Gilbert Baker (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gilbert Baker
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Baker at San Francisco Pride in 2012
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| Born | June 2, 1951 Chanute, Kansas, U.S.
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| Died | March 31, 2017 (aged 65) New York City, U.S.
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| Other names | Busty Ross |
| Occupation | Activist, artist |
| Known for | Designing the rainbow flag |
Gilbert Baker (June 2, 1951 – March 31, 2017) was an American artist, designer, and activist. He is most famous for creating the rainbow flag, a symbol of pride and diversity for the LGBT community.
Contents
Gilbert Baker: The Creator of the Rainbow Flag
Early Life and Activism
Gilbert Baker was born on June 2, 1951, in Chanute, Kansas. He grew up in Parsons, Kansas. His grandmother owned a clothing store, and his parents were a judge and a teacher.
From 1970 to 1972, Baker served in the United States Army as a medic. He was stationed in San Francisco, a city known for its active social movements. After leaving the military, he learned to sew from his friend and fellow activist, Mary Dunn. He used this skill to create banners for marches that supported gay rights and opposed war. During this time, he became friends with Harvey Milk, a famous activist.
The Rainbow Flag's Story
In 1978, Gilbert Baker and a group of friends created the first Rainbow Flag. Baker believed the flag was a symbol for everyone in the LGBT community. Because of this, he chose not to trademark it.
In 1979, Baker started working at Paramount Flag Company in San Francisco. He designed flags and displays for many important people and events. These included leaders from different countries and San Francisco's Gay Pride celebrations. In 1984, he designed flags for the Democratic National Convention.
In 1994, Baker moved to New York City. He continued his creative work and activism there. That year, he made the world's largest flag at the time. It celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, a key event in the fight for LGBT rights.
In 2003, to mark the Rainbow Flag's 25th anniversary, Baker created a huge Rainbow Flag in Key West. It stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. After this event, he sent pieces of this flag to over 100 cities worldwide. Because he created the rainbow flag, Baker was sometimes called "Busty Ross," a playful nod to Betsy Ross, who is said to have made the first American flag.
Gilbert Baker passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 31, 2017, in New York City. He was 65 years old. California state senator Scott Wiener said that Baker "helped define the modern LGBT movement."
The Meaning of the Colors
The colors of the Rainbow Flag show the great diversity of the LGBT community. When Baker first raised two rainbow flags at San Francisco Pride on June 25, 1978, the flag had eight symbolic colors:
| Hot pink | ||
| Red | Life | |
| Orange | Healing | |
| Yellow | Sunlight | |
| Green | Nature | |
| Turquoise | Magic/Art | |
| Indigo | Serenity | |
| Violet | Spirit |
Thirty volunteers helped Baker hand-dye and sew the first two flags. They worked in an attic gallery in San Francisco.
The flag's design has changed a few times. Two colors were removed to make it easier to produce in large numbers. Today, the most common version has six stripes: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Baker called this the "commercial version" because it was made for mass production. The hot pink stripe was removed because the fabric was too rare and expensive. The turquoise stripe was removed before the 1979 Gay Freedom Day Parade. This was so the flag could be flown in two equal halves. In March 2017, Baker created a nine-stripe version of his original flag. It included lavender, pink, turquoise, and indigo, along with the other colors. Baker said the lavender stripe stands for diversity.
Gilbert's Lasting Impact
In 2003, a documentary called Rainbow Pride was made about Baker and his Key West flag project. It was shown on PBS. Baker also recreated his first Rainbow Flag for the 2008 movie Milk.
In 2015, the Museum of Modern Art recognized the rainbow flag as an important international symbol. They compared its importance to the recycling symbol.
In 2017, Baker was shown in the TV miniseries When We Rise. Actor Jack Plotnick played the adult Baker, and Dylan Arnold played him as a young man. The show depicted Baker sewing the flag and explaining his color choices.
After Baker's death in 2017, NewFest and NYC Pride created a rainbow font called 'Gilbert'. It was inspired by the rainbow flag. On June 2, 2017, which would have been Baker's 66th birthday, Google honored him with a Google Doodle.
In April 2018, a children's book called "Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag" was released.
In June 2019, Baker was one of the first fifty "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes" honored on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor. This wall is part of the Stonewall National Monument in New York City. This monument is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history. The wall was revealed during the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.
Also in June 2019, a square in Paris, France, was renamed Place des Émeutes-de-Stonewall (Stonewall Riots Square). A plaque honoring Baker was placed there. The Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, and other officials unveiled the plaque.
Museums and Archives
Gilbert Baker's work and related items are kept in several important museums and archives. The GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco has one of the sewing machines Baker used to make the first rainbow flags in 1978. They also have one of the special flags he made for the flag's 25th anniversary. In 2012, these items were shown in an exhibit at the GLBT History Museum. In 2015, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City added examples of the rainbow flag to its design collection.
See also
In Spanish: Gilbert Baker para niños
