The rainbow flag has become a globally recognized icon, but before it was a symbol, it was a physical object—or more accurately two objects—created by a group of artists in 1978, right here in San Francisco.
The San Francisco of the late 1970s was a city full of possibilities. It was a city where artists and activists could envision entirely new ways of being, where queer people who never felt at home anywhere else could finally find a place to belong, where a long-haired camera store operator could become California’s first openly gay elected official. This was the context in which the very first rainbow pride flags were created and raised by Gilbert Baker and Lynne Segerblom (co-chairs of the Decorations Committee for that year’s Gay Freedom Day celebration) and a group of dedicated volunteers.
The rainbow flag is imbued with this inherent hope and optimism, carrying San Francisco values of openness, experimentation, and forward progress all around the world. As we see the rainbow flag displayed on everything from protest banners to corporate logos this month, it’s important to reflect on the ideals sewn into the original design.
For more than 40 years, the original rainbow flags were believed to have been lost, until a large fragment of one flag was recovered and brought home to San Francisco in 2021. Today that remnant is part of the permanent gallery at the GLBT Historical Society Museum in the Castro, and one of our most prized possessions.
This Pride month we invite you to visit our museum and experience our vast queer past for yourself. To book your visit, or to make a contribution to support our work, visit https://www.glbthistory.org/
Community Treasures from the GLBT Historical Society Archives
Published on June 8, 2023
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