The rainbow flag, commonly known as the gay pride flag or LGBTQIA+ pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) pride and LGBTQIA+ social movements. Other older uses of rainbow flags include a symbol of peace and the colors reflect the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, as the flag is often used as a symbol of gay pride during LGBTQIA+ rights marches. While this use of the rainbow flag originated in Northern California’s San Francisco Bay Area, the flag is now used worldwide.
Originally devised by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker, the design has undergone several revisions since its debut in 1978, first to remove colors then restore them based on availability of fabrics. The most common variant consists of six stripes: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The flag is typically flown horizontally, with the red stripe on top, as it would be in a natural rainbow.
