Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color

By Gilbert Baker, 2019 Paperback

Proudly adopting the nickname "Gay Betsy Ross," Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag. In 1978 Harvey Milk tasked him with creating a symbol to unify the growing gay rights movement, and on June 25 of the same, the rainbow flag made its first appearance as Baker waved it at San Francisco's Gay Freedom Day Parade. In this memoir, Baker chronicles the events that led him to join that movement for gay rights, from a repressive childhood in Kansas, to a terrifying stint in the army, to his arrival in San Francisco, where he felt he could finally be himself. This book is a must read for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the earliest days of the gay rights movement and for anyone seeking the perspective of the man who created a symbol that has become so widely used since its creation nearly half a century ago. (This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)