According to the History Channel, Harvey Milk, one of the first U.S. officials to openly acknowledge homosexuality, commissioned artist Gilbert Baker to create the first rainbow flag for the Gay People's Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco. In it, the usual visual symbol for the LGBTQ + community was the pink triangle, a symbol that the Nazis had used to signal people's sexuality. Instead, Baker created the rainbow flag to represent diversity and harmony.

Baker knew that the "symbol of pride" was to be the rainbow.

"The triangle came from a very negative, terrible moment. "We needed something to express our love, our soul - something to be decided by us and not a 'name' to be given to us by others."

Baker says that in 1980 or 1981, he placed a rainbow flag on the door of the dorm room and people were confused at first.

"In '85 or '86, everyone knew what it was about," he continues.

There is some debate as to whether Baker was really the first person to come up with the idea of ??a rainbow flag. Many people say the idea was duplicated. However, one thing is certain: After appearing in 1978 at the San Francisco Pride, the rainbow and rainbow flag quickly became a major symbol of LGBTQ + culture.

The rainbow flag often indicates a form of public acceptance, even an invitation to LGBTQ + persons, when placed in public places, for example a bar, restaurant, etc. It is a sign of hospitality and support and in a world where this group is constantly attacked, support is needed.

Source: Insider, Bustle