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However, pink and turquoise were removed from the design by Baker when demand for the rainbow flag warranted mass production and dyes of those colours were not widely available. This version of the flag had been hand-dyed and hand-sewn.
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The original design included the colours pink, symbolizing sex, and turquoise, symbolizing magic. The fact is that the flag has undergone several changes throughout the years, and has transformed with agility based on the various challenges LGBTQ2+ people have faced. The reaction online was fierce, with some supporting and adopting Philadelphia’s version of the flag, and others feeling the symbol should not be altered in any way. While the conversation about the initiative was sometimes polarizing, the move drew focus to the very real issue of racial discrimination and cultural exclusion within LGBTQ2+ communities and events that exists beyond just one city. It was part of a campaign called “More Color More Pride,” an initiative that sought to promote the inclusion of people of colour in Pride activities in Philadelphia. In 2017, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs created a version of the Flag that included black and brown stripes. As is the case with many iconic images that are not trademarked, the rainbow flag has been used in a variety of ways by individuals, organizations and businesses to amplify their own message of LGBTQ+ inclusion. Although nobody owns the image of the flag, a version with these colours is widely recognized as the most common composition. Red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, indigo for serenity and violet for spirit. The colours of the flag each have a meaning, originally ascribed by Baker. Such an important symbol warrants examination of where it came from, and what it means to fly a rainbow flag with pride. Businesses, restaurants, homes and street signage display the rainbow to signify that the premises, places and spaces are LGBTQ+ safe spaces,” says Dennis Findlay, president of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA). “Since the creation of the rainbow flag, there has been an acceptance of it as a unifying symbol by the LGBTQ+ community. Those marching and celebrating at the event did not know that just months later Milk would be tragically assassinated and that the rainbow flag would go on to become a globally recognized symbol of pride, community, and the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. I love you forever Gilbert Baker.” The first rainbow flag was a hand-sewn piece created by Baker and dozens of volunteers for his friend Harvey Milk to use at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade in 1978. “My dearest friend in the world is gone,” wrote prominent HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ rights activist Cleve Jones on Facebook in March of 2017 following the death of the man who had given the world the iconic rainbow flag. Where the rainbow flag came from and what it means to fly it with Pride…