Lifetime Achievement Gilbert Baker
Gilbert Baker is an artist and civil rights activist who in 1978, designed the Rainbow Flag, perhaps the most common symbol of LGBT Pride.
Baker served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972 stationed in San Francisco at the beginning of the gay rights movement. After his honorable discharge from the military, he taught himself to sew. He used his skill to create banners for gay-rights and anti-war protest marches. It was during this time that he met and became friends with Harvey Milk.
In 1979 he began work at the Paramount Flag Company in San Francisco, and has designed displays for Dianne Feinstein, the Premier of China, the presidents of France, Venezuela and the Philippines, the King of Spain, and many others. He also designed creations for numerous civic events and San Francisco Gay Pride. In 1984 he designed flags for the Democratic National Convention.
In 1994 Baker moved to New York City and continued his creative work and activism. That year he created the world’s largest flag (at that time) in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that took place in 1969.
In 2003, to commemorate the Rainbow Flag’s 25th anniversary, Baker created a Rainbow Flag that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean in Key West. After the commemoration, he sent sections of this flag to more than 100 cities around the world.
The colors on the Rainbow Flag reflect the diversity of the LGBT community. When Gilbert Baker raised the first Rainbow Flag at San Francisco Pride on June 25, 1978, it had eight colors, each with a symbolic meaning: hot pink - sexuality; red - life; orange - healing; yellow - sunlight; green - nature; turquoise - magic/art; blue (indigo) - serenity/harmony; and violet - spirit. The design has undergone several revisions, the most common consists of six stripes: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet - flown horizontally, with the red stripe on top.
Greater Palm Springs Pride joins the community in honoring Gilbert Baker for his unceasing efforts and creation of one of the most visible symbols our movement.
GREATER PALM SPRINGS PRIDE 2 0 1 1
29
PHOTO © MICK HICKS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72