The Rainbow Flag (Rhetorical Strategies Rough Draft)

Elizabeth Willis

Dr. Steph Brown

English 306

23 February 2016

The Rainbow Flag

The history of the Gay Rights Movement is long and winding, yet ever progressing towards a world of equality for those who identify with the LGBT community. The beginnings of gay rights advocacy happened early in the 20^th century in the United States: the first American gay rights organization, The Society for Human Rights, was founded in 1924 (Morris). During this time, gay and lesbian communities in America tended to be found in small pockets across the country. Because of this, many citizens were not exposed to the LGBT communities until during and after World War II, when an explosion of organizations specifically geared towards gay rights erupted thanks to the war effort bringing different people together (Morris).

This newfound social movement had many symbols, signifying an effort that was not organized nor united. Most notably the “pink triangle from the Nazis,” a symbol used “to denote gay people” was often used, but it “came from such a horrible place of murder and Holocaust and Hitler” (Baker). Harvey Milk, a gay politician in San Francisco, asked Gilbert Baker to create a symbol for the LGBT community that would carry “a really important message about how important it was to be visible, how important it was to come out” (Baker). Born in the attic of the Gay Community Center in San Francisco, the original flag was made by many volunteers, culminating in an eight-striped rainbow, each strip of fabric hand-dyed (Zorthian). The flag was first flown in 1978 at the United Nations Plaza in San Francisco, leading it to become well known in the northern California area (Baker).

The rainbow flag came to be a symbol for the LGBT community, fighting for equal human rights such as being included in federal and state anti-discrimination policies, holding the right to get married, and removing the stigma of being labeled a homosexual. The rainbow flag was well received within its target population: those who identified as LGBT were galvanized to unify underneath the newfound symbol. The symbol, in a way, made the movement legitimate, calling for those who were secretive about their sexual orientation to be more open about it. Over time, the audience grew to be wider than just those who identify as part of the LGBT community; the flag is a way to show support for the gay and lesbian community, even if a person self identifies as heterosexual (referred to as an ally).

It is important that Gilbert Baker, the mastermind behind the rainbow flag, was a part of the LGBT community in a very real way. He was a poor drag queen, famous for his protest banners in favor of the gay movement, who learned to sew because he could not afford to buy drag clothing (Baker). Baker is truly the essence behind the LGBT movement, as he did not have wealth or power, yet he still made a tremendous impact upon his community. One individual, creating a symbol for a marginalized minority, helping the LGBT community find a collective voice that would be effective in fighting for equal rights via pathos, ethos, and logos.

A flag is an interesting symbol to be adopted by a group of people. There is no text, no explanation of the movement, no real indicators that it belongs to a community. And yet, the beauty of the flag, especially in the case of the LGBT movement, is that it does not need explanation in order to be powerful and unifying. The LGBT community used their rainbow flag to legitimize their movement, to proclaim that they are a community that has weight and power behind their efforts. Baker has said, “a flag is different than any other form of art […] it functions in so many different ways.” He attributes his idea of a flag as the symbol for the LGBT movement to the inspiration he gained from the American flag. There is very little monetary value in a single flag, but the significance of a group owning something that is immediately recognizable to an incredible portion of the world’s population is invaluable. In general, “a flag points to who [they] are” as a group: it wordlessly conveys the values that a group holds dear to those who are on the outside while also acting to join those who are a part of that community on the inside (Beason). The feeling that Americans get when they look up at the American flag, that feeling of nationalist pride, works the same way for the rainbow flag and its followers; this is the pathos that the flag uses. Baker counted on his fellow community members to have that feeling of being one group of people, standing in solidarity, working to call to action fighters for what the group believes in.

At the same time, Baker helped the flag evoke ethos. He was socioeconomically disadvantaged and without much influence, but reliable (especially with his Army background). Above all, Baker was relatable. Anyone within his community could see some part of themselves in him. If he could believe in the LGBT movement, so could they. His credibility transferred to the flag, particularly when the flag’s initial production became a group effort by many in his community (Baker).

The form of the rainbow is also important to the message of the flag. If the flag’s purpose is to unify people that identify as LGBT, the flag must adequately represent everyone within that population. Baker consciously chose the colors of the flag so that they represented the values of his community: “pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for serenity, and purple for spirit” (Kabango). Logically, people are going to want to follow something that is specifically made for them and that represents them in a real way. This is how Baker created a flag that evokes logos, reasonably enticing the LGBT community to unite under his symbol. In addition, Baker has said that the flag’s many colors also represent his community’s “diversity in terms of race, gender, ages” (Baker). The flag is all encompassing, so that everyone feels included and welcome while bolstering the feeling of power that comes with being a part of a large group.

The rainbow flag turned out to be a complete success. Gilbert said, “I made it in 1978 and I hoped it would be a great symbol but it has transcended all of that […] because it became so much bigger than me […] so much bigger than the U.S.” (Baker). The rainbow flag is now universally recognized as the symbol for the LGBT community. The struggle for equality has progressed in the U.S. so far that anti-discrimination laws are now federally enforced and the Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. The Museum of Modern Art, located in New York City, has even acquired the rainbow flag to be placed in their “design collection,” indicating that Gilbert’s flag is a fundamental part of the historical gay rights movement (Baker). Ultimately, a flag evokes all of the values that a group holds to be true, providing a symbolic object to rally around: “mere fibers and pigments, the flag means nothing except everything we believe in” (Beason).

Works Cited

Baker, Gilbert. "MoMA Acquires the Rainbow Flag." Interview by Paola Antonelli and Michelle Fisher. Inside/Out. Museum of Modern Art, 17 June 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

Beason, Tyrone. "Our Flag, Used as a Symbol of Pride and Protest, Tells a Lot about Who We Are." The Seattle Times. Frank A. Blethen, 7 July 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.

Kabango, Shadrach. "Pride Flag Creator Gilbert Baker on the Rainbow's Real Meaning." CBC News. CBC/Radio Canada, 26 June 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

Morris, Bonnie J. "History of Lesbian, Gay, & Bisexual Movements." American Psychological Association. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

Zorthian, Julia. "How the Rainbow Flag Became an Icon of LGBT Rights." Time. Time, 25 June 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.