UJuni kudala waziwa njengeNyanga Yokuziqhenya ye-LGBTQ ngokuhlonishwa kwayo izibhelu e-Stonewall, eyenzeka eNew York ngoJuni 1969. Phakathi neNyanga Yokuziqhenya, akuvamile ukubona ifulege lothingo liboniswa ngokuziqhenya njengophawu I-LGBTQ. ukunyakaza kwamalungelo ... Kodwa leli fulegi libe kanjani uphawu lokuziqhenya kwe-LGBTQ?

Ihlehlela emuva ngo-1978, lapho umdwebi osobala wezitabane no-Gilbert Baker eklama ifulegi lokuqala lothingo. Kamuva uBaker wathi wazama ukumncenga Harvey Milk., omunye wabesilisa bokuqala abakhethwe ngokusobala e-United States ukudala uphawu lokuziqhenya emphakathini wezitabane. U-Baker ukhethe ukwenza lolu phawu lube ifulege ngoba wayekholelwa ukuthi amafulege awuphawu olunamandla lokuzidla. Njengoba kamuva asho engxoxweni, “Umsebenzi wethu njengezitabane kwakuwukuvula isifuba, sibonakale, siphile eqinisweni, njengoba ngisho, ukuze siphume emangeni. Ifulege liwufanele ngempela lo msebenzi ngoba liyindlela yokuziveza noma ukuthi, "Yilokhu engiyikho!" "U-Baker wabona uthingo njengefulege lemvelo elivela esibhakabhakeni, ngakho wasebenzisa imibala eyisishiyagalombili emishweni, umbala ngamunye unencazelo yawo (i-pink eshisayo yobulili, ebomvu yokuphila, i-orange yokuphulukisa, ephuzi yokukhanya kwelanga, eluhlaza okwemvelo; i-turquoise yobuciko, i-indigo yokuvumelana kanye ne-purple yomoya).

Izinguqulo zokuqala zefulegi lothingo zaphakanyiswa ngoJuni 25, 1978 embukisweni weGay Freedom Day eSan Francisco. U-Baker neqembu lamavolontiya bawenza ngezandla, futhi manje wayesefuna ukukhiqiza ifulege ukuze lisetshenziswe ngobuningi. Kodwa-ke, ngenxa yezinkinga zokukhiqiza, imigqa ebomvana kanye ne-turquoise yasuswa futhi i-indigo yathathelwa indawo eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, okuholele ekutheni kube nefulegi lesimanje elinemigqa eyisithupha (obomvu, osawolintshi, ophuzi, oluhlaza okotshani, oluhlaza sasibhakabhaka, nonsomi). Namuhla iwukuhluka okuvame kakhulu kwefulegi lothingo elinomugqa obomvu phezulu, njengothingo lwemvelo. Imibala ehlukene ize ukuze ibonise ukwehluka okukhulu nobunye bomphakathi we-LGBTQ.

Kwaze kwafika ngo-1994 lapho ifulegi lothingo laba uphawu lwangempela lokuziqhenya kwe-LGBTQ. Ngawo lowo nyaka, u-Baker wenza inguqulo yemayela elide lokugubha iminyaka engu-25 yezibhelu ze-Stonewall. Ifulegi le-rainbow manje seliwuphawu lwamazwe ngamazwe lokuziqhenya kwe-LGBT futhi lingabonakala lindiza ngokuziqhenya kokubili ezikhathini ezithembisayo nezinzima emhlabeni jikelele.