14/02/2026
In 1978, one man asked for something that could bring people together.
That man was Harvey Milk.
And the artist who answered the call was Gilbert Baker, a drag performer, Army veteran, and dreamer who believed our community deserved a symbol of hope.
Inspired by the spirit of celebration and freedom he’d witnessed in America’s bicentennial, Baker got to work in the attic of San Francisco’s Gay Community Center. He hand-dyed strips of fabric in trash cans and stitched together what would become the very first rainbow Pride flag.
It originally had eight colours — each chosen with purpose:
💗 Hot pink for s*x
❤️ Red for life
🧡 Orange for healing
💛 Yellow for sunlight
💚 Green for nature
🩵 Turquoise for art
💙 Indigo for harmony
💜 Violet for spirit
The first two flags were raised on June 25, 1978, during the city’s Gay Freedom Day Parade.
Just five months later, Harvey Milk was assassinated.
The rainbow flag became more than fabric. It became resistance. It became visibility. It became pride.
Gilbert Baker never patented it. Never trademarked it. He believed it should belong to everyone. He spent decades creating enormous Pride flags for communities across the world, right up until his passing in 2017.
Today, that rainbow flies in every corner of the globe, a reminder that we are here, we are proud, and we belong.
🏳️🌈 Free2BU — always.
