As I started researching the pride flag, I realized how little I know about the object that I let represent me. If you had asked me before I started, I wouldn't have even been able to tell you the order of the colors on the flag, or what each color means. All of this researching has been so eye opening to how little I know about the history or who even made the flag. I didn't even realize it wasn't made until 1978, which is after the stonewall riots. I originally wanted to focus on those riots but I couldn't exactly connect the object to them. During the time of the stonewall riots, homosexuals were still identified by a pink triangle, a symbol that the nazi's placed on them. Gilbert Baker, a member of the San Fransisco LGBT+ community, decided to create this flag because he felt the LGBT+ community deserved a symbol that one of their own created. I also learned that there was a movement known as 'silence = death' which appropriated the pink triangle and turned it upside down, to symbolize the resistance. It was amazing to learn how many different stages of the flag / symbol to represent the LGBT+ community. Recently, there's been a new addition to the pride flag in Philadelphia. The flags now have black and brown added to the top, which is meant to recognize and acknowledge people of color in the movement that is often white washed. There are some members of the community that are opposed to these changes, because there was never a white strip in the flag to signify it was just meant for white people. I think that while everyone's opinion is valid, the flag is ever evolving and change is necessary for growth. I'm very excited to keep forming my research paper and continue my creative portion as well.
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