Baker was often asked by friends aware of his creative talents to make banners for protests and marches. Baker had a stroke several years ago but had not been sick recently.Īs the gay rights movement spread from San Francisco and New York in the 1970s, Mr. He was 65.Ĭleve Jones, a friend and gay rights activist who confirmed the death, said that Mr.
Gilbert Baker, a self-described “gay Betsy Ross” who in 1978 hand-dyed and stitched together eight strips of vibrantly colored fabric into a rainbow flag, instantly creating an enduring international symbol of gay pride, was found dead on Friday at his home in New York City.
