This technicolor typeface honors the creator of the LGBTQ pride flag
Rainbows have become synonymous with LGBTQ pride and identity around the globe, thanks to artist and activist Gilbert Baker. He created the rainbow flag in 1978, as a way to represent the vibrancy of the queer community.
Baker died on March 31, but his legacy and vision of the LGBTQ community lives on through a new, creative medium — a rainbow typeface created in his name.
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The eye-catching typeface, simply called "Gilbert," features gently rounded letters with strokes in eight different colors paying tribute to Baker's rainbow flag.
Though the flag has since been updated to feature only six colors, Baker designed his original flag with colors representing eight pillars of the LGBTQ community: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for harmony, and purple for spirit.
The rainbow version of the typeface unapologetically invokes LGBTQ pride, but "Gilbert" is also available for download in black, creating a sleeker and more understated look.
Image: Type With pride
The technicolor font was created through a partnership called Type With Pride, spearheaded by media and arts organization NewFest, NYC Pride, Ogilvy & Mather's design agency, and font creation platform Fontself.
The organizations decided to memorialize Baker in a typeface because he was known for using his artistic talents to help friends create banners for protests and marches. They wanted Baker's creative contributions in LGBTQ activism to persist, even after his death.
"We wanted to create something special that would not just honor Gilbert and his iconic rainbow flag, but also give the LGBTQ community a fantastic tool to help them create their own banners, posters, and signs," Ogilvy & Mather's design team said in a press release. "People can now raise the rainbow flag with every letter they type."
Image: Type With pride
Image: Type With pride
The typeface is available for free download here. The creators also encourage members of the community to share their creations with the font, using the hashtag #TypeWithPride.
