Why is there no blue in the LGBT rainbow? LGBT rainbow flag - who invented it and what is behind it Blue rainbow flag.

I found the letter below published on Twitter today. The recipient of this letter (see below) asked whether the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region was gay propaganda or not.


An inspection (examination) was carried out in connection with the appeal of one local resident of the Jewish Autonomous Region to the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation, who suspected the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region of promoting non-traditional sexual relations. Experts from the Presidential Heraldic Council found no signs of such a thing.



“In response to your request regarding the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region, we inform you that this flag does not contradict the current legislation of the Russian Federation and, therefore, there are no grounds for its cancellation or change.

In response to your request regarding the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region, we inform you that this flag does not contradict the current legislation of the Russian Federation and, therefore, there are no grounds for its cancellation or change.

In connection with your concerns regarding the similarity of this flag with the symbols of the gay movement, we clarify that not every image of a rainbow is associated with sexual orientation. In particular, in the flag sphere there is an established flag of the gay movement, which is a panel consisting of seven equal horizontal stripes in the colors of the rainbow. Variable and subordinate flags of homosexuals are built on the basis of what is described with the addition of inscriptions and images on the banner.

Obviously, the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the basis of which is a white cloth, has nothing in common with the flag described above.

Sincerely, G.V. Vilinbakhov

State Master of Arms.

Performed by G.V. Kalashnikov."

As far as we know, the current “liberal flags” (symbols) are orange, white or rainbow.
The wave of “peaceful” orange revolutions in the former Soviet republics of the USSR (Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan) stumbled in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation.
In 2005 in Baku ( Azərbaycan Republic) I went to the boutiques of the city to buy a fashionable light T-shirt. All T-shirts were dark colors: black, dark blue, brown. But I wanted something light. Finally, I went into one boutique and found one single bright red T-shirt there. I asked the seller why there weren’t, for example, orange T-shirts? The merchant replied that because of the “orange revolutions” we were prohibited from selling orange T-shirts (fabrics)...
There was talk on the Internet that a wave of the “Orange Revolution” would soon sweep through Russia. However, the opposition chose peaceful white ribbons (flags) as its symbol, and almost immediately gay movements with rainbow flags joined them. The first thing that alerted me was the white banners and rainbow flags together.
It is known that a white cloth (flag) symbolizes surrender to the mercy of the enemy, capitulation, a sign of a demand for a cessation of hostilities, a sign of a truce or a proposal for negotiations, and the rainbow flag immediately became associated with the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Why?

Firstly, the rainbow flag itself carries information about the colors of the rainbow. Secondly, it cannot be the flag of a foreign state, but is close to the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region and the flag of gay movements.
The official response of the State Heraldry G.V. Vilinbakhov states that "in the flag sphere there is an established flag of the gay movement, which is a panel consisting of seven equal horizontal stripes of rainbow colors. Variable and subordinate flags of homosexuals are built on the basis described with the addition of inscriptions and images on the panel.

It is obvious that with the flag described above, the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the basis of which is a white cloth, has nothing in common" .
In the Jewish Autonomous Region they give the following explanations about the similarity of the two flags.

"God threw a rainbow from the sky to those lost in the desert as a symbol of hope. The originality of the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region was noted by the Heraldic Chamber, there is a special conclusion. Gays used this divine symbol - the rainbow, but took the blue color out of the spectrum, and this is no longer a rainbow. When are they stupid? people are trying to rebuild our lives, to impose their opinions on us - this will not lead to anything good, we will forget about honor, dignity, justice, and there will be no hope left,” Valyaev explained.
And now the question is, why do the two liberal symbols of the white ribbon and gay movements go hand in hand?
If we conditionally combine them, we will get a flag that no longer resembles the “Pride Flag,” as the media report, but the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region of the Russian Federation. Then another question arises, what is the attitude of the EAO It has to protests? Why was this particular flag design chosen for the Jewish Autonomous Region?

The perception of the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region as a symbol of positive endeavors is natural for global history and culture, says Elena Troyan, chief curator of the regional local history museum. In her opinion, the flag with rainbow symbols worthily represents a multinational region with a common history, reports the correspondent. IA EAOmedia.

- At various times, there were waves of discussions related to the theme of the similarity of the flag of the region and a certain category of the human community. But for me personally, this topic was closed when, at a conference on heraldry, representatives of the Heraldic Chamber gave clear explanations. This became the starting point to find out for myself the meaning of the rainbow as a certain symbol.

The rainbow is very symbolic for Jewish culture. This is also a reflection of how the lamp in minor was received at Sinai along with the tablets and the oral Torah. Here the analogy simply suggests itself. Seven candles in a minor key - seven colors of the rainbow. The width of the stripe on the flag is one in 40 times the width of the flag. Again, we return to the Bible, the Torah - for 40 years Moses led the Jewish people through the desert, a new generation grew up, the people freed themselves from the slave mentality. We are talking about the traditions that are reflected on the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region,” said Elena Troyan.

According to her, since people of different nationalities live in the region, one can remember world history. In particular, the story of the global flood - after the rain, which poured for 40 days and nights, the first thing a person saw in the sky was a rainbow - a symbol of peace, a sign of the covenant between God and man that such terrible events would not happen again. In the Bible, the appearance of a rainbow after the flood is interpreted as a sign of God’s forgiveness of human sins. And this is also embodied in the flag of the region.
In Russia, a rainbow is present on the flags of the cities of Raduzhny in the Vladimir, Moscow regions and Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug, and on the flag of the Patriots of Russia party. The flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region is a white rectangular panel, along the horizontal axis of which there is a rainbow colored stripe, consisting of seven narrow horizontal stripes: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The rainbow flag was chosen as the flag of the “Economic Freedom Party” founded by K. N. Borov, which caused subsequent embarrassment (it was confused with the “gay flag”).

Flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region
If you're happy Yeah, according to Elena Troyan, “very symbolic for Jewish culture,” this begs the question: why do gays provoke discontent among some Russian citizens with their “Pride flag” on the territory of the Russian Federation? For example, Adolf Hitler, after coming to power, his partyThe flag of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) was adopted as a co-national flag, and then as a state, national and trade flag of Germany (Third Reich).

The "Pride Flag" is so named because it can only be used in gay parades. And for those who are especially “curious” they give a misleading explanation and call it the “flag of peace”.
The “Flag of Peace” (Italian: Bandiera della Pace) is one of the symbols of the international peace movement. Its author is considered to be the Italian philosopher, theologian and humanist Aldo Capitini, who demonstrated the rainbow banner at the first peace march from Perugia to Assisi on September 24, 1961. The rainbow was chosen as a symbol of celebration of diversity and a biblical sign of reconciliation. There is evidence that the rainbow flag as a sign of peace was proposed as early as 1949 and may have been borrowed from the co-operative movement.
On the territory of Russia, the “Pride Flag” has established itself in the hometown of the President and Prime Minister of St. Petersburg. Then, sooner or later, the hour may come when the “Pride Flag” will become, like the dream of the communists, not the flag of the World Revolution and not the “flag of peace” (in the sense of peace), but the “flag of peace” (in the sense of the Earth) under the rule of the world (Earthly) government.


Pride flag of St. Petersburg


Flag of Shalom
***

Along with other celestial phenomena, the rainbow is one of the ancient symbols of humanity.
Now let's look at the coincidences and history of this flag. ABOUT some of the most famous and recognizable variants of the rainbow flag is The Pride Flag (symbol of the gay and lesbian movement) and the Peace Flag (symbol of the peace movement), as well as the flag of the Native American movement.

In 1924, the famous French economist Charles Gide created a rainbow flag to celebrate International Cooperative Day. He emphasized that the rainbow symbolizes unity in diversity and the power of light, enlightenment and progress. The flag became the official symbol of the International Co-operative Alliance in 1925. In the post-war period, the Alliance began to actively cooperate with the labor movement in many countries of the world.
Currently, the rainbow flag (English Pride flag.), Freedom flag (English Freedom flag) is an international symbol of the LGBT community. The rainbow flag consists of six longitudinal stripes, the colors of which follow the natural order of the rainbow from top to bottom: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.
The original idea behind the rainbow flag is liberation. Any revolution begins with the word “no”. No injustice, no violence, no discrimination, no oppression, no slavery, no living under constant fear. Yes - love. The rainbow flag was designed by artist Gilbert Baker specifically for the 1978 San Francisco Gay Pride. The flag was first displayed on June 25, 1978.
It has been suggested that Baker's design of the banner was inspired by the "flag of the races" of the African American civil rights movement, which was proclaimed by the Reverend Jesse Jackson: "Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is rainbow - red, yellow, brown, black and white “And we are all precious in the eyes of God.”

Initially, according to the artist's plan, the flag consisted of eight stripes. Baker assigns a specific value to each color:

deep pink - sexy

red- life

orange- health

yellow- sunlight

green- nature

turquoise- magic/art

indigo- calm/harmony

violet- fortitude/spirituality.

Subsequently, the pink and then the turquoise stripe were removed from the flag, and indigo was replaced by blue. According to the official version, the changes were made due to the economic and technical difficulties of mass production. Other sources indicate that one store, in order to meet increased demand, began selling surplus Rainbow Girls flags that did not have a pink stripe from their warehouses.
The six-color flag spread from San Francisco to other cities and became a well-known symbol of the LGBT community throughout the world. There are various variations of the rainbow flag, as well as rainbow variations of national and regional Pride flags: Canada, South Africa, Spain, USA.

Europride flag

The modern flag of Israel is unusual: two blue stripes and Magen David (Hebrew: דגל מדינת ישראל‎ - Degel Medinat Yisrael - “Star of David”, “Shield of David”) in the middle... But why is it like this? What kind of images gave him life?

The hexagram (six-pointed star), made up of two equilateral triangles, serves as the emblem of Judaism and Zionism.

What do the two blue stripes mean, besides the color of the sky?

In creating the flag of the State of Israel, the image of a tallit - a prayer shawl, cape - was used. Tzitzit tassels are inserted into the four corners of the tallit. Typically, worshipers wear a tallit during morning prayers and Torah reading. It is customary for Sephardim to wear it at weddings. The tallit accompanies a pious Jew all his life; it is even customary to bury him in a tallit. So this image for the Israeli flag is not at all accidental.

The rainbow flag is a symbol of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and LGBT social movements, and has been used since the 1970s. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, and the flag is often used as a gay pride symbol in equality marches for LGBT rights. The flag first appeared in California, but is now used throughout the world.

The father of the famous symbol of the LGBT community did not receive as much popularity as other public activists. Unlike Elton John or Ellen DeGeneres, only a few people know the name of the artist Gilbert Baker. He was born in 1951 in Kansas. Gilbert Baker served in the US Army from 1970 to 1972. He spent most of his short military service in San Francisco, at a time when the LGBT movement was just preparing to explode.

A few days before the Gay Freedom Day Parade began on June 25, 1978, Harvey Milk called his buddy Gilbert Baker and told him the event needed a logo. Baker replied that a flag could become such a logo.

Gilbert Baker

The color set has undergone several changes. Some were initially removed and others were added due to the inability to find the right materials to dye the fabric. Today, the most common version consists of six stripes: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. The ribbons are usually horizontal, with a red stripe at the top, just like a real rainbow.

Quite slowly, this symbol became the main attribute of LGBT people, displacing the more general flag with a pink triangle. Today the LGBT flag is recognized by the International Congress of Flag Manufacturers and covers all LGBT marches around the world.

In 1994, Gilbert Baker moved to New York City, where he created a mile-long flag to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots. This flag was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest. After its display, the flag was cut into pieces and sent around the world to LGBT activists.

Gilbert Baker was involved in creating the props for the biopic Milk, which was dedicated to the personality of Harvey Milk. Baker still lives in San Francisco, making flags.

Predecessors of the rainbow flag

Since ancient times, color has played an important role in expressing social expression during pride events. In Victorian England, for example, the color green was associated with homosexuality. The color purple (more specifically lavender) began to gain popularity as a symbol of pride in the late 1960s. Often after Stonewall, the gay community was called "Purple Power".

Pink triangle. The appearance of the pink triangle is associated with the tragic events of World War II, when Jews had a Star of David attached to their coats, and pink triangles were attached to the uniforms of homosexuals, who were also executed in concentration camps. Since 1977, the “pink triangle” has been adopted by the LGBT community as a symbol of the fight against oppression and began to be actively used among the community. The Pink Triangle gained widespread use as a gay icon in the early 1980s. Today it is a symbol of pride, as it used to be associated with persecution of people for their sexual orientation.

Black triangle. Another symbol comes from Nazi Germany. It was used to refer to lesbians and prostitutes in concentration camps. The black triangle is worn today to honor women who have been criminalized and imprisoned.

Lambda sign - 11th letter of the Greek alphabet. Lambda became a symbol of the LGBT community in the 70s, when gay activists chose the Greek letter "L" to represent "liberation" (in the original Liberation).

The history of the rainbow flag

The rainbow flag was designed in response to a call from local LGBT activists who wanted a symbol (this was before the pink triangle was widely used as a symbol of pride) Baker is said to have been inspired to create the flag by Judy Garland's singing of "Over The Rainbow" " and the Stonewall riots that occurred a few days after her tragic death. There is also a legend that the flag resembled the ribbons that appear on the World War I Victory Medal, or it is believed that the rainbow flag originated because on college campuses in the 60s, students demonstrated world peace by holding Flag of the Races ( also called Flag of the Human Race) with five horizontal stripes (from top to bottom there was a red, black, brown, yellow, white stripe).

Baker designed a flag with eight stripes: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, turquoise and purple. Baker didn’t just use colors, but put a symbolic meaning into them: pink - sexuality, red - life, orange - health, yellow - sun, green - nature, turquoise - art, blue - harmony and purple - fortitude. Baker dyed and sewed the material for the first flag himself - in the spirit of Betsy Ross, who also embroidered the US flag centuries ago. Baker soon began negotiations with the Paramount company in San Francisco, which was manufacturing flags. But unfortunately, since Baker hand-dyed the flag and the “hot pink” shade was not available in their production, this eight-stripe flag was reduced to seven colors.

In November 1978, the San Francisco gay community, shocked by the murder of the first openly gay politician, Harvey Milk, wanted to show strength and solidarity in the wake of this tragedy, decided to use Baker's flag during the 1979 Gay Pride. The event committee removed the turquoise color from the banner because they wanted to split the flag into two equal halves along the Pride route: three stripes on one side and three on the other side of the street. The six-color version soon became popular and recognized by the International Congress of Flag Manufacturers.

In San Francisco, the rainbow flag is everywhere: it can be seen on the windows of apartments throughout the city (primarily in the Castro district), on local cafes and bars, and banners with the flag hang on lampposts on the main avenue of San Francisco - Market Street , during the Pride.

In 1989, the rainbow flag was in the spotlight in the United States after citizen John Stout won a lawsuit against the owners of his home, who prohibited him from displaying the LGBT flag on his apartment balcony.

Although the rainbow flag was originally used only as a symbol of LGBT people in San Francisco, it has gained enormous popularity in recent years. Today the flag is a very popular attribute in every city in the world. The rainbow flag reminds us that we are a vibrant community made up of people with different individual tastes, all of whom we can be proud of.

Now, thanks to Aperio Lux, the LGBT portal can be read on iPhone and iPad

People's attitudes towards the LGBT symbol range from admiration and love to anger and acute rejection. But if we consider the gay flag as simply a symbol of an official movement, then we can easily ignore negative emotions.

Symbols of homosexuals in the 19th-20th centuries.

History knows many images that in some way mark representatives of non-traditional sexual orientation. Of particular note:

1. The double shield and spear of Mars have been used to represent homosexuals since the 18th century.
2. A purple palm print (the so-called “purple hand”) is the emblem of the Gay Liberation Front, a group that raided San Francisco printing houses in the 1970s.
3. Green carnations as a sign of male love were common in England in the 19th century. It appeared thanks to the writer Oscar Wilde.
4. The pink triangle is notorious in the world. It was with this sign that prisoners convicted of homosexuality were marked in concentration camps. In the 1960s Movement activists wore it to draw public attention to discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Creators of the Rainbow Flag

Unlike state symbols, which have evolved to their modern form over many centuries, the exact date when the gay flag appeared is known. Its story began in 1978 in the attic of the Gay Community Center in San Francisco with the participation of very extraordinary people: politician Harvey Milk and artist Gilbert Baker.

Harvey Milk (05/22/1930 - 11/27/1978) was the first openly gay man elected to public office in US history. A member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for less than a year, he became known for fighting discrimination against gays. Milk promoted legislation to protect the rights of sexual minorities, promoted protests and fought against the Briggs Initiative (the dismissal of gay teachers from American schools).

In May 1978, he asked Gilbert Baker, a gay activist, to create a memorable symbol for the upcoming San Francisco parades.

Gilbert Baker (06/02/1957 - 03/30/2017) - artist and protest activist. He arrived in San Francisco in 1972 after serving in the army and took part in numerous anti-war rallies. Baker owned a sewing machine, which he used to make outfits in the style of Mick Jagger and David Bowie. Thanks to his ability to handle fabrics, he was often involved in the creation of protest symbols. The gay flag became his most famous work.

Creation and recognition of an unconventional rainbow

The first rainbow flags were huge panels of cotton fabric, hand-painted in 8 colors. 30 volunteers helped William Baker cope with such a volume of work. The fabrics were sewn by hand, and the dye was diluted in trash cans. The finished product reached 30 m in length and 10 in width. William Baker is believed to have been inspired by Judy Garland's hit "Over the Rainbow".

An unconventional rainbow was first demonstrated on June 25, 1978, at a parade that attracted more than 250 thousand participants. The gay flag then floated over the crowd, obscuring the sky for the marchers.

The rainbow flag quickly spread across the United States among activists for the rights of sexual minorities. In 1985, the International Gay and Lesbian Association adopted it as its official symbol.

Variety and meaning of colors

Initially, the colors of the gay flag were less associated with the rainbow, and William Baker put the following meaning into them:

• Pink is sexy.
• Red is life.
• Orange - health.
• Yellow is the light of the sun.
• Green - forces of nature.
• Turquoise - art and magic.
• Indigo - harmony.
• Purple is the beginning of the soul.

In the process of evolution, pink and turquoise disappeared, and indigo was replaced by deep blue. The reasons for this were purely rational: the use of non-natural colors required large costs in the manufacture of flags. So the modern interpretation of the symbol of the LGBT community sounds like a joke: “We were left without art and lost our sexuality.”

Lack of blue color

The gay flag is often associated with the rainbow, although its colors lack blue. In Russia, it is widely believed that this happened due to the synonymization of the words “gay” and “homosexual.” However, it is not. It’s just that, according to Russian speakers, there are 7 colors in the rainbow, but for English speakers, blue and blue have the same name (blue) and are often combined. In Germany, gays are called “pink”; in France, “gay” is a newcomer.

The absence of blue on the flag of the LGBT community is explained by other reasons:

• In 1985, a seven-color rainbow flag already existed, and it belonged to the Peace Movement. A similar color scheme, but in a mosaic version, was used by the “Indigenous Peoples of South America” movement. The International Gay and Lesbian Union could not take over someone else's official sign.
• An even number of colors is more convenient in practical terms, since the stripes can be split into equal numbers to frame something.

Reasons for popularity and disgust

The main criticism of the flag is that it appropriates the positive emotions that the rainbow evokes in most heterosexual people. The LGBT community, in fact, speculates on the centuries-old positive attitude of humanity towards this natural phenomenon.

People who declare tolerance and love themselves do not care about the feelings of tens of millions of people for whom the rainbow was a religious and social symbol, in no way connected with anything sexual or unconventional.

Laws "against" and "for"

The fierce struggle of gays and lesbians for their rights began in the 1970s. It was especially tense in San Francisco, traditionally considered a city of creative people: artists, musicians, actors. It was there that the gay flag first appeared.

The history of its origin began in the USA, and it is not at all surprising that it is in this country that the laws are the most “pleasant” for homosexuals and other representatives of the LGBT community. Moreover, as President Barack Obama stated in 2015, protecting their rights is a priority for domestic and foreign policy. The LGBT movement is also recognized in the European Union, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand and Greenland. The rainbow flag in these states is protected as a state symbol.

But not all countries treat gay people so favorably. In most Muslim countries and African states, same-sex relationships are prohibited. The most severe punishment for homosexuality is provided in Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Qatar, Iran and Sudan: death penalty, life imprisonment or prison term of 10 to 20 years. The gay flag and its display in these states are strictly prohibited.

In Russia, the attitude towards homosexuality is neutral with a gradual shift towards negativity in public terms. Currently, laws do not provide members of the LGBT union with rights and protection, but do not prohibit their activities within the country. In 2016, the State Duma rejected an initiative to ban the LGBT flag in Russia.

Variations of the rainbow flag

The LGBT community is heterogeneous, so there are different variations of its official symbol. And if the gay flag, the photo of which is presented below, is a rainbow, then the symbolism of other non-traditional sexual minorities is designed depending on the preferences of one or another part of this non-traditional movement.

Additionally, the rainbow symbol is often used as a background for gender symbols or placed on shapes. The scope of the flag is very wide: banners, streamers, ribbons, badges, decorations, illumination of public buildings.

These signs, varying in origin and meaning, help LGBT people identify themselves and increase confidence and self-esteem in the face of discrimination and oppression. They demonstrate community unity, openness, pride and shared values. LGBT symbols play an important role in creating visibility for a community that was previously marginalized and invisible. The most famous of them are the rainbow flag and the pink triangle.

Pink triangle– the oldest and one of the most recognizable symbols of the community. It dates back to the times of Nazi Germany, in which homosexual men were prosecuted as criminals. Together with other Holocaust victims, they were sent to concentration camps, where their clothes were marked with a pink triangle. According to various sources, from 5 to 15 thousand homosexual men were imprisoned in concentration camps. Most of them died because they suffered cruel treatment not only from the guards and administration, but also from other prisoners.

In the early 1970s, LGBT organizations in the United States and Germany began a campaign to popularize the pink triangle as a symbol of the movement. It is now used to commemorate a tragic past, demonstrate the struggle for human rights and express hope for a new era of freedom, openness and pride.

Rainbow flag(also known as the Pride Flag, Freedom Flag) is one of the most popular and well-known LGBT symbols. Traditionally, the flag consists of six longitudinal stripes, the colors of which follow the natural order of the rainbow from top to bottom: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. The flag is meant to represent unity in diversity, beauty and joy of the LGBT community. He is the personification of pride and openness.

The rainbow flag was designed by Gilbert Baker specifically for the 1978 San Francisco Gay Pride. This year was historic for the local LGBT community - for the first time in California, openly gay Harvey Milk was elected to political office (as a member of the city board of supervisors).

Bisexual flag. The first bisexual pride flag was designed by Michael Page and first appeared on the 1st anniversary of BiCafe on December 5, 1998. This is a rectangular flag of three horizontal stripes: a wide purple (lilac) stripe at the top, representing the field of attraction for homosexuals; a wide blue stripe at the bottom, representing the opposite field of attraction (heterosexuals), and a lavender stripe (purple) occupying the central part as a fusion of the two areas, which symbolizes attraction to both sexes (bisexuals).

Purple hand- a symbol of protest of the 60s, got its name in San Francisco. A group of homosexuals protesting homophobia stained their hands with ink and left their handprints on houses, vehicles, fences, etc.

The most popular and recognizable transgender symbol represents the signs of the female and male gender combined together - a ring with an upward-pointing arrow, denoting the masculine principle, and a downward-pointing cross, denoting the feminine principle; sometimes this is also accompanied by a combined arrow and cross.

It's no secret that today sexual minorities are beginning to increasingly advocate for their own rights. In a number of progressive countries, gays and lesbians are already recognized as full-fledged members of society, not deserving of public censure, much less contempt. Be that as it may, one thing is obvious: this topic is relevant, it is stupid to hush it up, and that means it’s time to enlighten ourselves! This article will examine in detail the symbolism of this community and, in particular, its main attribute - the rainbow flag.

What is the LGBT movement?

First you need to thoroughly understand the theory.

LGBT activism (from English also LGBT - Lesbian + Gay + Bisexual + Transgender; also known as “gay movement”) is a socio-political movement whose activities are carried out by lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.

These are representatives of social minorities who, due to their own sexual orientation, may be subject to various types of xenophobia, discrimination, and intolerance. That is why the fundamental goal of the community is to fight for their rights as citizens, freedom of sexual choice, and respect for human rights established by the UN International Council.

Followers of the movement advocate recognition and acceptance of their group as a unique unit of society with a certain worldview and culture, and at the same time - for providing them with the opportunity and right to integrate into the rest of society without compromising their views and opinions, without losing the specificity and originality of this category of people.

Background of the fighters for their rights

The symbol of tolerance - the rainbow flag - appeared much later than the community itself, because the beginning of the self-awareness of activists as a certain, separate group dates back to the second half of the 19th century, that is, the period preceding not only the Second, but even the First World War!

Such processes and the unrest existing in oppressed circles acquired their most formal form in Germany. Here the distribution of anonymous leaflets began, then gradually the scientific study of, as defined at that time, people of the “third sex” was introduced into practice, and finally, the German Richard Oswald, whose co-author was Dr. Hirschfeld, released a film openly addressing the problematic topic for the first time. It was called “Not like everyone else.”

After the war, the world was more than fed up with injustice, and, first of all, LGBT activists felt it. They began to establish entire gay neighborhoods for their own lives and set up gay bars. Over time, they went further - they began to radically hold rallies, repeal discriminatory, oppressive laws that prohibited them from working in certain professional fields, being blood donors, entering into marriage unions and adopting children in orphanages. And, of course, the oppressed began to invent their own distinctive attributes.

LGBT Rainbow Flag: History of its Origin in the World

The appearance in the everyday life of activists of this attribute, with which today gays, lesbians and others are associated in the minds of almost every heterosexual person, is associated with the name of the American Gilbert Baker.

In the 70s of the 20th century, Baker moved to San Francisco, where he met the successful and widely recognized Harvey Milk, whose basic principles of his political campaign were the protection of the rights of sexual minorities. This activist became the first openly gay man in his country, achieved high political position, and made a brilliant career in the legislative sphere.

However, November 1978 became fatal for Harvey - he was killed. The dramatic life story of Harvey Milk formed the basis of the film of the same name “Harvey Milk”.

It is known that shortly before his death, it was Milk who asked the young Baker to create a flag that would become a real symbol of the growing gay movement. The task was clear to Gilbert, since he had behind him a whole bag of invented and created slogans, posters, banners and other activist materials for demonstrations, marches, pickets and rallies. The flag appeared in 1978.

Description of the flag

The Baker designed flag, also known as the "Freedom Flag", "Peace Flag" or "Pride Flag", is a rectangle traditionally composed of 6 longitudinal horizontal stripes, classically alternating.

Their colors are related to the natural order of the color palette in the rainbow and are arranged in a similar way from top to bottom. However, in general, the internal content of the flag does not correspond to the established canons of heraldry due to the diversity of the combination. The colors that make up the flag and their intended meanings are as follows:

• Red - sexuality, fire, vitality and energy.
• Orange - healing.
• Yellow - Sun.
• Green is nature.
• Blue is art.
• Purple - harmony.

The meaning contained in each stripe, in the opinion of the creator, should reflect one of the essential, distinctive symbols of human existence in terms of value. The flag is a tangible material embodiment of the openness, pride and brightness of the entire community, morally united and endlessly joyful towards the world.

What the rainbow flag symbolizes is clear. Where to look for the origins?

There are many theories as to why the rainbow gay flag is the way it is. According to one, perhaps the most beautiful of them, the creator was inspired by the atmosphere of irreconcilable hostility between sexual minorities and the government, which was expressed in the form of clashes between visitors to the Stonewall gay bar with the police and serious riots. This happened at the end of June 1969.

What does the rainbow flag have to do with it? The fact is that shortly before the events described, the singer and Hollywood actress Judy Garland, known for her role as Dorothy in the fairy-tale film “The Wizard of Oz” and at the same time for the fact that she was one of the first icons of the gay community and the movement for their rights, died . It was Garland’s song “Over the Rainbow” that could be the reason why the rainbow flag became one of the symbols of sexual minorities.

According to other sources, Baker was inspired by memories of anti-war protests on university campuses, where striped flags (albeit in slightly different colors) meant tolerance towards all races, personified pacifism and humanity.

The author himself, however, subsequently noticed that the appearance of the flag is a synthesis of simplicity and grace, beauty and deep inner ideas. It is to reflect the differences that exist between all people included in the LGBT category based on gender, age, race and other characteristics. However, they are all fighting for the same cause. Scattered stripes of different colors make up one flag.

Modifications of colored fabric: how they changed it before and what they come up with now

Everything seems to be clear about what the rainbow flag means, as well as its history. What is more interesting is that, in view of technological progress that has stepped forward, and with it human creativity, the traditional color canvas often undergoes a wide variety of transformations.

Modifications to the material had occurred before: for example, the pink color Baker initially chose turned out to be too expensive to involve in production, and had to be abandoned, replaced with a more compromise red.

There were initially more stripes themselves. But people realized that a flag that was too large was inconvenient to use, and therefore its components were reduced to an even number.

During the AIDS epidemic, the community decided to replace one of the flag's stripes with black, agreeing to remove it only when the disease was defeated.

However, alongside the usual, although sometimes still striking, variations - for example, the creation of a 10 (!) meter banner in honor of the “birthday” of a symbol - non-standard solutions also coexist. Thus, in the summer of 2015, the outer walls of the White House were illuminated with the colors of the rainbow flag of freedom. This marked the legalization of non-traditional marriages in all states of the country.

After the terrorist attack in Orlando, when people were shot at a gay club, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in the colors of the flag as a sign of memory of the victims and solidarity with LGBT people.

Recognition or rejection

Currently, the LGBT movement and the rights of its followers are legally recognized throughout most of the European Union, as well as in the United States, Canada, Greenland, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, Colombia and the Faroe Islands.

The controversial issue of same-sex marriage remains in parts of Mexico and Costa Rica. Countries where only civil unions and partnerships for representatives of sexual minorities are legalized are Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Chile, Liechtenstein, Croatia, Andorra, Italy, Estonia, Ecuador, and partially Australia.

In all of the above countries, activists can openly declare their sexual orientation, and if pressured on this basis, contact the police and count on protection of personal integrity.

The difference lies in the fact that the conclusion of unions and partnerships does not give a non-traditional couple a number of legal rights. They are limited in their ability to adopt a child from an orphanage and cannot turn to surrogacy or artificial insemination services.

The use of symbols, including not only the Pride flag, but also other attributes: the pink triangle, the bisexual flag, the purple hand, the transgender symbol, is not even in question here - it is absolutely permitted.

Rainbow flag: is it banned in Russia?

In Russia, the general problem of attitude towards sexual minorities is extremely acute: for example, the main rainbow LGBT symbol in the country in 2015 was even proposed to be banned - such a proposal was put forward by the municipal deputy in the Babushkinsky district of Moscow, Alexey Lisovenko, which the general public learned about thanks to his post in Facebook networks.

The official called the trend toward legalizing same-sex marriage “geyratization” and compared it to the “color revolutions” being carried out in the United States, allegedly hidden under the guise of democratic actions. Lisovenko believes that Roskomnadzor needs to provide more power to ensure that the flag of the LGBT community appears as rarely as possible or not at all on the pages of Internet resources, and sites or user accounts that refer to the attributes of sexual minorities in their own publications are immediately deleted and blocked without the possibility of restoring access.