THE GILBERT BAKER RAINBOW FLAG at HARVEY MILK PLAZA

The Gilbert Baker Foundation on

FLAGS AT HARVEY MILK PLAZA

By Charles Beal, Monica Helms and Aaron Casserly Stewart


 

In San Francisco in 1978, Gilbert Baker created the Rainbow Flag, assisted by a diverse group of radical activists. It has since become the globally recognized symbol of LGBTQ+ liberation.

There is a powerful global dialogue currently about identity – political, racial, sexual and gender-related. On this subject, Gilbert Baker was a visionary; he created the Rainbow Flag as a symbol of hope for all races, all genders and all ages. Gilbert called it “the rainbow of humanity” and the flag’s colors represent elements in all of us: Sex, Life, Healing, Sunlight, Nature, Magic, Spirit and Serenity.

As Gilbert Baker’s sole remaining permanent art installation, the Rainbow Flag at Harvey Milk Plaza deserves landmark status. It is a beacon of hope for all people – especially for those who live in oppressive countries. It is also the most significant piece of LGBTQ+ art in San Francisco — perhaps in the world — and a “time capsule” that marks and commemorates those activists (black, white, latino, asian and native born) that fought for the rights we have today.

HISTORIC GILBERT BAKER RAINBOW FLAG INSTALLATION IN SAN FRANCISCO’S HARVEY MILK PLAZA TO BE LANDMARKED AT SEPT 13th, 2024 CEREMONY

After years of lobbying by the Gilbert Baker Foundation, the Rainbow Flag installation created by artist-activist Gilbert Baker at Harvey Milk Plaza has been granted official landmark status.

A ceremony will mark this historic occasion on Friday, September 13, at 11:00AM at Harvey Milk Plaza. The Castro Merchants Association will mark the occasion with a flag raising.

 “This initiative comes at a crucial time in civil rights history,” said Charley Beal, president of the Gilbert Baker Foundation. “Homophobia has grown more aggressive at the government level. Across America, the Rainbow Flag has been banned in nearly 50 places – including nine towns and school districts in California. Our community is under attack!”

“San Francisco is the proud home of a unique work of art by one of the world’s leading queer artists,” Beal added. “This landmarking reaffirms that pride. This Rainbow Flag at Harvey Milk Plaza serves as a beacon of hope, not only to the citizens of San Francisco, but to the citizens of the world.”

 

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