The Rainbow Abjection

Contrary to popular belief, the LGBTQ “rainbow” flag is not technically a rainbow at all. By definition, a rainbow is. “An arc or circle that exhibits in concentric bands the colors of the spectrum and that is formed opposite the sun by the refraction and reflection of the sun’s rays in raindrops spray, or mist.”[1]

The spectrum is defined as, “A spectrum of light: a band of familiar colors that include red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The name “Roy G. Biv” is an easy way to remember the colors of the rainbow, and the order in which they appear: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.”[2]

The rainbow we see in the sky (the one created by Yahweh and used as a sign to seal the Noahic Covenant) consists of 7 colors. The number 7 is referred to by biblical scholars as the “number of completion” or the “number of perfection.” Another numerological fun fact: the Hebrew word for rainbow (qesheth) contains 7 letters.

The current iteration of the LGBTQ “rainbow flag” contains only 6 of the 7 colors of the spectrum; but even this is a modified version of the original flag, which contained a total of 8 colors. The flag, designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, was comprised of: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, indigo, violet.

(For a non-biased opinion from a drag queen about Gilbert Baker and the origins of his “peace flag, click here)

Furthermore, each of the colors represented, in Baker’s mind, 8 very specific meanings.

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Hot Pink for sex
Red for life
Orange for healing
Yellow for sun
Green for serenity with nature
Turquoise for magic[3]
Indigo for harmony
Violet for spirit.

It is noteworthy that of all the colors selected, the one that gets top billing, represents sex, while none of the remaining stripes represent love. I find this extremely interesting coming from a community who decries any association with sexual deviance and portends to be about the freedom to love whoever you want.

I also think it’s interesting that the two colors that were eventually removed were the pink and the turquoise—the two colors that most closely represent the stereotypical colors that differentiate the two genders: girl and boy.

But the “things that make you go hmmm” coincidences don’t stop there. The “official story” is that the pink and turquoise were removed due to the high costs of hot pink fabric dye and the difficulty of finding and matching colors back in the late 1970s when the flag was designed.

The flag hit another snag when attempts were made to hang the flags vertically, rather than the traditional horizontal direction, that due to the width of the stripes, the turquoise stripe disappeared when wrapped around the flagpole. (Which makes no sense to me at all considering the turquoise stripe is located in the middle of the flag?) But I digress….

Here is the part that fascinates me the most (and the reason why I think the pink and the turquoise stripes were removed). The pink and the turquoise stripes represent, respectively, sex and magic. Ring any bells? Aleister Crowley, anyone?

For those who may not know, Crowley was an English occultist, most famous for inventing a philosophical system called Thelema, and his concepts of magic (especially sex magic).

“Sex magic (sometimes spelled sex magick) is any type of sexual activityused in magical, ritualistic or otherwise religious and spiritual pursuits. One practice of sex magic is using sexual arousal or orgasm with visualization of a desired result. A premise posited by sex magicians is the concept that sexual energy is a potent force that can be harnessed to transcend one’s normally perceived reality.”

Gilbert Baker designed the flag to be a symbol or emblem for the homosexual community; and whether wittingly or unwittingly, I know not; but I believe what he created was, not a symbol, but a sigil.

A sigil is a type of symbol, specifically used in Chaos magic. The general public is given one definition of the symbol’s meaning, while those with esoteric knowledge of the symbol know its true interpretation. A sigil is encoded with a special purpose and it is created, “with the intention of changing your reality in accordance with your will.”[4] Another way of saying this is, people create sigils in order to “manifest their own destiny.”

And lest you think this is all just a bunch of hocus pocus—there are celebrities and influencers out there who believe in this stuff with all their hearts. Take for example, Kirk Hammett, multi-millionaire lead guitarist for one of the most popular metal bands in the world. Here is an ad for Kirk’s “Demonology” guitar:

“Metallica’s Kirk Hammett is fascinated by the strange and macabre aspects of life, evidenced by his custom guitars featuring classic horror art and paranormal phenomena, most famously seen in his well-known Ouija guitars. The next step in his LTD Signature Series is the KH Demonology, a guitar powerful enough to summon the mightiest of dark forces. Over its black finish are a number of sigils, which are ancient symbols reputed to be imbued with magical power that allows the owner to summon demonic entities.”[5]

Lest you think this is all merely Kirk marketing a “metal” image, here is an excerpt from a 2009 interview with Guitar World magazine.

“Well, as far as symbolism goes, there are different schools of thought, like how colors can influence your mood or perspective. Different symbols, like the all-seeing eye or the rose, will trigger different things in your psyche or unconscious. All this stuff is influential on some level and has an impact on the person surveying it, whether on a quantum level or a more overt level. I’m really interested in that sort of thing.”
Kirk Hammett

Notice how Kirk said that symbols are influential and can have an impact on the person surveying it. This means, Kirk is interested in the symbols on his guitars having some sort of subtle impact or influence on the fans in the audience who are watching him play. Earlier, he states that colors and symbols can influence your mood or perspective. In other words, they have the ability to influence the behavior and the worldview of the masses (and this is key) without their knowledge.

This, my friends, is nothing short of spell casting.

Back to the self-proclaimed, “gay Betsy Ross,” Gilbert Baker. Baker, like Hammett, embedded within the very fabric of his multi-colored sigil—the words: sex magic (as represented by the hot pink and the turquoise stripes). Was this an accident? Maybe.

Maybe not.

I guess the real question is—did it work? If the ultimate aim of sex magic is to harness sexual energy in order to transcend one’s perceived reality…did Baker’s flag accomplish that? Did the homophobic “reality” of 1978 America remain firmly cemented in the foundation of traditional Judeo-Christian values after Baker unveiled his flag?

Because if it’s “just a flag,” it wouldn’t hold any power over the masses. It wouldn’t have the force to move crowds of people, to influence their mood or perspective, or to whip them up into some sort of sexual frenzy, or to act against their own moral judgment or will.

Because, it’s just a flag!!! Right?