Use of the 8-stripe original rainbow flag by
the gay community began in 1978 when it first appeared
in the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade.
It was designed by Gilbert. Baker and thirty volunteers
hand-stitched and hand-dyed two huge prototype flags for
the parade. The flags had eight stripes, each color representing
a component of the community:
1. Hot Pink for Sex
2. Red for Life
3. Orange for Healing
4. Yellow for Sun
5. Green for Nature
6. Turquoise for Art
7. Indigo for Harmony
8. Violet for Spirit