Over the years, the former indigo stripe evolved into a more classic royal blue. And that is the story of the 6-striped Rainbow Pride flag. Story has it that when the 1979 Pride Parade Committee decided to use the 7-stripe rainbow flag to honour the assassinated gay community leader Harvey Milk, the logistics involved to divide the colours evenly on parade grounds led to the eventual decision to stick to an even number of colours on the flag. So whatever happened to turquoise, the 7th colour? However, sourcing for the pink fabric required for the top layer proved an uphill task as hot pink was not a colour in demand then. Each of the eight colours were assigned specific meanings by the designer: Pink = Sex, Red = Life, Orange = Healing, Yellow = Sunlight, Green = Nature, Blue = Magic, Indigo = Serenity, Violet = Spirit. The original Rainbow Flag designed by gay activist Gilbert Baker in 1978 sported eight colours. Each colour holds a meaning: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony and purple for spirit. The official Rainbow Flag of the LGBTQ+ community has only six colours. Next, let us delve a little deeper into the hues of the Rainbow flag.ĭid you know that there are only six stripes on the Pride Rainbow Flag? Say what? Yes, you heard that right. Now you will never be stumped by a smart-aleck asking you about Pride's origins and whatever LGBTQ+ means. He called upon “ Gays and lesbians, their families and friends, celebrate the anniversary of Stonewall every June in America as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month." That sealed June as Pride month officially.Īnd in case you are wondering, LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning or Queer, while the "+" represents other sexual identities. In 1999, President Bill Clinton issued a proclamation for the Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.
Pride month had its roots in remembrance of the Stonewall uprising in June 1969 that has come to stand for fighting for equal rights of the LGBTQ+ community.