![gay men flag dancing gay men flag dancing](http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/lgbt_2012/bp2.jpg)
The next year the flag was altered again, merging the turquoise and indigo stripes into a single blue stripe. To meet demand, the hot pink color was dropped as it was difficult to source this color fabric. Later in the year, the flag became much more popular. He attributed a specific meaning to each color. Wherever this inspiration came from, Baker’s flag featured eight colored stripes. This was a flag commonly used during the sixties with five horizontal stripes (red, white, brown, yellow and black). Some think he may have been inspired by Judy Garland and the song “Over the Rainbow”, while others think he drew inspiration from the Flag of the Races. Gilbert Baker was challenged to come up with a new gay symbol, and the rainbow is what resulted. The very first instance of a rainbow flag being used to represent gay pride dates back to the Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco in 1978. Today the triangle sees less use, as people identify much more commonly with the rainbow icon we all know and love. Initially activists used the pink triangle to help raise awareness of the treatment homosexuals had received in concentration camps, but over time the symbol started to see further use as a positive one. While this was a much darker time in the history of gay rights, the symbol continued to see use even after the fall of Nazi Germany. This symbol originated in Nazi Germany, and was used to mark gay prisoners at concentration camps. The most prolific being the pink triangle.
![gay men flag dancing gay men flag dancing](https://d.newsweek.com/en/full/720060/gettyimages-450602628.jpg)
Beyond that, the use of flagging (sometimes called the hanky code) has been a part of the gay community for over a century!Īs it’s Pride Month, let’s explore the history of these fascinating flags and their importance throughout the LGBQT community… The Original Gay IconĮven before the modern rainbow flags, there was already symbols used to identify the gay community. There’s a fascinating history behind the rainbow flag we all know and love. It’s become a symbol of hope for a community often the victim of discrimination and misunderstanding. Most people by now are familiar with the rainbow flag commonly flown during many pride events and parades.