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Gilbert Baker, the creator of the original gay pride rainbow flag, watched with tears in his eyes Sunday, July 15, as about 2,000 volunteers unfurled his 1.25-mile-long version of the internationally recognized gay and lesbian symbol down the length of Key West’s Duval Street. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the flag’s creation, the massive banner was stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico during the culminating event of Key West’s PrideFest 2003. A crowd of gay and straight people chanted ‘Gilbert, Gilbert’ and ‘Key West, Key West’ as Baker, 52, dipped one end of the flag into the gulf. Meanwhile, PrideFest organizers and community leaders dipped the other end into the Atlantic, making the flag a sea-to-sea symbol of pride and diversity. The procession was led by NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt founder Cleve Jones and Gilbert was busy helping to unroll the flag onto the street. To create the Key West flag, Baker spent almost four months in the island city sewing approximately 17,600 linear yards of fabric that weighed more than three tons. The flag’s creation, sponsored by Absolut Vodka, was commissioned by Rainbow25, an organization founded in 2002 to commemorate the flag’s history. See inside for details on the 34th Annual Chicago Pride Parade, Sunday, June 29, Noon kick-off. Photo by Darlene / Photo Graphics