact & Significance
The rainbow flag quickly became an iconic and globally recognised symbol of LGBTQ+ pride, diversity, and solidarity.
Reference Record
- Date
- June 1978
- Era
- 1970-1989
- Sources
- 1
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Topic Guides
Pride Movement Origins Modern Pride grew from resistance to police harassment, the Stonewall uprising, early liberation organising, and public marches that connected protest with visibility. Pride Flags and Symbols Pride flags are visual tools for identity, solidarity and political visibility, from the rainbow flag to community-created asexual and intersex flags.
Related Pride Assets
Questions This Event Helps Answer
Q How did Pride marches begin? Pride marches began as public protest and commemoration after Stonewall, then spread through liberation movements that used visibility, solidarity and celebration as political tools. Q What do Pride flags mean? Pride flags turn identity, solidarity and protest into visible symbols, helping LGBTQ+ communities claim space and recognise one another. Q Which LGBTQ+ public figures changed visibility? They changed visibility in politics, science, activism and literature by showing that queer lives could be public, influential and historic.
Related Events
1969 Stonewall Riots 1970 Christopher Street Liberation Day 1972 The GLF host the first London Pride event on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots. 1975 Gay Left Journal Begins Publication 1995 Polyamorous Pride Flag Created by Jim Evans 1998 Bisexual Pride Flag Created by Michael Page 1999 Monica Helms Designs the Transgender Pride Flag 2007 Straight Ally Pride Flag Circulates 2010 Pansexual Pride Flag Created 2010 Online Orientation Pride Flags Expand in the 2010s 2011 Genderqueer Pride Flag Created by Marilyn Roxie 2012 Polysexual Pride Flag Created 2012 Genderfluid Pride Flag Created 2014 Aromantic Pride Flag Created by Cameron Whimsy 2014 Agender Pride Flag Created by Salem X 2014 Demiboy and Demigirl Pride Flags Created 2014 Maverique Identity and Flag Enter Online Use 2014 Nonbinary Pride Flag Created by Kye Rowan 2015 Omnisexual Pride Flag Created 2016 Butch Pride Flag Created by Dorian Rutherford 2017 Philadelphia POC Pride Flag Created 2018 Progress Pride Flag Created by Daniel Quasar 2018 Inclusive Lesbian Pride Flag Popularised 2010 Online Gender Identity Pride Flags Expand in the 2010s 2021 Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag Created
