The City of West Hollywood has installed new graphics that update the City’s rainbow crosswalks with inclusive pride crosswalks in the heart of WeHo’s LGBT Rainbow District. The new design recognizes the city’s diverse LGBTQ community.
The installation of the new crosswalks began on Monday, March 7, 2022 and was completed on Thursday, March 10, 2022.
“It’s exciting to see the new pride crosswalks being installed,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister. “West Hollywood is a city that welcomes all. My hope is that the crosswalks convey that message and a message of inclusiveness. Let us not forget that a rainbow is not just six colors or 10 colors – if it truly represents our community, then it is an infinite number of colors.”
Inclusive Pride Crosswalks Aerial Photo by Jon Viscott Courtesy City of West Hollywood“The new inclusive pride crosswalks demonstrate our City’s commitment to recognizing and honoring all within our LGBTQ+ community as well as our acknowledgement that equity is needed for historically marginalized members of our LGBTQ+ community,” said Mayor Pro Tempore Sepi Shyne.
“It’s so great to see this newly painted crosswalk,” said Councilmember John D’Amico. “It’s always exciting to see how our city reviews, refines, and resets the discussion of acceptance and inclusion.”
Inclusive Pride Crosswalks – Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMES“The City of West Hollywood has always been on the forefront of equality, but that doesn’t mean that we’re ever done,” said Councilmember John M. Erickson. “Whether this is through our policies or the symbol that West Hollywood represents to the worldwide LGBTQIA+ community, no matter who you are or how you love, you are welcome here. Our newly installed inclusive pride crosswalks are just another example of the City’s long-term commitment to always being willing to adapt, evolve, and continue to fight for progress.”
“As our community begins the process of opening back up and we continue to plan our inaugural WeHo Pride 2022 celebration, I’m thrilled that the newly installed inclusive pride crosswalks will welcome visitors from around the world to the iconic WeHo Rainbow District as a beacon of diversity, inclusion, and forward progress,” said Councilmember Lindsey P. Horvath.
Inclusive Pride Crosswalks – Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMESFirst installed in 2012 based on the design of the iconic rainbow flag, the City’s rainbow crosswalks were the world’s first permanent crosswalks of their kind to embody a theme of pride. During the course of a decade, the bright red-orange-yellow-green-blue-violet striped crosswalks garnered worldwide attention and became an iconic symbol of hope, pride, and acceptance.
The City’s new inclusive pride crosswalks have been installed at the same location in the heart of the City’s Rainbow District at the intersection of Santa Monica and N. San Vicente Boulevards. This intersection has served a not only as focal point of LGBTQ community-making, but also as a historic spot for protests and activism, and the site of countless actions that embrace the catalyst for progress in the fight for full civil and human rights of LGBTQ people, everywhere.
Inclusive Pride Crosswalks – Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMESNewly updated crosswalk graphics feature rainbow flag colors in the center of the crosswalk; the overall design has been expanded with a chevron pattern on both sides featuring black and brown stripes to represent LGBTQ people of color and pink, light blue, and white to represent transgender people.
The installation of new inclusive pride crosswalks follows approval from the City Council of the City of West Hollywood in November 2021 and incorporates input from the City’s Transportation Commission, Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board (LGAB), and Transgender Advisory Board (TAB).
March 9 was a Wednesday, not a Monday. And the rainbow is all inclusive as it is.
Every person I’ve heard talk about the new striping on the street and in groups have said the same thing: “Ugly, crappy amateur design, rainbow is all inclusive, not the gay flag anymore, divides people up instead of unifying them, when will the other groups – bears, twinks, nonbinary, etc. – insist on having their own separate color? Just stupid.”
Total waste of taxpayer money. Just think what $85,000 could’ve done for our community. Instead they blew it on painting colors on asphalt.
What a complete waste of money but only because they will look terrible in no time. I drove through there today and there’s already tire marks/skid marks over them. Would have been better to do something on the 4 corners or in the air above the street where it couldn’t be damaged.