Fly our flag with pride
Every time I see a rainbow flag, a pang of pride shoots through me. When I see it flying or hanging I feel a sense of community.
I was delighted to see that Mardi Gras included the rainbow flag in their promotions and advertising this year. Oxford St came to life with rainbow flags. Even Dykes on Bikes change the colour of their lights to represent our flag as they roar up the parade route.
I know I’m not the only one who has been saying for years that we need more rainbow flags on Oxford St. But are they just an out-of-date symbol? Have we outgrown our rainbow past? How many people know what the rainbow means?
I knew that each colour had a meaning but had no idea what they were.
So I pulled my finger out and learnt some history of the flag that has been flying over our heads and giving me comfort for many years.
The original flag had been hand-dyed by Gilbert Baker and flew in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978. It was thought to be inspired by Judy Garland’s Somewhere over the Rainbow.
The flag consisted of eight stripes, with each colour having a unique meaning -鈥� hot pink (sexuality), red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), turquoise (magic/art), indigo (serenity/harmony) and violet (spirit). Hot pink was later dropped due to unavailability of fabric.
In 1979 the flag was modified again. When hung vertically on lampposts, the middle line would become invisible, so the turquoise stripe was also dropped, leaving our rainbow flag with an even number of stripes. Sometimes you will see a black stripe added to signify those lost to AIDS.
Whether you speak the language or not, gay, lesbian and transgender people know immediately they are in a familiar area when they see a rainbow flag. In Dublin I knew I’d found the gay bar when I saw a huge flag.
With a symbol of our community steeped in history, of our successes and struggles, I hope we haven’t outgrown the trusty rainbow flag. I urge all gay venues to display it proudly.
I have even dug out my flag at home. Now… to find a flag pole big enough to hang it. Any helpers?
