Construction crews arrived Sunday night at the intersection of Taft and Westheimer in Montrose, tasked by Governor Greg Abbott with paving over the city’s iconic rainbow crosswalk.
The construction efforts were met with tense protests from Houstonians which led to about four arrests. Houston officials said the order was a result of a request from Abbott and the Texas Department of Transportation to comply with federal roadway standards and strip “political ideologies” from roads or risk the loss of funding.
There is some speculation by news sources and social media users that the order was also influenced by a Trump administration directive to “improve safety” by eliminating “unnecessary distractions” from American roads.
Citizens returned Monday night to the intersection near the heart of what they called the “gayborhood” to recolor the sidewalk with pride flags using chalk and spray paint.
“Be Gay/Do Crime,” the sidewalk reads.
The rainbow crosswalk, first installed in 2017 through the efforts of Houston Pride, was originally painted to honor the victim of a hit-and-run accident. It has since become a symbol of pride and resilience for the LGBT community of Houston.
Some online journalists claim this process of removing rainbow paraphernalia in places such as Texas and Florida marks a “continuance of targeted erasure by the current administration.”
Community leaders say that efforts to install other Pride inspired art throughout Montrose are underway.
