Gay Freedom Day 1978 identity

Published June 26, 2024

In 1978, Gay Freedom Day was the name of the march and celebration now known San Francisco Pride. The event that year, attended by an estimated 250,000 to 375,000 people, marked the debut of the original rainbow flags.

As Pride is a Protest explains, the 1978 Gay Freedom Day was also a major political event:

It featured a central rally against California Proposition 6, a.k.a. The Briggs Initiative, which aimed to bar gay teachers from the classroom. […]

1978 Gay Freedom Day also featured a newly elected Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay government official, who rode down Market Street in a convertible wearing a pink triangle arm band and a shirt that read, “I’ll Never Go Back!”

It featured a boycott on Coors Brewing, which “put prospective employees through a polygraph test to determine, among other things, if they were homosexual. […]”

That year, the identity design for Gay Freedom Day prominently featured Aldo Novarese’s Stop typeface along with a rising sun motif. The design featured prominently across the celebration: on buttons, T-shirts, flyers, printed programs, and a hand-made parade banner for the Gay Freedom Day Committee. I haven’t been able to track down any credits for the design so please comment below with any leads you may have.

Pride events are taking place around the world this month for Pride Month, including SF Pride and NYC Pride this weekend.