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Rainbow crossing

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The Rainbow Crossing on Oxford St at Taylor Square in Sydney, Australia (April 2013)
Part of the LGBTQ series
LGBTQ symbols
      
Symbols
Pride flags

A rainbow crossing or rainbow crosswalk is a pedestrian crossing that has the art of the rainbow flag installed to celebrate the LGBTQ community.

As a symbol of the community, some have been subject to hate crime attacks and vandalism.

History

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The rainbow flag or gay pride flag, is associated with the LGBTQ community activities around the world.

The idea to create rainbow crosswalks appears to have first emerged in Taipei, Taiwan in 2008.[1] The first permanent rainbow crosswalks were introduced to West Hollywood as part of the 2012 Gay Pride Month celebrations.[2] This inspired similar crossings in Sydney, Australia, the following year,[3] as well as some temporary rainbow crossings in other cities such as Tel Aviv[4] for a photo shoot to promote TYP: Ivri Lider and Johnny Goldstein, the act scheduled to headline the Gay Pride Parade's main concert. These photos, reminiscent of the Beatles Abbey Road album cover were posted on Facebook and the crosswalk was repainted white a few hours later.[5]

Following some of the temporary and early permanent installations in 2012 and 2013, the symbolism of rainbow crossings has since then gained widespread adoption by cities around the world to celebrate the LGBT community with many having been made into permanent installations. With that they have also been subject to regular attacks and vandalism by people opposed to them.

Community protests and internet activism

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The removal of the crossing inspired a rainbow chalk community protest started by Sydney local James Brechney.[6] People followed his lead by creating their own DIY rainbow crossings with chalk and sharing pictures on social media.[7][8][9] The campaign also featured internet activism with the Facebook Page, DIY Rainbow.[10] Pictures of chalk rainbow crossings from many places around the world appeared on social media including Paris, Shanghai, Pretoria, Thailand and Cambodia.[11] Facebook would later credit DIY Rainbow as one of the top 10 pages of Facebook over its first 10 years.[12]

DIY Rainbow crossing protest movement in Australia

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The DIY rainbow crossing movement was a protest movement that emerged in Sydney, Australia in 2013. The campaign involved individuals creating rainbow pedestrian crossings in chalk to protest the removal of a temporary rainbow crossing from Oxford Street. The temporary crossing was created by the City of Sydney as part of the 35th-anniversary celebration of the Sydney Mardi Gras. When the crossing was to be removed, the community protests and internet activism campaign emerged. In 2013, New South Wales' first permanent rainbow crossing was approved and installed on Lackey St, Summer Hill. In 2019, a permanent rainbow crossing was unveiled in Taylor Square, on the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets.

Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing

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Support for the rainbow crossing spread across Sydney, including local communities. On 14 April 2013, in response to the removal of the Rainbow Crossing in Oxford St, Darlinghurst,[13] parents and children from several local schools chalked a rainbow in the public square at Summer Hill, as part of the DIY Rainbow Crossing movement.

The Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing

On 15 April 2013, Ashfield Council workers removed the rainbow.[14] After media attention, council issued a statement labelling it a slip hazard and requested a permit be obtained before it could be re-chalked. The events were covered in The Daily Telegraph,[15] The Australian,[16] Perth Now,[17] and on 2DAY FM.[18]

On 17 April 2013, it was rechalked by more than 100 people, including local councillor, Alex Lofts. On 18 April, it was again removed, only to be re-chalked. Since that date it has remained chalked. A group of families and supporters continue to chalk the rainbow, especially after rain. This group has also ensured the area remains free of litter; they also hold occasional performances and arts-related celebrations at the site. Some local businesses have offered discounts and support for the rainbow, these display a logo with a stylised image of the rainbow crossing on it. A Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing Facebook page was used to support the community protest.[19]

At an Ashfield Council meeting on 28 May 2013 the council passed a motion that a permanent outline of a rainbow be painted in Summer Hill Square, with the understanding that this may be periodically 'chalked in' by children, families and community members.[20]

Wider adoption of the protest movement

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The original DIY rainbow crossing protest movement was generated by the debate over the rainbow crossing in Sydney, however DIY rainbow crossings continue to appear as protests in other settings including a crossing outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm, Sweden in August 2013 believed to be in protest against new legislation in Russia.[21][22]

Pedestrian safety

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In 2011, the United States Federal Highway Administration advised that "crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians".[23]

In early September 2019, the city council of Ames, Iowa cut the ribbon on a rainbow crosswalk. Subsequently, the Federal Highway Administration sent them a letter "requesting" that it be removed. The city council ignored the letter.[24][25]

In the United Kingdom, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has complained about the risk of rainbow crossings for people with visual impairments, who may rely on the contrast between traditional black and white stripes in order to cross the road safely.[26][27] Other disability groups have said that people with dementia or learning disabilities may not recognise that they are road crossings, or that the colours may be overwhelming for autistic people or guide dogs.[28] In response to an open letter by the RNIB, the Alzheimer's Society and Scope, London mayor Sadiq Khan temporarily paused the crossings.[28]

Defacement and vandalism

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Rainbow crossings around the world have been regular targets of homophobic attacks and vandalism such as defacement.[29][30]

In early June 2019, the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico unveiled a rainbow crosswalk on the historic U.S. Route 66.[31] Just a few days later, a motorcycle gang caused a significant amount of damage to the $30,000 crossing with their motorcycles. Even though at least a dozen bikers were shown on video, only one man, a Trump supporter named Anthony Morgan was arrested for the crime.[32][33]

In August 2022, police in Atlanta arrested a suspect that was said to have defaced the city's rainbow crosswalk by painting swastikas over it.[34]

In October 2022, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigated a potential hate crime after a severed pig's head was found on a rainbow crosswalk outside a school near Spruce Grove, Alberta.[35]

In February 2024, a rainbow crosswalk in Redmond, Washington was defaced by vandals with slurs using spraypaint.[36]

In March 2024, a rainbow crossing in Gisborne, New Zealand, was painted white by members of Destiny Church. They attempted to paint it again after it was restored and five were arrested.[37] A rainbow crossing on Karangahape Road in Auckland was subsequently defaced in the same manner, but Destiny Church denied involvement.[38]

In June 2024, video showed a pickup truck doing burnouts on a newly installed rainbow crossing in Huntington, West Virginia.[39][40]

Notable permanent installations

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The list below does not include all rainbow crossings in existence and is limited to those of notability, such as the first installation in a country, first installation in the largest cities of a state of large countries or otherwise notable beyond its mere existence.

City Country Date installed Location Image Notability Ref.
Los Angeles United States 2012 West Hollywood First permanent rainbow crossing in the world.

First in the United States and California.

[41][42][43][44]
Sydney Australia 2013 Lackey Street Piazza, Summer Hill First permanent rainbow crossing in Australia [45]
Vancouver Canada 2013 Davie and Bute streets First permanent rainbow crossing in Canada [46]
San Francisco United States 2014 Castro District First permanent installation in California's fourth largest city [47]
Toronto Canada 2014 Church and Alexander Streets First permanent rainbow crossing in Ontario and largest city of Canada [48]
Seattle United States 2015 Broadway and Pine Street, Capitol Hill, Seattle
Main article: Rainbow crossings in Seattle
First permanent rainbow crossing in Washington state 		[49]
Philadelphia United States 2015 13th & Locust streets First permanent rainbow crossing in Pennsylvania [50]
Swift Current Canada 2017 Central Avenue First permanent rainbow crossing in Saskatchewan [51]
Saskatoon Canada 2017 Third Avenue and 23rd Street and Fourth Avenue First permanent rainbow crossing in Saskatchewan's largest city [52]
Atlanta United States 2017 Pedestrian scramble at 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue First permanent rainbow crossing in Georgia, US [53]
Paris France 2018 Marais district First permanent rainbow crossing in France [54]
Canberra Australia 2018 Elouera and Lonsdale Streets, Braddon First permanent rainbow roundabout in the world.

First in the capital of Australia.

[55]
Milwaukee United States 2018 N. Jefferson St. First permanent rainbow crossing in Wisconsin [56]
Nottingham United Kingdom 2019 Broad Street First permanent rainbow crossing in the United Kingdom [57][58]
Guildford United Kingdom 2019 Stag Hill, University of Surrey First permanent rainbow crossing at a British university; installed after the council refused to allow rainbow crossings elsewhere in the county, as it is a crossing on private (university) land [59]
Vienna Austria 2019 Burgtheater, Innere Stadt First permanent rainbow crossing in Austria [60]
Chicago United States 2019 North Halsted Street at West Buckingham Place First permanent rainbow crossing in Illinois [61]
Taipei Taiwan 2019 Ximending, Ximen Station Exit 6
Main article: Rainbow crossings in Taipei
First permanent rainbow crossing in Taiwan; commemorates passing of marriage equality 		[62]
Key West United States 2020 Duval and Petronia streets First permanent rainbow crossing in Florida [63]
Derry Northern Ireland 2021 Peace Bridge First permanent rainbow crossing in the country of Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland [64]
Arklow Ireland 2021 Main street First permanent rainbow crossing in Ireland [65][66]
Dublin Ireland 2022 Clondalkin First permanent rainbow crossing in Dublin, largest city and capital of Ireland [67]
Geelong Australia 2023 Yarra Street First intersex inclusive Progress Pride crossing in Australia [68]
Huntington, West Virginia United States 2024 4th Avenue and 10th Street [69][70]
Nashville, Tennessee United States 2024 14th and Woodland streets (East Nashville) First rainbow crossing in Nashville and in the state of Tennessee [71]

Bans

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On February 22, 2024, a bill was passed by referendum in the Canadian town of Westlock, Alberta, which prohibits the painting of crosswalks with non-standard designs, or the flying of flags on municipal property that represent "political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities". The referendum was proposed by petition, with its supporters claiming that it was meant to promote governmental "neutrality" on social issues. The bill's passage was criticized by Westlock's mayor and other local politicians, who believed that it was specifically meant to restrict LGBT pride commemorations by the municipal government. A rainbow crossing had been painted in Westlock for the first time in 2023, but was subsequently removed to comply with the neutrality bill.[72][73]

See also

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References

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