LGBTQ Rainbow flag designer

The designer of the iconic flag recently passed away at the age of 65.

Gilbert Baker, the artist and LGBT activist responsible for designing the Rainbow Flag, has just died at the age of 65.

Baker was born in Kansas, U.S.A. in 1951. Later in his life, he established himself as an artist in San Francisco after a spell in the army where he learned to sew.


In an effort to unite the city’s gay community, Baker created the original eight-color Rainbow Flag in 1978 for San Francisco’s ‘gay freedom day’ – a pre-cursor to the now famous Gay Pride parades.

Baker’s created meanings to each color of his design: Pink (sexuality), Red (life), Orange (healing), Yellow (sunlight), Green (nature), Turquoise (art), Indigo (harmony) and Violet (human spirit). It has since been reduced to six colours, with pink and indigo removed. Blue is now used instead of turquoise.

At a 2015 exhibition at the New York Museum of Modern Art, Baker discussed his iconic flag design saying, “I decided that we should have a flag; that a flag fit us as a symbol, that we are a people – a tribe, if you will. And flags are about proclaiming power, so it’s very appropriate.

Baker passed away at his home in New York City on March 30. His death was announced by close friend and rights activist Cleve Jones, who did not reveal the cause of death but rather reported that Mr. Gilbert passed away in his sleep.


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