And you have to give them hope.” After winning the election, Milk challenged Gilbert Baker to come up with a symbol of pride for the gay community – a positive alternative to the pink triangle.
Milk, once known fondly as the Mayor of Castro St., had campaigned on a positive message of hope for young gay people, saying, “The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. In 1974, Baker’s life changed forever when he met Harvey Milk, who showed him “how action could create change.” Three years after they met, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors – making him the first openly gay person to hold a high public office in a major American city. He learned to sew, making all the fabulous 70s clothes that he wanted but couldn’t buy. After an honorable discharge, he stayed in San Francisco, free to pursue his dreams of being an artist.
San Francisco has often been compared to Oz, but Baker didn’t want to click his heels and go back to Kansas. In 1970, a self-described “geeky kid from Kansas” named Gilbert Baker came to San Francisco as an Army draftee. “A true flag cannot be designed - it has to be torn from the soul of the people.” - Unknown
