This episode of Ripples of Rebels examines the intersecting histories of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, and Gilbert Baker, the artist and activist who created the modern Rainbow Pride Flag. Their lives—shaped by military service, state surveillance, and the political climate of 20th-century America—offer a clear window into the evolution of LGBTQ rights.
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We begin with Harvey Milk’s early years, his time in the U.S. Navy, and the environment of forced secrecy surrounding queer service members. We follow Milk’s move to San Francisco, his work in local politics, and the campaigns that made him a national figure. The episode covers his assassination in 1978 and the community uprising known as the White Night Riots, situating these events within a broader pattern of state violence and resistance.
From there, we shift to Gilbert Baker—Army veteran, drag performer, political organizer, and visual strategist. We trace the creation of the first hand-dyed Rainbow Flag in 1978, the political meaning behind its original eight colors, and how it became an international symbol long before corporations tried to co-opt it.
Learn More 📚
“Harvey Milk | Activism, Death, Ship, & Facts”
* Gilbert Baker — National Park Service
“Gilbert Baker (U.S. National Park Service)”
* History of the First Pride Rainbow Flag — History.com
“First rainbow Pride flag premieres at San Francisco parade”
* Where the Rainbow Flag Began — National Parks Conservation Association
“Where the Rainbow Flag Began”
* LGBTQ History of the Rainbow Flag — GLBT Historical Society
* Gilbert Baker Legacy — SFO Museum
“A Legacy of Pride: Gilbert Baker and the 40th Anniversary of the Rainbow Flag”
* Biography.com on Baker / Flag Meaning
“Rainbow Pride Flag: The History & Meaning Behind the LGBTQ Symbol”
* CBS News / San Francisco — Baker and Milk
“How San Francisco Artist Gilbert Baker Made The Rainbow Flag An Enduring Symbol”
* LGBT History Month (flag stripes & meaning)
* Guardian — Original Flag Returns
“Original rainbow Pride flag returns to its San Francisco home after 43 years”
🔬 Research on Homophobia & Sexual Arousal
* Adams, Wright & Lohr (1996) — “Is Homophobia Associated With Homosexual Arousal?” Journal of Abnormal Psychology
* Archives of Sexual Behavior (2005) — Physiological arousal in response to erotic stimuli / “defensive function” of prejudice.
* Eye-Tracking Study — “Homophobia: An Impulsive Attraction to the Same Sex?” The Journal of Sexual Medicine (2016)
* Neuroimaging Study — “Neural correlates of sexual arousal in homosexual and heterosexual men” (fMRI)
* Brain Activation Differences — “Patterns of brain activation differ between homosexual and heterosexual men during visually evoked sexual arousal”
