Karen Matthews and Elliot Spagat, of the Associated Press, bring us the sad news that Gilbert Baker, creator of the rainbow flag and gay rights activist, died at the age of 65 of heart disease.
Born in Kansas, Baker served in the U.S. Army where he was stationed in San Francisco, and continued to live there after receiving an honorable discharge.
After teaching himself to sew he "began making banners for gay and anti-war marches, creating the rainbow flag in 1978."
Baker said in a 2008 interview that he knew instantly from the way people reacted to the flag that it was "going to be something. I didn't know what or how ... but I knew."
Baker was part of a circle of San Francisco gay activists that included Harvey Milk, the city supervisor who was assassinated in 1978, and Cleve Jones, who created the Names Project AIDS memorial quilt in the 1980s.
In an interview Saturday, Jones recalled the rainbow flag's first appearance at the 1978 gay pride parade.
"It was quite amazing to stand there and watch all these thousands of people turn off Market Street into San Francisco Civic Center Plaza and march beneath these giant flags that were flapping in the wind," Jones said. "People looked up and faces lit up and, without any explanation, this was now our flag."
Because he never patented or trademarked the flag, he never received any money for it. The flag has become an inspirational symbol for the GLBT communities, as well as for human rights, and appreciation of diversity. He says the flag originally had eight colors but it became difficult to get fabric for more than six.
Our condolences to his friends and family.
May he Rest In Peace.