Malik commissioned Baker to design a symbol of pride for the gay community.īaker decided to use a flag because he viewed flags as powerful symbols of pride. Gilbert Baker was an army veteran who had served in the Vietnam War for two years, a drag queen, and a social activist. Harvey Milk, an openly gay elected official, appointed Gilbert Baker to create a symbol of pride for the queer community. The rainbow flag traces its roots to the 1970s during the LGBT social movements. To the LGBT movement, the rainbow flag symbolizes unity for the queer community across the globe. How Did the Rainbow Flag Become an LGBT Symbol? It acts as a symbol of solidarity for LGBTQ human rights and tolerance to people of all ages, races, and gender.It’s a symbol of LGBT community social movements.It’s a message of hope, liberation, and diversity for queer people worldwide.It’s a significant part of the queer community because: The rainbow flag holds cultural, political, and historical significance for the LGBTQ community across the globe. The flag has become a tool for LGBT activists to create public awareness and political statements supporting gay rights in recent years. It has become synonymous with LGBT representation, replacing prior symbols such as the pink triangle and lambda letter. The rainbow flag symbolizes queer identity, diversity, and solidarity.
