Rainbow flag

The most widely recognized symbol of gay pride, the rainbow flag, was created by Gilbert Baker. First flown publicly at San Francisco’s Gay Pride Parade in June of 1978, it offered an alternative to the pink triangle, which had originated in Nazi Germany, but was reclaimed in the ’70s by gay activists.

“I didn’t even think twice about what the flag should be,” Baker said in a PBS documentary excerpted on his official website. “A rainbow fit us. It is from nature. It connects us to all the colors, all the colors of sexuality, all the diversity of our community.”

The original flag had eight colors: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue and purple/violet. They were intended to represent sex, life, healing, sun, nature, magic, serenity and spirit, respectively. When Baker began mass producing the flags, he originally ran out of pink material — reportedly the most expensive. That color was left out of the “commercial” version, as was turquoise, which allowed the flag to retain an even number of stripes.

In 1994, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Baker created a mile-long version of the flag that was carried through the streets of New York City.

Baker died in New York City in March at age 65. His death was marked by rainbow flags being flown at half staff around the world, including from the balcony of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.