--- title: Gay Marriage: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's History as Champion of Gay Rights description: "I think that as more and more people came out and said that “this is who I am,” the rest of us recognized that they are one of us" canonical: https://time.com/3937882/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-ruling/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-26T16:58:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:19.312Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's History as a Champion of Gay Rights og:description: "I think that as more and more people came out and said that 'this is who I am,' the rest of us recognized that they are one of us" og:url: https://time.com/3937882/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-ruling/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7ba29fd6f61bce5d/69885889e20a877655a8c0ab/466730748-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks at an annual Women's History Month reception in Washington on March 18, 2015. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's History as a Champion of Gay Rights twitter:description: "I think that as more and more people came out and said that 'this is who I am,' the rest of us recognized that they are one of us" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7ba29fd6f61bce5d/69885889e20a877655a8c0ab/466730748-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:31 video:published: 2015-06-24 section: history topics: rainbow flag, LGBT symbolism, San Francisco gay rights, Gilbert Baker, Harvey Milk, Pride parades, flag design, color meanings genre: explainer, documentary tones: informative, celebratory, reflective emotions: pride (medium), hope (low), nostalgia (low) sentiment: positive audience: LGBT community members, history enthusiasts, general viewers, students people: Gilbert Baker, Harvey Milk organizations: San Francisco Gay and Pride Parade, U.S. Army products: rainbow flag transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Ruth Bader Ginsburg's History as a Champion of Gay Rights > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=26b8fe63-2bcc-47b7-9e74-2990c90735f4&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: This is The History of the Rainbow Flag [Watch (HLS stream): This is The History of the Rainbow Flag](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/bnTiT5cr.m3u8) (1:31)  _Published 2015-06-24. How the rainbow flag became an icon of LGBT rights_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The video traces the history of the rainbow flag as a symbol of the LGBT community, beginning with its origins in San Francisco. It credits Gilbert Baker, who moved to the city as an Army draftee, became involved with Harvey Milk and the gay rights movement, and was commissioned by the San Francisco Gay and Pride Parade to design a lasting symbol. The video explains what each color of the original flag represents and how the flag later changed to six stripes. ## Key points - The rainbow flag is a worldwide symbol of the LGBT community, and its birthplace is San Francisco. (00:04) - Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag, and he moved to San Francisco as an Army draftee in 1970. (00:12) - In San Francisco, Baker became acquainted with Harvey Milk and the gay rights movement. (00:18) - After sewing many banners for gay events and marches, Baker was commissioned by the San Francisco Gay and Pride Parade to design a symbol. (00:26) - Baker said the rainbow fit people because all of the colors represent the range of sexualities, genders, races and ages. (00:44) - Each color represents something: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature. (00:54) - Turquoise, indigo and violet also carried meanings, including art, harmony and the human spirit. (01:04) - The flag later evolved to six stripes, with turquoise swapped for blue and pink and indigo removed. (01:12) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:26] Origins of the rainbow flag in San Francisco. The video introduces the flag's San Francisco birthplace and Gilbert Baker's background, including his connection to Harvey Milk. - [00:26 to 00:54] Baker's design and the rainbow as a metaphor. Baker is commissioned to create a symbol and explains why the rainbow reflects the community's diversity. - [00:54 to 01:31] Color meanings and later changes. The video explains what each color represents and how the flag was modified into its six-stripe form. ## Key quotes - [00:44] Gilbert Baker: "So that really fit us as a people because we are all of the colors." - [00:50] Gilbert Baker: "Our sexuality is all of the colors, where all the genders, races and ages." ## Questions this video answers - Where was the rainbow flag born? [00:04] - Who created the rainbow flag? [00:12] - What does each color of the rainbow flag represent? [00:54] - How did the rainbow flag change over time? [01:12] - Why did the rainbow become a symbol for the LGBT community? [00:44] by [Alicia Lu / Bustle](https://time.com/author/bustle/) ## Alicia Lu / Bustle Jun 26, 2015 4:58 PM UTC  Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks at an annual Women's History Month reception in Washington on March 18, 2015. Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks at an annual Women's History Month reception in Washington on March 18, 2015. Allison Shelley—Getty Images by [Alicia Lu / Bustle](https://time.com/author/bustle/) ## Alicia Lu / Bustle Jun 26, 2015 4:58 PM UTC It’s official: gay marriage is now a Constitutional right everywhere in America, thanks to the [Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in the ](http://www.bustle.com/articles/89093-whats-next-for-gay-rights-after-supreme-court-verdict-the-next-frontier-is-enda)[_Obergefell v. Hodges_](http://www.bustle.com/articles/89093-whats-next-for-gay-rights-after-supreme-court-verdict-the-next-frontier-is-enda)[ case](http://www.bustle.com/articles/89093-whats-next-for-gay-rights-after-supreme-court-verdict-the-next-frontier-is-enda) on Friday. While there was a majority decision of 5-4, there is one justice who has stood out above the rest as a steadfast and fierce supporter of marriage equality, and you might know her as the Notorious RBG. [Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s support of gay marriage](http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/28/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-arguments-supreme-court) has been crucial, from her personal opinion of the American public’s shifting attitude to April’s oral arguments and, ultimately, [the historical decision](http://www.bustle.com/articles/87251-6-amazing-places-to-celebrate-the-same-sex-marriage-decision-in-new-york-city) that says anyone in any state can marry the person they love. Justices Anthony Kennedy, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan joined Ginsburg in agreeing that gay couples should be free to marry in all 50 states. Even before the decisive oral arguments on April 28, Ginsburg was already very vocal about [her take on gay marriage](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-12/ginsburg-says-u-s-ready-to-accept-ruling-approving-gay-marriage-i61z6gq2): America’s ready. In February, Ginsburg sat down with Bloomberg Business to discuss the high court’s impending gay marriage case. She told Bloomberg’s Greg Stohr and Matthew Winkler that it “would not take a large adjustment” for the American people to accept the Supreme Court’s decision to make gay marriage a Constitutional right. Then, during the hearing in April, Ginsburg used her famous sharp wit to [shut down the opposing side’s arguments](http://www.bustle.com/articles/79730-ruth-bader-ginsburg-shuts-down-gay-marriage-opponents-with-these-3-perfect-rebuttals) against gay marriage. For example, when tradition was brought up as an argument to maintain the marriage status quo, Ginsburg countered with the (extremely) antiquated Head and Master Law, which defined marriage as between a dominant male and a subordinate female. Clearly, that was a marriage tradition that desperately needed to be challenged, just like opponents’ idea of marriage as only between a man and a woman. And when John Bursch, the lawyer representing the states who want to keep their gay marriage bans, argued that marriage was all about procreating, Ginsburg brought up this very astute point: But perhaps the biggest nod she’s made was when she officiated a gay wedding earlier this month, which is already a clear-cut sign of her advocacy, and she dropped a sly hint to the SCOTUS’s decision. According to to _New York Times_ writer Maureen Dowd, who was in attendance at the wedding of Shakespeare Theatre Company artistic director Michael Kahn and New York architect Charles Mitchem, when pronouncing the two men married,[Ginsburg seemed to emphasize the word “constitution”](http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2015/05/20/ruth-bader-ginsburg-officiates-gay-wedding-drops-possible-hint-about-supreme-court-decision/) when she said “by the powers vested in me by theConstitution of the United States.” Though it’s nothing but mere speculation, it certainly wouldn’t be totally unlike the Notorious RBG to subtly wink at America in such a way. She didn’t earn her “notorious” title for nothing. ### See Ruth Bader Ginsburg Grow from Toddler to Supreme Court Justice  August 2, 1935 Childhood photograph of Ruth Bader taken when she was two years old. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  1948 Ruth Bader delivers a sermon as camp Rabbi at the age of 15, at Che-Na-Wah camp in Minerva, N.Y. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  December, 1953 Studio photograph of Ruth Bader, taken in Dec. 1953 when she was a Senior at Cornell University. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  Fall, 1954 Martin D. Ginsburg and Ruth Bader Ginsburg taken in the fall while Martin Ginsburg served in the Army, before being drafted, stationed at Artillery Village in Fort Sill, Okla. Martin Ginsburg was drafted into the Army in 1954. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  Summer 1958 Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Martin Ginsburg play with their three-year old daughter, Jane, in her bedroom at Martin's parents' home in Rockville Centre, N.Y Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  Fall 1980 Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg during her first term as a United States Circuit Judge to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  December, 1980 Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her husband Martin Ginsburg, and their children James and Jane in a boat off the shore of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  1972 Ruth Bader Ginsburg with her husband Martin at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  Oct. 1, 1993 Informal portrait of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg standing before the mantle in the Justices' Dining Room in Washington. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  August 10, 1993 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. From left to right stand President Bill Clinton, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Martin Ginsburg, and Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States  Official portrait of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Steve Petteway—Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States _This_ [_article_](http://www.bustle.com/articles/87221-an-ode-to-ruth-bader-ginsburg-her-contribution-to-scotus-historical-gay-marriage-decision) _originally appeared on_ [_Bustle_](http://www.bustle.com) _More from Bustle:_ * [Why Supporting Same-Sex Marriage Is Good For You](http://www.bustle.com/articles/88196-6-ways-supporting-gay-marriage-is-good-for-you-your-health) * [4 Super-Snarky Moments In Scalia’s Dissent](http://www.bustle.com/articles/93200-4-super-snarky-moments-in-antonin-scalias-dissent-in-which-he-makes-very-clear-that-he-is) * [These Brands Are Spreading The #LoveWins Message](http://www.bustle.com/articles/93208-brands-reacting-to-same-sex-marriage-ruling-on-twitter-are-spreading-the-lovewins-message-beautifully) ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] [00:04] The rainbow flag is a worldwide symbol of the LGBT [00:08] community, but it's birthplace is in San Francisco and [00:12] it's creation is thanks to a man named Gilbert Baker. [00:15] Baker moved to San Francisco as an Army draftee in [00:18] 1970. It was there that he became acquainted with [00:21] Harvey Milk and they gay rights movement. Gay rights [00:23] now. [00:26] After sewing many banners for gay events and [00:29] marches, the San Francisco Gay and **** Pride Parade [00:32] commissioned him to design a symbol that could be [00:34] used for years to come. And this is what Baker came [00:37] up with the original rainbow flag. The rainbow is a [00:41] beautiful part of nature. All of the colors and even the [00:44] colors you can't see. So that really fit us as a people [00:48] because we are all of the colors. Our sexuality is all of [00:50] the colors, where all the genders, races and ages. [00:54] Each color represents something different Pink for sex, [00:59] red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, [01:04] green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for [01:08] harmony, and violet for the human spirit. The flag [01:12] later evolved to have six stripes. Turquoise was [01:15] swapped for blue and pink and indigo were taken out. [01:19] And decades later, the flag can still be seen linked [01:22] proudly from nearly every pride parade and march [01:25] around the world. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3937882/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-ruling/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3937882/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-ruling/"},"headline":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg's History as a Champion of Gay Rights","datePublished":"2015-06-26T16:58:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:41:19.312Z","description":"\"I think that as more and more people came out and said that 'this is who I am,' the rest of us recognized that they are one of us\"","url":"https://time.com/3937882/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-ruling/","keywords":["society","Supreme Court","women","Ruth Bader Ginsburg","same sex marriage","Equality"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7ba29fd6f61bce5d/69885889e20a877655a8c0ab/466730748-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alicia Lu / Bustle"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7ba29fd6f61bce5d/69885889e20a877655a8c0ab/466730748-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks at an annual Women's History Month reception in Washington on March 18, 2015.","caption":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks at an annual Women's History Month reception in Washington on March 18, 2015.","creditText":"Allison Shelley—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/society/","name":"society"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3937882/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-ruling/","name":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg's History as a Champion of Gay Rights"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This is The History of the Rainbow Flag","description":"How the rainbow flag became an icon of LGBT rights","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/bnTiT5cr/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-06-24T22:02:03.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/bnTiT5cr.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3937882/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-ruling/","duration":"PT1M31S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3937882/ruth-bader-ginsburg-gay-marriage-ruling/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```