Still, that doesn't mean LGBTQ pride flags start and end at the many variations of the rainbow one. 'There was a need to create flags to indicate that the queer community reflects everybody who claims a queer identity,' Del Rio adds.
Recently, more inclusive iterations of the iconic flag have come into popularity, including those with additional stripes to represent the transgender community and people of color. 'There is a history within the queer community of not fully recognizing the needs of people with different identities,' explains Chelsea Del Rio, co-chair on the Committee on LGBT History and associate professor of history at LaGuardia Community College. Though the rainbow flag aimed to celebrate the queer community as a whole, not everyone was represented. The Rainbow Flag is like other flags in that sense, it belongs to the people.' 'A flag is something that everyone owns and that’s why they work. 'A true flag is torn from the soul of the people,' Baker told CBS Chicago in 2012. It represents the LGBTQ community all year long, but it’s especially visible in June during Pride month when the rainbow is flag flown outside shop windows, adorns shirts, gets incorporated into brand labels and even food packaging.Ī prominent emblem, its prevalence has made it instantly recognizable. By now, you're likely familiar with the six-color rainbow pride flag, created by Gilbert Baker.
