New project documents the Pride flag around the world
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- During Pride month, rainbow flags are up and flying all across the San Francisco Bay Area and now you have a chance to take part in an unique new project.
It's easy to take part -- just snap a photo of yourself with the iconic flag and download it on https://gilbertbaker.com/flaginthemap_submit/
The project is called "Flag in the Map" and it seeks to document people flying the Pride flag all over the world, even in places where it could get you jailed, even killed.
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According to the human rights organization "ReportOut", it is illegal to fly or display the Pride flag and in 12 of those countries, you could be sentenced to death.
"It really reminds us that you know a lot of us have gotten our rights or gotten more rights but there's so much work to do," remarked Charley Beal.
Beal heads up the Gilbert Baker Foundation. The Foundation has joined forces with ReportOut on a new campaign to document stories of individuals displaying pride rainbows around the world.
So far there are stories from many locations including Singapore, Ethiopia, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Iceland, Germany Latvia, and the United States,
Beal showed KPIX 5 some of his favorites including a woman from Zimbabwe.
"She says this picture is evidence of my existence as a nonbinary person in a country that does not recognize my rights and a culture that seeks to erase me," read Beal.
He then picked up another photograph of some young men on bicycles, riding with a flag. The photo was taken in China.
"These young kids going out on a bicycle in Shanghai with a rainbow flag at 6 in the morning cause they're afraid of getting arrested. But they wanted to get that photo and they sent it to us," Beal said.
Then there is this amazing image sent from Kyiv, the embattled capital of Ukraine. Activists used some drones to fly a rainbow flag on a famous Soviet-era statue.
"They used one drone to fly it up there and another drone to photograph is," Beal said. "You know right now in Ukraine, they're fighting for the lives because Putin pledged to wipe LGBTQ people off the map in Ukraine."]
Flag in the Map just had its first exhibition in New York. A second one is placed for later this month in London. The hope is to put all the stories and photos in a book.
"This exhibit touches my heart in ways. This is about ordinary people," said Beal.
