San Antonio’s rainbow crosswalk celebrates the LGBTQ+ history of the Main Strip. Credit: Sanford Nowlin
San Antonio isn’t rushing to remove its rainbow crosswalk after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened Wednesday to withhold transportation funding from cities that don’t erase “political ideologies” from their streets.
In a statement, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she and members of City Council received a briefing on the Republican governor’s order. She also added that city staff reached out to Texas Department of Transportation to “ensure we understand the full scope of what may be impacted.
“As Mayor, I remain committed to balancing our community’s transportation needs with ensuring everyone in our community feels safe, welcomed, and supported,” Jones added.
The statement identifies no course of action for the city on Abbott’s order. Nor does it state a timeline for removing or altering the Pride crosswalk at the intersection of N. Main Ave. and Evergreen , the center of San Antonio’s LGBTQ+ nightlife.
Furthermore, Councilwoman Sukh Kaur, whose District 1 includes the crosswalk, told the Express-News she expects the city will seek an exemption because the colorful intersection hasn’t resulted in any traffic accidents.
“It has actually increased security in that community,” Kaur told the daily.
Abbott’s directive comes after Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy this summer urged governors to join a what he described as a national safety initiative aimed at scrubbing political messages from roadways.
Abbott’s warning also emulates a threat by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a fellow MAGA loyalist, to yank transportation funding from cities that don’t remove rainbow crosswalks and other street art. Some Florida communities are fighting that order.
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed