Austin officials held a dedication ceremony on Aug. 21 for an LGBTQ+ Historical Marker, located at the southwest corner of Fourth and Colorado Streets.<\/p>\n
The marker reads \u201cAs Queer As You Want To Be,\u201d and details the \u201ccontributions, struggles and success of Austin\u2019s LGBTQIA+ community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diving in deeper<\/p>\n
The ceremony took place just before the Austin Pride<\/a> parade and festival\u2014an all-day celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and history on Aug. 22. The marker itself can be found under the Bettie Naylor Street sign\u2014marking a stretch of Fourth Street named in honor of the civil rights advocate. The marker is also located near many of Austin\u2019s notable LGBTQ+ establishments, such as Rain<\/a> and Oilcan Harry\u2019s. <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe businesses that built [the] community here face real financial pressure and some did not survive,\u201d District 9 City Council member Zo Qadri said. \u201cThat is why this marker matters beyond today’s ceremony. The city council and the historic preservation office, [along with] Austin Equity and Inclusion are not only recognizing the history, we are building the tools to protect what remains of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Development of the historical marker was directed by a 2023 city council resolution<\/a> and led by collaboration with Austin Capital Delivery Services, Austin Planning Historic Preservation Office and Austin Equity and Inclusion, according to a news release.<\/p>\n Some context<\/p>\n The dedication ceremony comes after state and federal mandates required cities to remove “non-standard” roadway markings, including street art, from local roads. As a result, the City of Austin was required to remove rainbow pavement markings at 4th and Colorado Streets, with an action plan deadline of June 22, according to a city memorandum. <\/a><\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Transportation presented the national Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies, or SAFE ROADS<\/a>, initiative last year. The safety program is crafted to keep art and political messaging off roadways, labeling them as \u201cdistractions,\u201d U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a statement.<\/p>\n