Why Rainbows?
The rainbow was chosen to represent the LGBTQ community by Gilbert Baker, a gay artist who wanted to make a proud statement through a symbol showing diversity. It has been rumoured that Baker might have been emulating the song “Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland (one of the first gay icons), the Stonewall Riots, based off a flag for world peace flown at campuses nationwide in the 1960’s, or he considered the rainbow ideal because of it's origin in the natural world. The 2SLGBTQIA+ acronym stands for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, with all other queer identities that are not encompassed by the letters themselves bering represented by the "+". UBC's got some great online resources do deepen your understanding and solidarity - Learn more