“Meet the Rainbow Flag Makers: The Original Rainbow Flag Artists and their Friends”
40th Anniversary of the creation of the Rainbow Flag 
West Hollywood City Council Chambers / June 2, 2018
One City One Pride Festival

The first Rainbow Flags were conceived and handmade at the Gay Community Center called “330 Grove” in June of 1978 in San Francisco. Several of the artists, including producing artist Faerie Argyle Rainbow, their friends and volunteers who worked on the flags shared their stories of creating and flying the original rainbow flags, which was preceded by a short slideshow of 330 Grove, the people and the flags from historian (and 330 Grove volunteer) Glenne McElhinney.

Co-presented by the California LGBT Arts Alliance and Impact Stories History Project at the City of West Hollywood's One City One Pride Festival.

-Below are some photos and unedited videos from the event

There's a hidden thread woven into the history of the Pride Rainbow Flag.  That thread is the life of Lynn "Faerie Argyle Rainbow" Segerblom, who was the inspiration for creating our iconic rainbow flag design and was a co-creator with Gilbert Baker and James McNamara, supported by a tireless team of volunteers who envisioned something which has unified, inspired and empowered people throughout the world ever since.  Check out Lynn's story 

The rainbow is one of the most beautiful and spiritual parts of creation, bringing together a multitude of diverse elements to orchestrate a vibrant colorful and sonic display of awe and inspiration.  Likewise, having become symbolic of the people of sexual diversity around the world, the rainbow flag represents each person in their uniqueness as individual threads being woven into a tapestry of passion and voices with authenticity and pride.   

As Gilbert Baker, one of the co-creators of the original rainbow flag, once stated:
"The thread that runs through every gay / LGBT person's life is that we all have a moment in our lives that we come out to ourselves.  All of a sudden, you're true to yourself.  And that's the thread of the flag.  That single moment that a person claims their own truth and power."

Our lives and moments are these threads. Each time we speak our truth through word and actions, we are expanding our personal and collective strength. 

​"Threads of the Rainbow" is a place where we are weaving together our stories about the rainbow flag and how it has empowered us to accept, live and share our authentic truth and power in our lives.