The pink and turquoise stripe were quickly dropped as fabric in those colours was difficult to find, and by 1979 the six-striped version we know today was established.
Made to represent the LGBTQ community collectively, this flag featured eight stripes, each with an assigned meaning: Hot pink (sex), red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), turquoise (magic/art), indigo (serenity), and violet (spirit). Artist and activist Gilbert Baker saw an opportunity to create a new symbol to unify this movement – and the original Rainbow flag was born. In 1978, the gay community was in the midst of a battle for equal rights, and undergoing a revolution.
