Rocking rainbow: Celebs show their Pride
Always campy, but never in poor taste
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CELEBRITY Lgbt
LGBT pride and rainbow colors—the two just go hand in hand. No, the LGBT community does not have sole ownership over rainbows, but the connection can’t be denied. After all, there’s a lot of history involved here.
Any iteration of the rainbow in connection with the LGBT community, be that an accessory or even a hairstyle, has its roots in the LGBT pride flag. That flag, which has now been seen the world over, originates all the way back in 1978.
Where? You guessed it: San Francisco. That’s where queer artist Gilbert Baker, who passed away in 2017, created it with only a US$1,000 budget.
Writes HuffPost: "In 1974, Baker’s life changed forever when he was introduced to rising queer activist Harvey Milk, who owned a camera shop in San Francisco’s Castro district. Milk, of course, would go on to win a seat as a San Francisco city supervisor in 1977, becoming the first openly gay man elected to public office in California in the process. Along with writer Cleve Jones and filmmaker Artie Bressan, Milk pressed Baker to create a recognizable emblem of empowerment for the queer community."
Milk went on to ride under the original, eight-striped rainbow pride flag at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in June 1978, just months before he was assassinated. Over the next two years, the design was altered to its current, six-stripe version, but the flag’s all-inclusive message remains intact.
What do the remaining colors mean? “Red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony, and purple for spirit.”
Now, does everyone who wears these colors know this history? Of course not. But if the intention is to promote LGBT acceptance and inclusiveness, supporters of the flag are sure to look the other way.
You’ll probably also get a pass even if you’re just using the rainbow theme as a fashion statement, like several of the celebrities in the following gallery. Curious? Click on!
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