{"id":289900,"date":"2026-05-12T18:26:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/289900\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T18:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:26:09","slug":"texas-banned-rainbow-painted-crosswalks-but-locals-found-a-workaround-to-restore-the-lgbtq-pride-symbol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/289900\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas banned rainbow-painted crosswalks \u2013 but locals found a workaround to restore the LGBTQ Pride symbol"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pride flag returned to the streets of San Antonio, even after the Trump administration and Texas leaders ordered cities to remove rainbow-painted crosswalks.<\/a><\/p>\n

Portions of the sidewalk in San Antonio\u2019s Pride Cultural Heritage District, a neighborhood home to LGBTQ+ establishments and residents, are now painted with the colors of the Pride flag.<\/p>\n

City council members chose to paint the sidewalks after the city was asked to remove a rainbow-painted crosswalk that had existed in the neighborhood since 2018.<\/p>\n

In October, Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed cities to remove<\/a> \u201cany and all political ideologies\u201d from the streets. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had threatened to revoke federal funding<\/a> from places that painted roadways with what he called \u201cpolitical banners\u201d to reduce distractions.<\/p>\n

Other cities, such as Dallas, Austin and Houston, were forced to remove their rainbow crosswalks.<\/a> Washington, D.C., removed its Black Lives Matter mural. Cities across Florida were asked to do the same.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The mayor of San Antonio, the first openly gay woman to serve in the position, said she had to make a choice between accepting federal funding or removing a rainbow crosswalk (Pride 210 San Antonio)<\/p>\n

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, a veteran who is the first openly gay woman to serve in the role, told the New York Times <\/a>that she had to consider the consequences of not removing the rainbow sidewalk in her city.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate what our rainbow sidewalks represent. But, I\u2019m the mayor of a major city in Texas, so I have to think about the consequences for everyone if our governor were to take away critical funding over this issue,\u201d Jones told the newspaper.<\/p>\n

Jones, who said she served in the Iraq War during the \u201cdon\u2019t ask, don\u2019t tell\u201d policy, said her pride \u201cis not tied to this paint\u201d but rather \u201cin my heart and head.\u201d<\/p>\n

But community members were still dismayed<\/a> by the idea of getting rid of the rainbow crosswalk.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the city council\u2019s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board chose to place the Pride colors on the sidewalk, an idea sparked by<\/a> Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2026, there\u2019s certain individuals, certain people of our community that still feel unwelcome and unsafe,\u201d Michael Rendon, the chair of the city\u2019s LGBTQIA advisory board, told KENS5, a local news outlet<\/a>, in March.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis strip represents a place where people can come from the LGBTQ community and our allies and come and celebrate, build community. It\u2019s a space where we can come together, be ourselves and welcome everyone from our community,\u201d Rendon added.<\/p>\n

Some still fought to prevent the rainbow sidewalks from becoming part of the city, especially since $170,000 was coming out of the Public Works funding to both remove the rainbow crosswalk and install the rainbow sidewalk.<\/p>\n

The Texas Conservative Liberty Forum, a group dedicated to advancing conservative values, sued in objection to using public funds for the rainbow sidewalk. Ultimately, Pride San Antonio, a nonprofit aimed at instilling and embracing the LGBTQ+ community, sued to stop the removal of the rainbow crosswalk.<\/p>\n

The lawsuits were merged in a somewhat confusing move \u2013 sparking outrage from some community members, including a local organization called Pride210, which expressed opposition<\/a> to Pride San Antonio\u2019s suit.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, a judge declined to issue an injunction halting the removal of the crosswalk or installation of the sidewalks.<\/p>\n

Members of the community unveiled the rainbow sidewalk at the end of March.<\/p>\n