LGBT Flag: Meaning Behind The Colours And Its History

Friday, September 7, 2018, 17:07

With LGBT rights getting legalised in India, we realise India is changing for the better.

When people see the rainbow flag, the first thing that comes to their mind is the LGBT community and their fight for equality.

However, have you ever thought what these colours in the rainbow flag mean? The significance and the history behind the colours used in the flag are interesting.

Check out the hidden meaning behind the flag colours.

The Flag Was Released In The Year 1978

A gay artist and civil rights activist Gilbert Baker made the first rainbow pride flag in response to an anti-gay community in the year 1978. The flag was seen in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Baker had made the flag by using the pink triangle that the Nazis had used to identify the gay individuals.

The Original Flag Had 8 Colours

When the flag was introduced initially, there were eight colours in the flag that included hot pink and turquoise colours. These colours were later dropped in the year 1998.

The Current Flag Has 6 Colours

The current flag is made up of six stripes which appear in a descending order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet colours. All these colours are positioned horizontally.

The Colours And Their Meaning

As the original flag had eight colours in it, the rainbow design had a different meaning to it, and each colour had its meaning.

• Hot pink - It represents sex.
• Red - It represents life.
• Orange - It represents healing.
• Yellow - It represents sunlight.
• Green - It represents nature.
• Turquoise - It represents magic/art.
• Indigo - It represents serenity.
• Violet - It represents spirit.