Twitter Honors Gilbert Baker, Late Rainbow Flag Creator
“Our Flag Flies At Half Mast”
LGBT activist Gilbert Baker, who designed the original rainbow flag that would become an international symbol for the LGBT community, died in New York yesterday at the age of 65.
Baker’s original 1978 design, created at the behest of Harvey Milk, included eight stripes, each with its own meaning. Pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for art, indigo for harmony and violet for the human spirit. The design morphed into its current incarnation the following year.
“The rainbow is a part of nature,†Baker told CBS in 2012, “and you have to be in the right place to see it. It’s beautiful, all of the colors, even the colors you can’t see. That really fit us as a people because we are all of the colors… we are all the genders, races and ages.â€
Appropriately, in honor of Baker, people of all genders, races and ages took to Twitter to celebrate not just his creation, but the man himself:
My dearest friend in the world is gone. Gilbert Baker gave the world the Rainbow Flag; he gave me forty years of love and friendship. pic.twitter.com/titd3XZ0zD
— Cleve Jones (@CleveJones1) March 31, 2017
We grieve for the man who gave so much of us something to stand behind. Thank you #GilbertBaker for all you did for us ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ
— fallere (@arewe_all_weare) April 1, 2017
@LGBTLabour @LGBTLabourWales @LGBTLabourNW @RainbowRose_PES @LSLGBT @LGBTLabourEM @LGBTLabourSW @SDLPlgbt @LabourEquality Great to see Old College, @RMASandhurst, in a farewell to #GilbertBaker, designer of the Rainbow #LGBT flag. Powerful, and versatile symbol. pic.twitter.com/q46yJVO3Oa
— Army LGBT Forum (@ArmyLGBT) April 1, 2017
#GilbertBaker gracias por regalarnos lo mas lindo nuestra bandera hermosa pic.twitter.com/KE1PNm6FjW
— Viann jaqueline (@sauryjaqueline) April 1, 2017
Our precious & fabulous #GilbertBaker sewing two 1978 #RainbowFlag recreations for #WhenWeRise. He also sewed the #RainbowFlag in #MILK. RIP pic.twitter.com/9348nyyEM9
— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) April 1, 2017
ONE MORE: #GilbertBaker on set w/ Dylan Arnold who brought Gilbert’s story to the screen in stunning fashion in #WhenWeRise. #RIP ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ pic.twitter.com/X37GAV1xus
— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) April 1, 2017
We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us. #GilbertBaker 💕ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ pic.twitter.com/IRu1QFO8SP
— Nancy D’Santos 🌈 (@Nancy_DSantos) April 1, 2017
In memory of #GilbertBaker . Thank you for giving the world a symbol for unbiased love, diversity, and inclusion. ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ#rainbowflag #rainbow pic.twitter.com/x8qjc3J8HM
— LtlFarmhouseFlowers (@LtlFarmhouse) April 1, 2017
Nos ha dejado #GilbertBaker, creador bandera arcoÃris por los derechos de las personas #LGTBI, su obra permanecerá siempre. @CarlaAntonelli. pic.twitter.com/70C1dncZJS
— Derechos Humanos (@Declaracion) April 1, 2017
Flying our #rainbow flag in honor of #GilbertBaker. #LGBT #LGBTflag pic.twitter.com/5GeOv6ngm1
— George Cunningham (@sportdiversity) April 1, 2017
#GilbertBaker RIP #RainbowFlag pic.twitter.com/sTqgIyGxtG
— Joanna K Dąbrowska (@JKDabrowska) April 1, 2017
RT @OutServeSLDN: Thank you #GilbertBaker for creating a unifying symbol for our community. #RestInPride ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ pic.twitter.com/TOLFnXrvTB
— ☣ xxαητhOηyzz ☣ (@xxanthonyzz) April 1, 2017
RIP #GilbertBaker #rainbowflag #art #painting #mixedmedia #gaypride https://t.co/4PJ38iOSP5 pic.twitter.com/9bLkF5mT8V
— Caitlin Dundon (@oneheartstudio) April 1, 2017
Le plus beau drapeau du Monde et UNIVERSEL ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆðŸŒˆðŸ’œâ¤ï¸ðŸ’™ Thanks #GilbertBaker RIP 😢✊ï¸âœŠðŸ½âœŠðŸ¿ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆðŸŒˆðŸ‘©â€â¤ï¸â€ðŸ‘©ðŸ‘¨â€â¤ï¸â€ðŸ‘¨ðŸ’👩â€â¤ï¸â€ðŸ’‹â€ðŸ‘©ðŸ‘¨â€â¤ï¸â€ðŸ’‹â€ðŸ‘¨ðŸ‘¨â€ðŸ‘¨â€ðŸ‘§ðŸ‘©â€ðŸ‘©â€ðŸ‘§â€ðŸ‘§ðŸ‘¨â€ðŸ‘©â€ðŸ‘¦â€ðŸ‘¦ pic.twitter.com/aWeYclHg1L
— The GOF ç«ã®å°‘女 🦋ðŸ (@GirlsonfireBlog) April 1, 2017
Our ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ flies @ 1/2 mast in honor of Gilbert Baker who in ’78 hand-dyed & stitched fabric that created the enduring symbol of LGBTQ pride. pic.twitter.com/cDA1hc6wSB
— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) April 1, 2017
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Rest in Peace, Power and Pride, Gilbert.
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Photo via torbakhopper on Flickr

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