how did the rainbow color become a symbol for gay people?
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ThePatientAnarchist · 61-69
This has been discussed on here before regarding the rainbow flag. But I can testify that it was not yet necessarily a Gay symbol in 1984, when Jesse Jackson, running for the Democratic presidential nomination, had rainbow campaign buttons and called his supporters the "rainbow coalition". On the other hand, in the late 90s in New York, I was wearing a rainbow yarmulka because of its colourfulness, and some guy accosted me talking, in a hostile tone, about that being an obvious Gay thing.
So, regardless of how far back the symbolism goes, I'm thinking that the rainbow becoming mainly a Gay symbol in the culture at large has to be dated between the mid-80s and the late 90s, at least in the USA.
As to why, I think it makes intuitive sense because of a) being colourful and vibrant and b) representing a whole spectrum -- in this case, of sexuality.
So, regardless of how far back the symbolism goes, I'm thinking that the rainbow becoming mainly a Gay symbol in the culture at large has to be dated between the mid-80s and the late 90s, at least in the USA.
As to why, I think it makes intuitive sense because of a) being colourful and vibrant and b) representing a whole spectrum -- in this case, of sexuality.