Talk:Rainbow flag

Contents

1 Inca 2 Removed 3 Apple Computer? 4 Eight stripes is current?

Inca

Shouldn't something be mentioned about the Incan Rainbow Flag?

Removed

Removed the following:

Outside the United States, the rainbow flag has been seen as representing the international peace movement since the 1800s. Use of the rainbow flag by the peace movement world wide has increased as part of the popular opposition to war on Iraq.

That simply is untrue. The rainbow flag is recognised internationally as a gay flag. Where it is used in peace demonstrations, it is used to represent the gay community's support for the marches. It is not used as a peace flag, any more that in pro-war people in the US fly the stars and strikes an article on wikipedia should claim the stars and strikes was a 'pro-war' flag. This flag was specifically created for the gay community and is used by the gay community. It is no-one else's. A rainbow flag is sometimes used by peace demonstrators, but not this one. STÓD/ÉÍRE 21:31 Apr 8, 2003 (UTC)

Seems to me that, if the distinction is between "a rainbow flag" and "the rainbow flag", perhaps the rainbow flag should be at Rainbow Flag instead? Since it sounds like it's being used in a way that suggests a trademark, even if it doesn't actually have one? If it isn't capitalized, I'd think other rainbow flags would count just as much as the gay pride one, for inclusion in this article. -- John Owens 23:26 Apr 8, 2003 (UTC)

The flag representing gay pride has been flown in Africa, especially South Africa, Australia, throughout Europe and in the Americas. On gay pride week in Ireland, the City Council in Dublin flies the flag on flagpoles running right the way down on each side of the River Liffey celebrating gay pride. The peace flag symbol is not used in the same context and is declining in use, particularly in Europe where it is now overwhelmingly seen as a gay flag. STÓD/ÉÍRE 23:11 Apr 8, 2003 (UTC)

I dunno about that. I've definitely seen more, generic, rainbow flags (often with seven stripes) in coverage about European peace protests. (Saw a big one in front of the Vatican the other week - made me double-take). I'm going to take a crack at rewording it. - Montréalais 00:42 Apr 9, 2003 (UTC)

From what I hear about the Vatican from a priest-friend working there, the gay rainbow flag should replace the yellow and white as its official flag. STÓD/ÉÍRE 01:02 Apr 9, 2003 (UTC)

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I couldn't find any indication that the peace flag was used before about 1961. Before that, there were some colorful flags in use by pacifists, but they were not rainbow flags. It wasn't until 1961 (in Italy) that it was made into an actual rainbow flag (plus a few non-rainbow colors, but that's okay), see the comment on [1] (http://flagspot.net/flags/it%7Dpace.html) under 'Original flag'. The gay pride flag seems to be a separate development, although Baker may have been inspired by the same colorful (though not rainbow) flags.

The two flags (gay pride and peace) were maybe inspired by the same kind of flags, but were to my knowledge completely separate developments. I therefore wrote in the introduction that they are unrelated.

To make clear what kind of flag is meant by rainbow flag, I put that into the introduction as well. There are several regional flags that have rainbows in them, but they are more like municipal seals or logos put onto flags. Also, in my opinion, a flag should actually show most of the rainbow's colors in that order to be considered a rainbow flag. That is, a red, yellow, green flag should not qualify and neither should one with a dozen colors in random order.

-- Kimiko 12:33, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Oh, forgot to add some more links:

• Rainbow flags in Ecuador (http://fotw.unislabs.com/flags/ec_nativ.html) (the article says they're used in Peru as well)
• FotW on rainbow flags (http://flagspot.net/flags/keywordr.html#rainbow%20flag)

-- Kimiko 12:36, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Can someone find out what the flag used in 1525 by Thomas Muentzer in the Peasants' War looked like?
In 1953, a play was written by Friedrich Wolf titled Thomas Münzer: Der Mann mit der Regenbogenfahne. I'm thinking that that book/play may have influenced the development of modern day rainbow flags, and Müntzer's may actually have been the first rainbow flag in history. It seems unlikely though that this flag was actually a full-fledged rainbow flag due to the limited availability of such brightly colored textiles at the time. -- Kimiko 11:27, 6 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Apple Computer?

There is no mention of Apple Computer's original logo which features the same six colours in the same sequence as this flag, though the six colour version was dropped in the late 1990s in favour of a blue, red or gray "glossy" logo. Is there a connection? Coincidence? Seems to me unlikely given Apple's roots, and Steve Jobs' former existence as part of the hippy movement. Deserves at least a footnote. Graham 23:13, 5 Aug 2004 (UTC)

According to this article (http://www.macnyt.dk/?read=20020702221448), the colors are in a different order (starting with green) and stand for the Apple II's color abilities, not anything related to homosexuality or peace. -- Kimiko 07:41, 6 Aug 2004 (UTC)

OK, but there is a perception out there. Consider this, which I dug up after a brief search: "Alan Turing committed suicide by poisoning an apple with cyanide and taking a bite from it. The original Apple logo was designed as a mark of respect to Turing. The rainbow is the universal sign of gay freedom, the bite from the apple representing the bite that Alan took."Graham 00:27, 24 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I doubt it is much more than a perception, though… And no evidence has been presented what so ever. But no-doubt the Apple logo contains a lot of symbolism…There is the association with the biblical apple from the knowledge tree — with a bite taken from it. There is also the homonym byte <-> bite. And, as Kimiko points out, the Apple II's multiple abilities. — David Remahl 00:39, 24 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Eight stripes is current?

I seriously doubt it - that seems to be a claim of a single web page. Before reading this page (and subsequently that site), I'd never seen or heard of the 8 colour version. If you asked the "common person" to identify the gay flag, I'd bet of those who could, 99 out of a 100 would pick the 6 colour.

Maybe one day the 8 colour will catch on (I can't see it, it's hideously ugly compared to the 6 colour one, but I could be wrong), but at the moment, shouldn't we report how things are, not how some people wish them to be? Shane King 14:19, Oct 26, 2004 (UTC)

As indicated in the article the eight stripes certainly are real, but, as is now confused in the article, they are past, not current, having been pushed aside by the cheaper and simpler six. Perhaps a revert is in order? Hyacinth 20:29, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I'm not sure about a revert, I wouldn't want to lose something else from the article by doing that, but reworking to make it clear that someone is attempting to have it make a comback could be in order. I'll try to do that now. Shane King 12:31, Oct 27, 2004 (UTC)