Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color

Gilbert Baker

Jun 2019 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Graham Halstead

About this audiobook

In 1978, Harvey Milk asked Gilbert Baker to create a unifying symbol for the growing gay rights movement, and on June 25 of that year, Baker's Rainbow Flag debuted at San Francisco's Gay Liberation Day parade. Baker had no idea his creation would become an international emblem of freedom, forever cementing his place and importance in helping to define the modern LGBTQ+ movement. Rainbow Warrior is Baker's passionate personal chronicle, from a repressive childhood in 1950's Kansas to a harrowing stint in the U.S. Army, and finally his arrival in San Francisco, where he bloomed as both a visual artist and social justice activist. His fascinating story weaves through the early years of the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, where he worked closely with Milk, Cleve Jones, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Baker continued his flag-making, street theater, and activism through the Reagan years and the AIDS crisis. And in 1994, Baker spearheaded the effort to fabricate a mile-long Rainbow Flag-at the time, the world's longest-to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City. Gilbert Baker often called himself the "Gay Betsy Ross," and those listening to his colorful, irreverent and deeply personal memoir will find it difficult to disagree.

Ratings and reviews

I would not recommend this book because the author obviously doesn't know what a rainbow is and he certainly didn't create it. A rainbow was created by God using His favourite seven colours which also symbolizes completion (also why a complete week has 7 days). But this author was right to make his flag with only 6 colours because that is the number of sin - falling short of God's completeness. The point is, this is not a rainbow, it's simply a gay flag.

Gilbert is a remarkable person and he created one of the best symbols of LGBTQ pride and equality. It's really disgraceful and pathetic that anyone wanted to post religious bigotry and homophobic negativity in response to this book.

About the author

Artist Gilbert Baker created the first Rainbow Flag in 1978, and was a longtime LGBTQ+, peace, and AIDS activist. He died in 2017.

Graham Halstead is a Brooklyn-based actor and voice artist. His voice work includes animation, commercials, and Audie and AudioFile Earphones Award-winning audiobook narration. His work in the theater includes performances in New York, regionally in Washington DC, and internationally in Edinburgh and London.