San Francisco
— A special event organized by the GLBT Historical Society will highlight the life and literary efforts Gilbert Baker (1951–2017), designer of the rainbow flag that is internationally recognized as a symbol of the LGBTQ community. Celebrating the release of Baker’s memoirs, the program is set for Tuesday, June 11, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium at the San Francisco Main Library at 100 Larkin St.
A longtime resident of San Francisco who lived the last two decades of his life in New York City, artist and activist Gilbert Baker created the iconic rainbow flag for the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978. Baker’s life and work will be explored and illuminated in this event coinciding with the posthumous publication of his book,
Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color (Chicago Review Press, 2019).
Cosponsored by the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center at the San Francisco Public Library, the program will feature a short film about Baker’s life, selected readings from the memoir and a discussion with social justice activists. Panel participants include lawyer and activist Matt Foreman; National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell; longtime activist and former San Francisco supervisor Jeff Sheehy; and Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence member Cass Brayton (Sister Mary Media), with journalist Tony Bravo serving as moderator. The evening will begin with a reception and conclude with a book signing.
Gilbert Baker is the subject of an upcoming exhibition this autumn at the GLBT Historical Society Museum.
