walk to the Jacob Whittemore House in Lexington from Concord, MA on June 14, 2020. “As a queer man of colour, I am very hopeful the adoption of the Progress Pride Flag by the wider community, it is a huge step forward for us all.”ĬONCORD, MA - JUNE 14: A small group of Black Lives Matter protesters met at Meriam's Corner and. “Many other movements are benefiting from this, for example the Black Lives Matter movement, and so of course there has been cross pollination to the LGBTQ+ movement where finally queer trans people of colour (QTPOC) and our issues are being recognised. Jason Jones, who successfully campaigned to overturn colonial anti-LGBT laws in Trinidad and Tobago–which could yet be returned again if the Government wins an ongoing appeal–thinks the pandemic has thrown us all into a new reality: “This flag recognises intersections within the LGBTQ+ community honouring LGBTQ+ people of colour–whose activism inspired the very first Pride-as well as different gender identities.” “The LGBTQ+ community make an enormous contribution to life in our city and it is so important for Pride celebrations to reflect the rich diversity of that community. “London is a place where diversity and difference are celebrated and embraced,” he tells me. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan tells me he is proud to have flown a version of the progress flag from City Hall for the last two years: additional colours representing bi+ people for two years now. Related: The 15 Best LGBTQ Romance Movies of All Time, Ranked Pride Flag MeaningĮach color on the Pride flag has a specific meaning.The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, has been flying a version of the progress flag at City Hall with. They were soon mass-produced and flown at Pride events around the country, and the rainbow flag has become a ubiquitous symbol of Pride today. Rainbow flags was first flown at the 1978 “Gay Freedom Day” parade in San Francisco, and they quickly became the most popular symbol of gay pride. Now the rioters who claimed their freedom at the Stonewall Bar in 1969 would have their own symbol of liberation.” A Rainbow Flag would be our modern alternative to the pink triangle. It was also found in Chinese, Egyptian and Native American history. “In the Book of Genesis, it appeared as proof of a covenant between God and all living creatures. The rainbow came from earliest recorded history as a symbol of hope,” Baker wrote. “A Rainbow Flag was a conscious choice, natural and necessary.
Related: Jonathan Van Ness Said the Sweetest Things About His Mom and His HIV Diagnosis: “I’ve Put Her Through an Emotional Gymnastics Competition” He also considered the powerful symbolic significance of rainbows throughout history. We all felt that we needed something that was positive, that celebrated our love.”īaker thought a rainbow flag would better represent the beautiful diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. It functioned as a Nazi tool of oppression. “Adolph Hitler conceived the pink triangle during World War II as a stigma placed on homosexuals in the same way the Star of David was used against Jews. However, that symbol “ represented a dark chapter in the history of same-sex rights,” he wrote. Related: LGBTQ Flags (and their meanings) Up until that point, a pink triangle had symbolized the gay rights movement, Baker explained in his memoir, Rainbow Warrior: My Life In Color. He came up with the design after prominent gay rights leader Harvey Milk urged him to create a new, positive symbol that the entire LGBTQIA+ community could rally behind. The rainbow Pride flag was designed in 1978 by artist and gay rights activist Gilbert Baker.