At every Proud Horizons meeting, we bring out the rainbow flag and place it in the middle of the circle. The main purpose of the rainbow flag is to signal that a line or barrier has been crossed. If a member is hurt or offended by something another member of the group says or does, that member is expected to raise the rainbow flag so that the group can discuss what happened.
History of the Rainbow FlagIn 1978 Gilbert Baker, an artist living in San Francisco, was called upon by a local activist to create a flag that would be symbolic of the growing gay pride movement. Baker decided to make an eight-striped flag, with each stripe being a different color, representing an aspect of the diverse queer community. After its design, Baker took the flag to the Paramount Flag Company to have it manufactured commercially, however, he found that the company couldn't print hot pink, and so the flag became seven-striped.
The Rainbow Flag received its first important public acknowledgment in 1979, with the assassination of San Francisco's gay mayor, Harvey Milk. The San Francisco gay community made Milk the rallying point of their 1979 pride parade. Baker's flag was chosen to show the strength and solidarity of the community. The organizers removed the indigo stripe, so each side of the street could take three colors. The six-striped flag was the final form of what became a worldwide symbol. It has since been recognized by the International Congress of Flagmakers and is flown at pride events, businesses and homes throughout the world.
