In honor of Pride Month, LGBTQ people and allies around the world are taking to the streets and celebrating history, freedom, and love. While the sidewalks of the Castro District in San Francisco are always adorned with vibrant rainbow flags, it is the month of June that sees the iconic stripes of gay pride flown internationally. So where was this significant rainbow symbol created?

In 1974, Gilbert Baker, a military draftee from Kansas, moved to San Francisco with the dream of pursuing art. When he met Harvey Milk, the first-ever openly gay politician to hold a high public office, the two worked together to make pride a possibility for gay people locally and internationally. 

Baker was commissioned to make a symbol for the movement, thus the rainbow flag was born. Hot pink stood for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise blue for art, indigo for harmony and violet for spirit. As of 1979, the hot pink and turquoise stripes were dropped, creating the flag as we know it today. This Pride Month, wear your historical rainbow stripes with confidence and knowledge. 

“A true flag cannot be designed — it has to be torn from the soul of the people” -  Unknown.