The artist and gay activist Gilbert Baker has died in New York; he was 65. In 1978, Baker designed the rainbow flag, which has since become widely known as a symbol of LGBTQ pride and civil rights.
A vigil is planned at 7pm on Friday, March 31 in Harvey Milk Plaza, according to the San Francisco Bay Times, which recently featured Baker on its cover.
“I am heartbroken,” wrote fellow activist Cleve Jones on his Facebook page. “My dearest friend in the world is gone. Gilbert gave the world the Rainbow Flag; he gave me forty years of love and friendship. I can’t stop crying. I love you forever Gilbert Baker.”
![Gilbert Baker with President Barack Obama](https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Gilbert-Baker-The-white-House-e1491007138668-800x616.jpg)
Baker designed the rainbow flag in San Francisco at the request of the city’s first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, in an effort to create a symbol of unity for the LGBTQ community.
The original featured eight stripes: hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, indigo and violet. Baker changed the design the following year to the six-striped one used today, with red at the top and violet at the bottom.