Popularity spiked again a decade later when a West Hollywood resident sued his landlord over the right to hang his flag outside his residence. The 30-by-60 foot flag was hoisted up high on Jin celebration of the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade held in United Nations Plaza. The story of the creation of the original rainbow flag from San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978 tends to credit American artist and gay rights activist Gilbert Baker as the sole creator and designer of the colorful flag that would become an international symbol of LGBT pride, LGBT rights and LGBT Freedom, however, dye artist and designer Lynn Segerblom, has a different tale to tell. After the assassination of Harvey Milk on November 27, 1978, demand for the rainbow banner only increased. Baker then took the design to Paramount Flag Company, which sold a version of the flag without hot pink and turquoise, which were replaced with blue for practicality purposes. It was first showcased at San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978.Īfter the design was unveiled, participants of the parade proudly waved the new symbol in solidarity. With the help of close to 30 volunteers working in the attic of the Gay Community Center in San Francisco, Baker was able to construct the first draft of the now world-renowned rainbow flag. At the top was hot pink, which represented sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow signifying sunlight, green for nature, turquoise to represent art, indigo for harmony, and finally violet at the bottom for spirit. The original flag featured eight colors, each having a different meaning. the two original flags were thought to be lost for more than four decades. The different colors within the flag were meant to represent togetherness, since LGBT people come in all races, ages and genders, and rainbows are both natural and beautiful. The brilliantly colored bannernow on view in San Franciscoflew on 'Gay Freedom Day' in 1978. The Gay Freedom Day Committee (now called San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee) quickly decided that the Rainbow Flag should be flown from the light poles along both sides of Market Street for the 1979 Gay Freedom Day Parade. The first rainbow flag was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist, in response to calls by activists for a symbol for the pride community.