Flag of the lgbt movement. Why is there no blue in the LGBT rainbow? LGBT activists and the fight for equal rights

The idea of ​​this post visited me a long time ago, but my hands have reached only now. To be honest, I was surprised that no one created a similar post. Okay, I won't pull. And the first flag we'll look at is:

rainbow flag

This flag is well known among YaA participants, and in general in the world, although not loved by many...

The rainbow flag (Pride flag - the flag of freedom) was designed by Gilbert Baker specifically for the gay pride in San Francisco in 1978. He described it this way:

The original idea of ​​the rainbow flag is liberation. The ability to break free, going beyond the limits created by fear and the desire to "conform to the norms", the right to declare one's sexuality without shame and fear of retribution from those who dictate "ethical laws".

The rainbow flag is alive because it represents all of us in all our diversity and beauty… Each flag symbolizes an idea. The rainbow flag stands for common sense and brave action.

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We conclude:

The flag is meant to represent the unity in diversity, beauty and joy of the LGBT community.

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The next character we'll look at is:

pink triangle

The oldest and one of the most recognizable symbols of the LGBT community. It owes its origin Nazi Germany where homosexuals were among the victims of the Holocaust. According to various estimates, in the Third Reich, according to paragraph 175, from 50 to 100 thousand homosexual men were sent to prison, and from 5 to 15 thousand people were deported to concentration camps (death camps). In concentration camps, such prisoners wore a patch in the form of a pink triangle.

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We conclude:

The pink triangle was created in order to humiliate members of sexual minorities.

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Bisexual flag

For those in the bunker:

Bisexuality - sexual attraction person in relation to men and women.

The first bisexual pride flag was designed by Michael Pugh 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 in the upper part, representing the field of attraction for homosexuals; broad band of blue below, representing opposite field attraction (heterosexuals), and a stripe of lavender (purple) occupying the central part as a fusion of two areas, which symbolizes attraction to both of the sexes (bisexuals).

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We conclude:

Flag, carries deep meaning pride of people with this unusual sexual orientation.

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black triangle

Unlike the gay men who made up the concentration camps separate group and wearing the "pink triangle", lesbians were not included in paragraph 175 of the criminal code. However, women were arrested for "anti-social behavior", which included feminism, lesbianism, prostitution. Such women were marked with a "black triangle". Today, the black triangle is used by lesbians as one of the symbols of the LGBT movement.

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We conclude:

The symbol was created to stigmatize girls

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Bisexual Triangle

More recently, bisexuals have joined the fight for equality. One of characteristic features of this struggle was the appearance of their own symbolism: pink and blue triangles partially superimposed on each other, sometimes called “bigons”. Unfortunately, unlike most other pride symbols, the exact origin of this symbol is quite mysterious. The pink triangle is obviously taken from gay symbols.

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Okay, I guess I'll end with this. It's too early for all the LGBT symbols and can't be counted forever🙂

These signs, different in origin and meaning, help LGBT people to identify themselves, increase confidence and self-esteem in the face of discrimination and oppression. They demonstrate the unity of the community, its openness, pride and common values. LGBT characters play important role in creating the appearance of a community 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 traces its history back to the days of Nazi Germany, in which homosexual men were prosecuted as criminals. Together with other victims of the Holocaust, they were sent to concentration camps, where a pink triangle was placed on their clothes. According to various sources, from 5 to 15 thousand homosexual men were imprisoned in concentration camps. Most of them died because they were mistreated not only by the guards and the administration, but also by other prisoners.

In the early 1970s, LGBT organizations in the United States and Germany launched a campaign to popularize the pink triangle as a symbol of the movement. Now it is used to perpetuate the memory of the tragic past, manifest the struggle for human rights and express hope for new era freedom, openness and pride.

rainbow flag(also known as the Pride Flag, Flag of Freedom) is one of the most popular and well-known LGBT symbols. Traditionally, the flag consists of six longitudinal stripes, the colors of which are in accordance with the natural order of the rainbow from top to bottom: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. The flag is meant to represent the 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 has become historic for the local LGBT community - for the first time in California, an openly gay Harvey Milk was elected to a political post (as a member of the city's supervisory board).

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 in the upper part, representing the field of attraction for homosexuals; a broad band of blue below representing the opposite field of attraction (heterosexuals), and a lavender colored band (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, it got its name in San Francisco. A group of homosexuals protesting against 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 sex combined together - a ring with an arrow pointing upward, indicating the masculine principle, and a cross pointing downward, indicating the feminine principle; sometimes a combined arrow and cross are also attached to this.

In June, LGBT parades are traditionally held around the world; on the streets of cities you can see various flags, signs and symbols of the LGBT movement. These symbols are diverse in origin and meaning, but they are united by the main goal - to make visible communities that have been pushed to the margins of society and erased from history. Moreover, in conditions of discrimination and suppression, these symbols defend the right of people to self-respect and pride.
Pink and black triangles appeared in heavy and scary times Holocaust, but later became a sign of solidarity and the will to fight. Labrys is an ancient symbol that still retains its significance in people's lives. The rainbow flag was created as a sign that affirms the LGBT movement. But besides them, there are other symbols representing bisexuals, transgenders, people of the leather culture and "bears", who, along with other groups, are part of the diverse LGBT community.

"Bears" form a distinct subculture within the gay community; they hold their events and have their own code of conduct. Usually bears are males of mature age, with dense facial and chest hair; some of them are distinguished by a large physique and embody in their appearance the image of masculinity adopted by the working class, although none of the above is a requirement or the only indicator.
Bears are almost always gay or bisexual men, but in Lately their communities also began to include transgender men and those who shun gender and sexual labels. To date, bear clubs exist in many countries around the world.
The International Bear Brotherhood Flag was designed in 1995 by Craig Byrnes. The color of the stripes of this flag represents the color of the bears' hair.

Skin subculture flag

The "skin people" community is made up of those interested in leather clothing and accessories, sadomasochism, bondage, domination, uniforms, rubber, and other types of sexual fetishes.
The leather flag was designed by Henry Laster and first introduced by him on international competition"Mr. Skin" in Chicago in 1989. This flag is most commonly seen in the gay community, but includes all orientations.
Another name for the leather flag is the Black and Blue Flag with Love.

People's attitude towards LGBT symbol varies from delight and love to anger and sharp rejection. But if we consider the gay flag as just a designation official movement, then from negative emotions can be easily abstracted.

Symbols of homosexuals in the XIX-XX centuries.

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

1. The double shield and spear of Mars have been used to denote homosexuals since the 18th century.
2. palm print purple(the so-called "purple hand") - the emblem of the Gay Liberation Front initiative group, which smashed the San Francisco printing houses in the 1970s.
3. A green carnation as a sign of male love was 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.

The creators of the rainbow flag

Unlike state symbols, which has evolved to modern look many centuries, known exact date when the gay flag appeared. Its history began in 1978 in the attic community center homosexuals in San Francisco with the participation of very extraordinary people: the politician Harvey Milk and the artist Gilbert Baker.

Harvey Milk (05/22/1930 - 11/27/1978) was the first openly gay person in US history to be elected to public office. As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for less than a year, he became known for his fight against gay discrimination. Milk promoted gay rights law, promoted protest actions and fought against the "Briggs Initiative" (the dismissal of gay teachers from American schools).

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

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 was noted in numerous anti-war rallies. Baker owned a sewing machine with which he sewed outfits in the style of Mick Jagger and David Bowie. Due 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. To cope with such a volume of work, William Baker was helped by 30 volunteers. Cloths of fabric were sewn together by hand, and the paint was diluted in garbage cans. The finished product reached 30 m in length and 10 in width. It is assumed that William Baker was inspired by the hit "Somewhere beyond the rainbow" (Over the Rainbow), which was performed by Judy Garland.

It was first demonstrated on June 25, 1978 at a parade that brought together more than 250 thousand participants, an unconventional rainbow. The gay flag then floated over the crowd, obscuring the sky to the participants in the procession.

The rainbow flag quickly spread throughout the United States among gay rights activists. In 1985, the International Gay and Lesbian Association accepted him as 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 - the forces of nature.
• Turquoise - art and magic.
• Indigo - harmony.
• Violet - spiritual beginning.

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 high costs in the manufacture of flags. So the modern interpretation of the symbol of the LGBT community sounds like a joke: "Left without art and lost sexuality."

Lack of blue

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

Absence blue color on the flag of the LGBT community due to other reasons:

• In 1985, a seven-colored rainbow flag already existed, and it belonged to the Peace Movement. A similar coloring, but in a mosaic version, was used by the movement "Indigenous peoples South America The International Gay and Lesbian Union couldn't take someone's official badge.
• An even number of colors is more convenient in in practical terms, since the strips can be split into equal amount to frame something.

Reasons for popularity and repulsion

The main complaints about the flag are related to the fact that it appropriates the positive emotions that a rainbow evokes in most heterosexual people. The LGBT community, in fact, is speculating on the centuries-old positive attitude of mankind towards this natural phenomenon.

People declaring tolerance and love did not give a damn about the feelings of tens of millions of people for whom the rainbow was a religious and social symbol that had nothing to do with anything sexual or non-traditional.

Laws for and against

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

The history of its origin began in the United States, and it is not at all surprising that it is in this country that the laws that are most “pleasant” for homosexuals and other representatives of the LGBT community are. Moreover, as President Barack Obama stated in 2015, protecting their rights is one of the priorities of the 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: the death penalty, life imprisonment or a prison term of up to 10 to 20 years. The gay flag and its demonstration in these states is strictly prohibited.

In Russia, the attitude towards homosexuality is neutral with a gradual shift towards the negative in public terms. Currently, the laws do not provide rights and protection for members of the LGBT union, 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 various variations of its official symbol. And if the gay flag, the photo of which is presented below, is a rainbow, then the symbols of other non-traditional sexual minorities are drawn up depending on the preferences of one or another part of this non-traditional movement.

In addition, the rainbow symbol is often used as a background for gender symbols or placed in forms. The scope of the flag is very large: banners, streamers, ribbons, badges, decorations, illumination of public buildings.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Gilbert Baker - the creator of the symbol of the gay movement of the rainbow flag - died in New York on March 31

Due to recent death American artist and gay activist Gilbert Baker, we recall his most famous creation - the rainbow flag of the LGBT movement. The rainbow flag is widely known today. Few people, however, think about where it came from, who invented it and what kind of symbolism stands behind it.

To be honest, I didn’t know about it and didn’t think about it. Until, two days late, I heard the news of the death in New York at the age of 65 of the flag designer, American artist and gay activist Gilbert Baker.

Baker was not major artist, he did not leave behind a large and significant art heritage, and if it were not for the rainbow flag, it is unlikely that his death would have become an event for anyone except relatives and friends.

There are, however, such simple design solutions - these include the hammer and sickle (who knows today the author of this sign, the artist Evgeny Kamzolin?) or the sign of the international peace movement (does anyone remember its author, the British artist Gerald Holtom?), which outlive their creators, which few people think of as works of design art, but which become powerful symbols political, social, social movements.

Such, of course, is Gilbert Baker's rainbow flag.

background

Like many other openly gay men of his generation, Baker, after serving in the army, came to San Francisco in 1972. It was there that the American gay movement was born, and very soon the Californian city became its recognized center.

There Baker met Harvey Milk, an activist who made the fight for civil rights homosexuals the basis of its political platform. To the surprise of many and to the incredible joy of his many associates, Milk succeeded on this path. He became the first openly gay man in US history to win election to an elected political office in the San Francisco City Legislature.

In November 1978, Milk was assassinated - his life and death became the subject of a well-known feature film"Harvey Milk", for performance leading role in which Hollywood star Sean Penn received an Oscar in 2008.

Shortly before his death, however, it was Harvey Milk who asked the 25-year-old Baker to create a flag for the rising gay movement. the only artistic experience Baker's luggage by that time included slogans, banners and posters actively created by him for demonstrations against the Vietnam War and gay activist marches.

Flag - origins and symbolism

There are many theories about why the rainbow became a symbol of the gay movement. Here is the most beautiful of them. The so-called "Stonewall riots" - riots and clashes with police in the New York gay bar Stonewall, considered the beginning of an organized struggle for homosexuals for their rights - occurred at the end of June 1969. On June 22 of the same year, the famous Hollywood actress and singer Judy Garland, best known for her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and the song "Over the Rainbow" from that film. Garland was one of the first "icons" of the gay movement, the "Elvis of the homosexuals", and many who gathered on the night of June 28 at the Stonewall bar came there straight from the funeral of their beloved artist.

Another theory is that Baker borrowed his idea from the so-called "race flags" - five horizontal stripes (red, white, brown, yellow and black), popular in the 60s during anti-war demonstrations on university campuses. This flag was popular with hippies, one of whose heroes was famous poet and gay pioneer Allen Ginsberg. Under the influence of Ginsberg, Baker decided to use just such an idea.

Be that as it may, Baker's flag already consisted of eight horizontal stripes, and each color, according to the author's idea, was a symbol of one or another of the most important components of human existence:

• Pink - sexuality;
• Red - life;
• Orange - healing;
• Yellow - Sun;
• Green - nature;
• Turquoise - art;
• Dark blue - harmony;
• Purple is the human spirit.

Subsequently, however, he explained his choice much more simply: "We needed something beautiful, something ours. The rainbow is great because it reflects our diversity in terms of race, gender, age, and so on."

Modifications, variations and recognition

Thirty volunteers helped Baker hand-dye and sew the first two rainbow flags that marched on the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade on June 25, 1978.

Everyone liked the flag, but attempts to put its production on an industrial basis encountered unexpected difficulties. The pink color chosen by Baker turned out to be very rare and expensive, and had to be abandoned.

The next modification took place in 1979. During another parade, the flags were flown vertically from the lampposts of San Francisco's main thoroughfare, Market Street. However, the central strip was almost completely hidden behind the pillar itself. To prevent this from happening, the number of stripes had to become even, and since then the flag has six of them - red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

In the midst of the AIDS epidemic, activists came up with another variation of the flag - with a black stripe glued to it. Shortly before his death from AIDS in 1988, the famous Vietnam War veteran, Purple Heart winner and gay activist Leonard Maltovich suggested that the black stripes should be removed and burned when medicine could defeat the disease.

In 1994, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, Baker was commissioned to create the world's largest rainbow flag. He received a similar order in 2003, this time to mark the quarter-century anniversary of the flag itself. A banner 10 meters wide and two kilometers long graced the gay pride parade in Key West, Florida. It entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest flag. After the parade, the flag was cut into pieces and sent to gay communities around the world.

In 2004, a group of Australian LGBT activists took a ship to the uninhabited Territory of the Coral Sea Islands, declared it independent from Australia, proclaimed the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, and the rainbow flag as the official flag of the new state.

In 2015 the Museum contemporary art(MOMA) in New York acquired the rainbow flag as part of its permanent display.

And on June 26, 2015, to commemorate the legalization of gay marriage in all 50 US states, the White House was illuminated with the colors of the rainbow flag.