San Antonio Paints Rainbow Sidewalks to Preserve Pride Symbols After Texas Threatened $80 Million
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 12
San Antonio Paints Rainbow Sidewalks to Preserve Pride Symbols After Texas Threatened $80 Million
6 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 12
$80 million in potential state funding losses pushed San Antonio to remove rainbow crosswalks and replace them with rainbow-painted sidewalks in its Pride Cultural Heritage District.
Gov. Greg Abbott had directed the Texas Department of Transportation to eliminate rainbow crosswalks and similar markings, citing safety concerns and opposition to political messaging.
Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, a gay City Council member, helped craft the workaround because sidewalks fall outside state jurisdiction.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said keeping the crosswalks was not worth risking critical funding, framing the sidewalk plan as a way to retain both city resources and a visible LGBTQ symbol.
San Antonio moved rainbows to sidewalks to sidestep a state ban. Is this a new blueprint for city defiance nationwide?
As states cite safety to ban colorful crosswalks, what does the data actually reveal about their real impact on accidents?