The use of rainbow flags has a long tradition; they are displayed in many cultures around the world as a sign of diversity and inclusiveness, of hope and of yearning.

There are several independent rainbow flags in use today. The most widely known worldwide is the pride flag representing gay pride. The peace flag is especially popular in Italyand the cooperative flag symbolizes the international co-operative movement. It is also used by Andean people to represent the legacy of the Inca empire (Wiphala) and Andean movements.

Rainbow flags in various cultures and movements

European history

The use of rainbow flags as a sign of diversity, inclusiveness, hope and yearning has a long history. This choice of the rainbow, in the form of a flag for convenience, harkens back to the rainbow as a symbol of biblical promise. According to the Christian Bible, God first created the rainbow as a sign to Noah that there would never again be a world-wide flood. The reformer Thomas Müntzer (1489–1525) connected socially revolutionary claims with his preaching of the gospel. He is often portrayed with a rainbow flag in his hand. The Thomas Müntzer statue in the German town of Stolberg also shows him holding a rainbow flag in his hand.

In the German Peasants’ War of the 16th century, the rainbow flag together with the peasants’ boot (“Bundschuh”) was used as the sign of a new era, of hope and of social change.

South America (Pre-Columbian)

Wiphala

A flag with a seven-striped rainbow design is used in Peru and Ecuador to represent Tawantin Suyu, or Inca territory. The use of the flag has its origin in Inca culture and it is called wiphala. Even today in the city of Cusco, Peru it is common to see the flag around the city displayed even in government buildings and in Cusco main square.

Some argue that there is no historical reference to an Inca or Tawantisuyo flag or banner until the early 1920s; but other specialists suggest that there are chronicles and some references that support the idea of a banner attributable to the Inca. In 1534 during the invasion and occupation of the city of Qusqu today Cusco, the Spaniards found the first resistance of qhishwa-ayrnaras and saw between the multitude, objects similar to the flag of strips and pictures of seven colors of the rainbow. The existence and the use of this emblem probably has been from the same creation of Tiwanaku for more than 2000 years.

Buddhist flag (1885)

Buddhist flag

A flag to represent Buddhism was designed in Sri Lanka in 1885 and modified to its current form in 1886. In 1950 it was adopted by theWorld Fellowship of Buddhists to be a symbol of all forms of Buddhism around the world.

It consists of six vertical colored segments, the first five of which are usually blue, yellow, red, white, and orange, while the sixth is a combination of the first five. Variant colors are often found.

Cooperative movement (1921)

Until 2001, the International Co-operative Alliance used a rainbow flag

A seven-colour rainbow flag is a common symbol of the international cooperative movement. The rainbow flag has been the cooperative emblem since 1921 when the International Co-operative Congress of World Co-op Leaders met in Basel, Switzerland to identify and define the growing cooperative movement’s common values and ideals to help unite co-ops around the world.

In Essen, Germany in 1922, the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) designed an international co-op symbol and a flag for the first “Co-operators’ Day,” which was held in July 1923. After some experiments with different designs, a famous French cooperator, ProfessorCharles Gide, suggested using the seven colours of the rainbow for the flag. He pointed out that the rainbow symbolized unity in diversityand the power of light, enlightenment and progress. The first co-op rainbow flag was completed in 1924 and was adopted as an official symbol of the international cooperative movement in 1925.

In 2001, the ICA’s official flag was changed from a rainbow flag to a rainbow logo flag on a white field, to clearly promote and strengthen the cooperative image, but still use the rainbow image. Other organizations sometimes use the traditional rainbow flag as a symbol of cooperation.

Like the rainbow, this flag is a symbol of hope and peace. The seven colours from flags around the world fly in harmony. Each of the seven colours in the co-operative flag have been assigned the following meaning:

• red: stands for courage;
• orange: offers the vision of possibilities;
• yellow: represents the challenge that GREEN has kindled;
• green: indicates a challenge to co-operators to strive for growth of membership and of understanding of the aims and values of co-operation;
• sky blue: suggests far horizons, the need to provide education and help less fortunate people and strive toward global unity.
• dark blue: suggests pessimism: a reminder that less fortunate people have needs that may be met through the benefits of cooperation.
• violet: is the colour of warmth, beauty, and friendship.

The ICA has been flying a flag with its official logo since April 2001, when its Board decided to replace the traditional rainbow flag. Its use by a number of non-cooperative groups led to confusion in several countries around the world.

Meher Baba (1924)

Meher Baba’s flag

Meher Baba designed a rainbow flag on April 23, 1924. It is flown each year near his samadhi (tomb-shrine) in Meherabad, India during the week of Amartithi (the anniversary of his death on January 31, 1969). Baba explained the symbolism, saying, “The colors in the flag signify man’s rise from the grossest of impressions of lust and anger – symbolized by red – to the culmination in the highest state of spirituality and oneness with God – symbolized by sky blue.

Peace movement (1961)

PACE flag (Italian for ‘peace‘)

This rainbow flag in Italy was first used in a peace march in 1961, inspired by similar multi-coloured flags used in demonstrations againstnuclear weapons. It became popular with the Pace da tutti i balconi (“peace from every balcony”) campaign in 2002, started as a protest against the impending war in Iraq. The most common variety has seven colours, purple, blue, azure, green, yellow, orange and red, and is emblazoned in bold with the Italian word PACE, meaning “peace”.

Common variations include moving the purple stripe down below the azure one, and adding a white stripe on top (the original flag from the 60s had a white stripe on top). This flag has been adopted internationally as a symbol of the peace movement.

Bene Ohr Jewish movement, U.S.A. (1961)

In 1961, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi designed the rainbow tallit (prayer shawl) as a symbol of the Kabalah for the members of the Jewish Bene Ohr (“The Children of Light”). It is a vertically presented rainbow, with each colour separated by black stripes of varying thicknesses. The colors represent aspects of God; the black stripes and white spaces represent aspects of creation and protection.

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Pride (1978)

Rainbow flag (LGBT movement)

The world’s best-known version of the rainbow flag, sometimes called ‘the freedom flag’, was popularized as a symbol of lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride and diversity by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. The different colors symbolize diversity in the gay community, and the flag is used predominantly at gay pride events and in gay villages worldwide in various forms including banners, clothing and jewelry. For the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots, held in 1994 in New York city, a mile-long rainbow flag was created and post-parade cut up in sections that have since been used around the world.

Originally created with eight colors, pink and turquoise were removed for production purposes and as of 1979, it consists of six colored stripes, which should always be displayed with red on top or to left. It is most commonly flown with the red stripe on top, as the colors appear in a natural rainbow. Aside from the obvious symbolism of a mixed LGBT community, the colors were designed to symbolize: red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), blue (harmony), and purple/violet (spirit).^{[citation needed]} The removed colors stood for sex (pink) and art/magic (turquoise).

Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony circular rainbow flag (1991)

Circular Rainbow Flag of Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony 圓形彩虹

A “circular rainbow 圓形彩虹” is the symbol for the Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony. A rainbow is made of seven basic colors which, when combined together, become blank white light. The Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony pursues the circular rainbow and goes towards the blank light or empty circle in the flag’s center. The blended white light or empty circle of the flag’s rainbow can be thought of as “wu”. The Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony follows this concept: for example, people have knowledge, wealth, and appearance, and try to forget these things and transcend.

Jewish Autonomous Oblast (1996)

Flag of Jewish Autonomous Oblast

Another variation of rainbow flag is used by Jewish Autonomous Oblast, situated in the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia, by theChinese border. The stripes symbolize the rainbow. The white field may be reminiscent of the Israeli flag. Proportions 2:3. Adopted first of October 1996.

The Jewish Autonomous Oblast has a flag with a seven-colour rainbow. The number of colours is meant to symbolize the seven-branched Jewish Menorah.

Pachakutik political party

In Ecuador, a rainbow flag is used by the Pachakutik political party, which is composed mostly of left-wing indigenous people.

Patriots of Russia political party

Rainbow is used as an element of flag of Patriots of Russia (Russian: Патриоты России, Patrioty Rossii) political party.

Noahidism

In religion, Noahidism use rainbow symbols as signs of their faith – the rainbow representing the covenant with God after the flood and the seven colours representing each of the Laws.

Gallery of rainbow flags

• 

  Rainbow “PACE” (Peace) flag

• 

  Greek Peace Flag

• 

  International Co-operative Alliance‘s rainbow flag

• 

  Inca banner

• 

  Flag of Cusco, Peru

• 

  Meher Baba’s flag

• 

  LGBT flag

• 

  The Aymara Wiphala

• 

  Flag of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in Russia

• 

  Flag of Lingua Franca Nova

• 

  The Rainbow Family of Living Light

• 

  LGBT flag

• 

  The LGBT flag being carried at the 1997Christopher Street Day in Berlin

• 

  Parada Równości, 2006

• 

  Circular Rainbow Flag of Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony

• 

  “Pace da tutti i balconi”: peace flags hanging from windows in Milano, Italy, in March 2003

• 

  Rainbow protest flag used by Not in Our Name

• 

  Lungta-style prayer flagshang along a mountain path in Nepal

• 

  Statue of Thomas Müntzerwaving a rainbow flag inStolberg, Germany

  Rainbow flag (LGBT movement)

  

  The rainbow flag, sometimes pride flag, LGBT pride flag or gay pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender(LGBT) pride and LGBT social movements in use since the 1970s. The colours reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, and the flag is often used as a symbol of gay pride in LGBT rights marches. It originated in California, but is now used worldwide. Designed bySan Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, the design has undergone several revisions to first remove then re-add colours due to widely available fabrics. As of 2008, the most common variant consists of six stripes, with the colours red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The flag is commonly flown horizontally, with the red stripe on top, as it would be in a natural rainbow.

  Rainbow flag

  History

  
  Original eight-stripe version designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978

  
  Version with hot pink removed due to fabric unavailability (1978–79)

  
  Six-colour version popular since 1979. Indigo changed to royal blue.

  The original gay-pride flag was hand-dyed by Gilbert Baker. It flew in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978. It has been suggested that Baker was inspired by Judy Garland‘s singing “Over the Rainbow“.  Another suggestion for how the rainbow flag originated is that at college campuses during the 1960s, some people demonstrated for world peace by carrying a Flag of the Races (also called the Flag of the Human Race) with five horizontal stripes (from top to bottom they were red, black, brown, yellow, and white). Gilbert Baker is said to have gotten the idea for the rainbow flag from this flag^[4] in borrowing it from the Hippie movement of that time largely influenced by pioneering homosexual activist Allen Ginsberg. The flag consisted of eight stripes; Baker assigned specific meaning to each of the colours:

  hot pink: sexuality

  red: life

  orange: healing

  yellow: sunlight

  green: nature

  turquoise: magic/art

  indigo/blue: serenity/harmony

  violet: spirit

  Thirty volunteers hand-dyed and stitched the first two flags for the parade.
  

  After the November 27, 1978, assassination of openly gay San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, demand for the rainbow flag greatly increased. To meet demand, the Paramount Flag Company began selling a version of the flag using stock rainbow fabric consisting of seven stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, and violet. As Baker ramped up production of his version of the flag, he too dropped the hot pink stripe because of the unavailability of hot-pink fabric. Also, San Francisco-based Paramount Flag Co. began selling a surplus stock ofRainbow Girls flags from its retail store on the southwest corner of Polk and Post, at which Gilbert Baker was an employee.
  

  In 1979 the flag was modified again. When hung vertically from the lamp posts of San Francisco’s Market Street, the center stripe was obscured by the post itself. Changing the flag design to one with an even number of stripes was the easiest way to rectify this, so the turquoise stripe was dropped, which resulted in a six stripe version of the flag — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
  

  In 1989, the rainbow flag came to nationwide attention in the United States after John Stout sued his landlords and won when they attempted to prohibit him from displaying the flag from his West Hollywood, California, apartment balcony.
  

  Mile-long flags

  

  Large sections of the 30-foot-wide (9.1 m) flag, like this one used along Reforma at the 2009 Marcha Gay in Mexico City, were cut from both giant flags and subsequently used in parades and LGBTprotest marches.

  

  

  The mile-and-a-quarter-long flag (2 km) stretching across Key West in 2003.

  For the 1994 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots flag creator Baker was commissioned to create the world’s largest rainbow flag. It took months of planning and teams of volunteers to coordinate every aspect. The flag utilized the basic six colours and measured thirty feet wide. Foot-wide sections of the flag were given to individual sponsors as part of a fundraiser for the Stonewall anniversary event once the event had ended. Afterwards additional large sections of the flag were sent with activists and they were used in pride paradesand LGBT marches worldwide.  The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed it as the world’s largest flag.

  In 2003 Baker was again commissioned to produce a giant flag. In this case it marked the 25th anniversary of the flag itself. Dubbed “25Rainbow Sea to Sea” the project entailed Baker again working with teams of volunteers but this flag utilized the original eight colours and measured a mile-and-a-quarter (2 km) across Key West, Florida from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf Coast Sea. The flag was again cut up afterwards and sections sent to over a hundred cities worldwide.

  2000s

  In 2000, the University of Hawaii at Manoa changed its sports teams’ name from “Rainbow Warriors” to “Warriors” and redesigned its logo to eliminate a rainbow from it. Initially Athletic Director Hugh Yoshida said that the change was to distance the school’s athletic program from homosexuality. When this drew criticism, Yoshida then said the change was merely to avoid brand confusion. The school then allowed each team to select its own name, leading to a mix including “Rainbow Warriors”, “Warriors”, “Rainbows” and “Rainbow Wahine”.

  

  The rainbow flag (Annual Queer Easter, Kurt LöwensteinHouse, Werneuchen, Germany, 16 April 2006).

  The rainbow flag celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2003. During the gay pride celebrations in June of that year, Gilbert Baker restored the rainbow flag back to its original eight-striped version and has since advocated that others do the same. However, the eight-striped version has seen little adoption by the wider gay community, which has mostly stuck with the better known six-striped version.

  In autumn 2004 several gay businesses in London were ordered by Westminster City Council to remove the rainbow flag from their premises, as its display required planning permission^{[citation needed]}. When one shop applied for permission, the Planning sub-committee refused the application on the chair’s casting vote (May 19, 2005), a decision condemned by gay councillors in Westminster and the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. In November the council announced a reversal of policy, stating that most shops and bars would be allowed to fly the rainbow flag without planning permission.

  Today some LGBT individuals and straight allies put rainbow flags in the front of their yards and/or front doors, or use rainbow bumper stickers on their vehicles to use as an outward symbol of their identity or support.

  In June 2004 LGBT activists sailed to Australia’s uninhabited Coral Sea Islands Territory and raised the Gay flag, proclaiming the territory independent of Australia, calling it the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands.

  Variations

  

  US flag with LGBT pride colours

  

  Lady Gaga flying the rainbow flag at aMonster Ball concert in Toronto.

  

  LGBT Flag of South Africa

  Many variations of the rainbow flag have been used. Some of the more common ones include the Greek letter ‘lambda’ (lower case) in white in the middle of the flag and a pink triangle or black triangle in the upper left corner. Other colours have been added, such as a black stripe symbolising those community members lost to AIDS. The rainbow colours have also often been used in gay alterations of national and regional flags, replacing for example the red and white stripes of the flag of the United States. In 2007, the Pride Family Flag was introduced at the Houston, Texas pride parade.

  In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, AIDS activists designed a “Victory over AIDS” flag consisting of the standard six-stripe rainbow flag with a black stripe across the bottom. Leonard Matlovich, himself dying of AIDS-related illness, suggested that upon a cure for AIDS being discovered, the black stripes be removed from the flags and burned.^[6]

  Other countries’ LGBT communities too have adopted the rainbow flag. South Africa with one of the most liberal constitutions in the world, has recently adopted The LGBT flag of South Africa at one of the world’s biggest costume parties the Mother City Queer Project 2010 to a crowd of 10 000 party goers. The creator Eugene Brockman said “the flag honors every Gay Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered person as they make the Rainbow Nation dazzle”.

  Rainbow colours as symbol of gay pride

  

  Pride colours decorating a metro station in Montreal‘s gay village

  The rainbow flag has found wide application on all manner of products including jewelry, clothing and other personal items and the rainbow flag colours are routinely used as a show of LGBT identity and solidarity. One common item of jewelry is the pride necklace or freedom rings, consisting of six rings, one of each colour, on a chain. Other variants range from key chains to candles.

  In Montréal, the entrance to Beaudry metro station, which serves that city’s Gay Village, was rebuilt in 1999 with rainbow-coloured elements integrated into its design.

  REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag

  REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBT_movement)