Last modified: 2016-03-05 by rick wyatt
Keywords: marriage equality | rainbow | pink stars |
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image by Tomislav Todorovic, 5 May 2015
flag version with 50 pink stars
Tomislav Todorovic, 5 July 2015
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United States Marriage Equality Flag is presented at the Facebook Page:
It was created in 2009 by Eddie Reynoso of Reno, Nevada as a modification of the gay pride variation of U.S. flag which is
known as the "New Glory" by repainting the stars into pink as new states are beginning to
recognize same-sex marriages. The stars are being repainted beginning from the top hoist corner of the flag and canton and continuing along the topmost row, which is currently completely repainted (total of six pink stars). There were two previous versions (no longer shown online), with four and five stars repainted, respectively. This dates the flag creation into the period between 2009-09-01 and 2010-01-01, when same-sex marriages were recognized in four states only. A version
with total of 51 stars, of which five were repainted, was used in San Francisco and Reno on 2009-10-06, at the rallies held because of the California Supreme Court ruling on Proposition 8, the amendment to the state Constitution which restricted the right to marry to heterosexual couples. photos.
The 51st star represented the District of Columbia, as can be read from the inscriptions carried by the participants. The colors of this version differ from those shown on the 50-stars versions. It might be discussed whether this is a flag or a demonstration poster, but its use clearly suggests that it was meant to represent the flag.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 17 August 2013
flag version with 50 stars, 4 pink (original)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 17 August 2013
flag version with 50 stars, 5 pink
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 17 August 2013
flag version with 50 stars, 6 pink (original)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 17 August 2013
flag version with 51 stars, 5 pink (used at the rallies on 2009-10-06)
Tomislav Todorovic, 4 November 2012
The flag was not updated with new states legalizing same-sex marriages, until the total number of states reached thirteen on 2013-08-01.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 20 August 2013
flag version with 50 stars, 13 pink
source: facebook
Tomislav Todorovic, 20 August 2013
The number of pink stars was increased to fourteen in due time on 2013-10-21, when same-sex marriage legalization in New Jersey took effect.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 19 December 2013
flag version with 50 stars, 14 pink
source: facebook
Tomislav Todorovic, 20 August 2013
After that, the number was increased to sixteen to include not only Hawaii, where the same-sex marriage legalization took effect on 2013-12-02, but also Illinois, where the legislation was signed on 2013-11-20, but is to become effective on 2014-06-01.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 19 December 2013
flag version with 50 stars, 16 pink
source: facebook
Tomislav Todorovic, 19 December 2013
On 2013-12-28, the flag was not only amended to represent the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Mexico (on 2013-12-19) and Utah (on 2013-12-20), but completely redesigned as well: the field was now patterned as in the original eight-striped rainbow flag by Gilbert Baker and the pink stars were no longer positioned continuously, but scattered so as to represent the order in which the states were admitted into the Union, beginning from the top hoist corner of the canton.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
flag version with 50 stars, 18 pink
source: facebook
Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
On 2014-04-29, the star representing Utah was made white, because the same-sex marriage was no longer legal there since 2014-01-06.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
flag version with 50 stars, 17 pink
source: facebook as well as at Mr Reynoso's website www.prideconstellation.com where it was announced that a copy of the flag was being produced. It was also announced that the ratio was going to be 2:3 (dimensions of 12 ft x 18 ft) and that the stars are light pink, unlike the topmost stripe, which was described simply as pink ("hot pink" by Gilbert Baker). The photos from flag-making workshop can be found here, here and here and the manufacturer has made it, under the name of Pride Constellation Flag, a part of their regular offer, as shown here
Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
On 2014-05-19, another star was changed into pink for Oregon.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
flag version with 50 stars, 18 pink
source: facebook
Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
On 2014-06-12, another change was made for Pennsylvania.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
flag version with 50 stars, 19 pink
source: facebook
The flag which was eventually hoisted had nineteen pink stars, as can be seen on numerous photos dating from 2014-09-12. The photos which give the best vie of the exact design can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Another photo, dating from 2015-03-07, can be found here. These photos, along with many others, reveal not only the arrangement of pink stars, but also that the flag indeed uses two shades of pink color (a very rare, if not unique feature), as well as that the actual ratio is not 2:3, but somewhat more oblong, 3:5 or close.
Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
flag version with 50 stars, 18 pink
source: facebook
Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
According to direct e-mail communication with the flag designer in April 2014, there was originally an intention to fly the flag in San Diego on 2014-06-28, and to fly it again for 24 hours every time it is amended with new pink stars. While that flag was eventually flown on 2014-09-12, it seems that no further changes to the design were made for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Utah (second time), Colorado, Oklahoma, Virginia, Florida, Indiana, Wisconsin, Idaho, Nevada, West Virginia, North Carolina, Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming, and South Carolina. Only after the legalization in Montana, a flag with 35 pink stars was made and brought to a rally in Washington, DC which took place on 2015-04-29. However, just before the rally, two additional pink stars were attached over the original white stars representing Missouri and Kansas, two states in which the situation is rather complicated due to conflicting court decisions, with the same-sex marriage legal in some of the counties and illegal in the others. The photo of this flag, showing the unusual simultaneous existence of its two variants, can be found here (The man in bottom left corner of the photo, holding the top part of the flag sleeve, is Eddie Reynoso, the flag designer himself.)
Another photo from the same occasion, which does not show the "variable" part of the flag, can be found here (Here, Mr Reynoso is in the center of the group of people who hold the flag.) Both photos reveal again that two shades of pink are indeed used.
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 4 May 2015
flag version with 50 stars, 35 pink
Tomislav Todorovic, 3 May 2015
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 5 May 2015
flag version with 50 stars, 37 pink
Tomislav Todorovic, 5 May 2015
On 2015-06-26, following the United States Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges case, same-sex marriages became legal in all 50 states. The flag was duly updated, all stars becoming pink, and hoisted on 2015-06-27, with the additional pink stars being attached over the original white stars just before the hoisting. The photos made during the process were made available here, here, here, here and here.
Tomislav Todorovic, 5 July 2015