Now, before you start hating, I don't really care if you support gays, even though I am against them. I just wanna know why a rainbow of all things have to be the symbol of gay pride. That's just so...well, gay!
2006-08-24 16:23:00 · 23 answers · asked by TROLLIN' 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Colour has long played an important role in gay communities' history and expression of pride. In Victorian England, for example, the colour green was associated with homosexuality. The colour purple (or, more accurately, lavender) became popularized for the lesbian and gay communities with "Purple Power". And, of course there are the pink and black triangles. The pink triangle was first used by Hitler to identify gay males in Nazi concentration camps, and the black triangle was similarly used to identify lesbians and others deemed "asocial". The pink and black triangle symbols were reclaimed by gay communities in the early 1980s to signify our strength of spirit and willingness to survive oppression. As we gain acceptance of our rights, the symbols of oppression are gradually being replaced by the symbols of celebration. By far the most colourful of our symbols is the Rainbow flag, and its rainbow of colours - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, which represent the diversity of gay communities.
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 community. Baker used the five-striped "Flag of the Race" as his inspiration, and designed a flag with eight stripes: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. These colours were intended to represent respectively: sexuality, life, healing, sun, nature, art, harmony, and spirit. Baker dyed and sewed the material for the first flag himself - reminiscent of Betsy Ross and the creation of the US Flag.
When Baker approached a company to mass-produce the flags, he found out that "hot pink" was not commercially available. The flag was then reduced to seven stripes.
In November 1978, San Francisco's lesbian, gay and bisexual community was stunned when the city's first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, was assassinated. Wanting to demonstrate the gay community's strength and solidarity in the aftermath of the tragedy, the Pride Committee decided to use Baker's flag. The indigo stripe was eliminated so that the colours could be divided evenly along the parade route - three colours on one side and three on the other. Soon the six colours were incorporated into a six-striped version that became popularized and that, today is recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers.
The flag has become an international symbol of pride and the diversity gay our communities.
2006-08-24 16:40:09 · answer #1 · answered by Daniel L 2 · 12⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is so well ... Gay.
Dontcha luv it!
But since you asked...
Gilbert Baker designed and created the first rainbow flag in 1978 as his response to a call for a rallying, community symbol.
Baker was a San Francisco artist and he designed the ORIGINAL flag with eight stripes: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Baker stated those colors represented:
1) sexuality,
2) life,
3) healing,
4) sun,
5) nature,
6) art,
7) harmony and,
8) spirit, respectively.
If you look at the flags in use today, the colors differ somewhat. Additionally, today's 'modern' flag has only six colors or stripes.
In further response: GREEN = Nature.
Hope this helps your understanding of the origin of the 'Gay' rainbow and its flag, dear hater.
Best Wishes!
"I try to view all people as equals and give them all due respect by assuming everyone is Gay until I'm told otherwise." ~~Me
2006-08-24 17:40:33 · answer #2 · answered by Specious λ Neurotica 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
have you heard the word diversity honey??? don't get me wrong, i really don't care if you dislike gays, the fact is breeders like you are like a virus multiplying and crowding up our beautiful planet, the rainbow signifies the unity of diversity,, i choose to use the triangle as my choice of pride, if you cant understand that symbol and what it means for gay folks, then read up on the holocaust, then you'll have some idea why i chose pink triangle
2006-08-24 17:46:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I must agree but to each his/her own. I am straight and actually love the rainbow symbol as it referenced in the Bible. I see cute earrings or accessories with rainbows but don't get them as I don't want anyone to think I'm gay.
I am not sure of the root of why the rainbow is the gay pride symbol. Perhaps united colors. :? I'd be interested to know.
2006-08-24 16:38:23 · answer #4 · answered by gottaspider 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
It's only 6 colors from the rainbow, NOT THE WHOLE RAINBOW. Each Color stands for something, but i can't quite remember what they are, someone had a link in Yahoo Answers on another question with the meaning of each color.
2006-08-24 18:04:55 · answer #5 · answered by ~Twisted Sister~ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Im sorry that you are so closeminded, thats tragic and unfortunate.
Clearly you are uneducated, let me teach you something.
The rainbow flag, or diversity rainbow, was originally created to stand for diversity of all people, gay, striaght, mexican, arabic, blacks, whites, asians, and so on. It wasn't originally created specifically for the gay community, we just adopted it. It is sort of a symbol of the many different colors that our world is made up of.
Im also sorry that you still think it is cool to say "thats gay" because it is not. Thats so 1980's its not even funny.
2006-08-24 17:30:47 · answer #6 · answered by arielsalom33 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Gee lady, you tell us not to hate then go on to state you are against gays and think our symbol is just too gay.......humm...anyone else think that's a little contradictory and condescending? ...............well, peace be with you any way.......and hey, Daniel L....you did an excellent job of answering the question. Props to you!!!
2006-08-24 17:02:55 · answer #7 · answered by jax1962 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You stupid priggot bittch ho, the rainbow is a symbol of diversity. But we don't want your kind (self-hating dickless fa@gs) around here unless you are willing to go from homosexual to heterosexual. It'll make you smarter and wiser, you greedy, selffish, worthless slutt.
Do the right thing for once in your life and support same-sex marriage. You'll be glad you did. If you don't, you are a racist and a sh*t-eating, homophobic bigot.
2006-08-24 17:12:47 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
There but for the grace of good fortune go ye.
Anti-illegal, you're an awfully arrogant, prejudice, and rather ignorant immigrant. I doubt that you actually understand the socio-economic and historical issues behind illegal immigration any better than you do the history of the gay pride symbol.
Hate someplace else, please.
2006-08-24 17:00:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm not sure how it became the "gay" symbol,,, but I think they could of picked a symbol that instilled strength and unity. A rainbow seems so kiddish. :)
2006-08-24 17:21:24 · answer #10 · answered by Heather W 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋