Architecture decked out in pride

July 1, 4:46 PMSF Architecture & Design ExaminerKaleene Kenning

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Photograph courtesy of Kaleene Kenning

Even the architecture participated in the 39th annual San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade. With over 200 parade contingents, 300 exhibitors, and more than a dozen community-run stages and venues, the San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade is the largest gathering of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender people and allies in the nation.

The rainbow flag, a symbol of gay pride, was designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community. The design has undergone several revisions due to fabric availability. Currently, the most common variant consists of six stripes – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet - flown horizontally, with the red stripe on top, as the colors would appear in a natural rainbow.

At the Civic Center, the War Memorial Opera House was illuminated with rainbow colors, in honor of the San Francisco Pride Celebration June 27 and 28, 2009. The colors were displayed vertically, rather than horizontally, and one additional color had to be thrown in to fit into the columned and arched beaux arts design, but most would agree that the display of pride was more important than a direct interpretation of the symbol.