“The stripes were not chosen for skin color - they were chosen to reflect the spectrum of color in nature,” a longtime friend of Baker’s, Charley Beal told NBC. The flag has historically represented LGBTQ people as a whole, and critics of Philly’s changes to it believe those changes are unnecessary, since the flag is already a symbol of unity. Philadelphia’s initiative to be more inclusionary toward nonwhite LGBTQ people comes from a good place, but its reception has been marked by controversy. To fuel this important conversation, we’ve expanded the colors of the flag to include black and brown.” Especially when it comes to recognizing people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. A lot of good, but there’s more we can do. “In 1978, artist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag,” the campaign states.
The colors, according to the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs’ More Color More Pride campaign, represent inclusion of people of color in the LGBTQ community. The city of Philadelphia recently learned that the rainbow flag, a symbol of LGBTQ pride, isn’t quite as unifying as it may seem.įor Pride Month, Philly added two colors - black and brown - to the existing pride flag, and hoisted it outside City Hall.
