Rainbow Pride Flag

Identity and Pride Flags

The best known symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, first flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978. Gilbert Baker deliberately chose the rainbow as a natural symbol that belonged to no single nation.

Hoist Ratio 3:5 Fly

Basic Flag Information

Flag Name	Rainbow Pride Flag
Category	Identity and Pride Flags
Adopted On	1979
Designer	Gilbert Baker
Flag Proportion	3:5
Flag Shape	Rectangle
Number of Colors	6
Main Colors	Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet
Design Type	Six equal horizontal stripes

Flag Color Information

Color	Appearance	HEX Code
Red		#E40303
Orange		#FF8C00
Yellow		#FFED00
Green		#008026
Blue		#24408E
Violet		#732982

Flag Design and Symbols

Red colour	Represents life
Orange colour	Represents healing
Yellow colour	Represents sunlight
Green colour	Represents nature
Blue colour	Represents harmony and serenity
Violet colour	Represents spirit
Six stripes	The original 1978 design had eight stripes, including hot pink and turquoise; both were dropped when the fabric proved hard to source

About the Rainbow Pride Flag

WorldFlags.online keeps this design in the Identity and Pride Flags collection rather than presenting it as a current sovereign-state flag. That category determines how dates, status and reuse guidance should be read.

Design and construction

Six equal horizontal stripes; recorded proportion 3:5.

Reference palette

The stored palette is Red (#E40303), Orange (#FF8C00), Yellow (#FFED00), Green (#008026), Blue (#24408E) and Violet (#732982). These values are reference values for the artwork in this library and should not be treated as a legal colour specification unless the issuing body publishes one.

Symbols and meaning

Six stripes: The original 1978 design had eight stripes, including hot pink and turquoise; both were dropped when the fabric proved hard to source.

Date and authorship

The record dates the design to 1979. The designer is recorded as Gilbert Baker.

Why this record is separate from national flags

Historical, organisational, political, identity, religious, regional and signal flags can be important reference material without having the status of a present-day national flag. Keeping those categories separate makes the library clearer and reduces the risk of presenting a historical or protected emblem as a current national symbol.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — specialist flag reference index — Specialist vexillological reference

Facts about the Flag of Rainbow Pride Flag

Rainbow Pride Flag is filed under Identity and Pride Flags rather than the current national-flag index.
The recorded construction is six equal horizontal stripes.
The reference proportion is 3:5.
The stored palette contains Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Violet.
The record dates this design to 1979.
The designer is recorded as Gilbert Baker.
Six stripes: The original 1978 design had eight stripes, including hot pink and turquoise; both were dropped when the fabric proved hard to source.
The best known symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, first flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978. Gilbert Baker deliberately chose the rainbow as a natural symbol that belonged to no single nation.

Frequently asked questions about the Rainbow Pride Flag

What is the Rainbow Pride Flag?

What type of flag is the Rainbow Pride Flag?

It is catalogued under Identity and Pride Flags rather than the current sovereign-state flag index.

What does the Rainbow Pride Flag look like?

Six equal horizontal stripes, with a recorded proportion of 3:5.

What proportion is recorded for the Rainbow Pride Flag?

The reference proportion stored for this record is 3:5.

Which colours are recorded for the Rainbow Pride Flag?

The reference palette lists Red #E40303, Orange #FF8C00, Yellow #FFED00, Green #008026, Blue #24408E and Violet #732982.

What do the symbols on the Rainbow Pride Flag mean?

Six stripes — The original 1978 design had eight stripes, including hot pink and turquoise; both were dropped when the fabric proved hard to source.

When is the Rainbow Pride Flag dated or adopted?

The record gives 1979.