By: Greg Lewis
Published on Oct. 8, 2024, 4:15p.m. EST
ATLANTA— on Sunday, Mayor Andre Dickens revealed a newly custom crosswalk that incorporates the colors of the progressive Pride Flag, reflecting a broader that honors the city’s LGBTQ+ members and allies.
The vibrant intersection at 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue now features black and brown stripes to honor LGBTQ+ communities of color, and white, pink, and light blue to represent the transgender community. This change marks a meaningful evolution in the symbol’s legacy.
The brand new design was shown during a local ceremony attended by LGBTQ+ members of the community and also local officials and allies who all came together, United, to celebrate the continued journey towards equality and visibility.
“For the past seven-plus years, these crosswalks have been a powerful symbol of love, of unity, and of acceptance,” Mayor Dickens said during his speech.
Dickens took a brief moment to honor the 49 lives lost in 2016 during the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, a horrible tragedy that impacted the gay community nationwide.
The Atlanta Rainbow Crosswalks is the brainchild of Robert Sepulveda Jr., an entrepreneur/interior designer/community activist. Sepulveda funded a temporary crosswalk in 2015 with help from a community GoFundMe, which raised $44,000. At the time, city officials said safety concerns kept them from making the project permanent.
According to The GAVoice, local transgender activist Monica Helms expressed her frustration that one of the crosswalks wasn’t done in the colors of the Transgender Pride flag, which she created in 1999.
“I don’t see anything saying that one of the crosswalks will be trans colors,” Helms wrote on Facebook on July 1. “I am angry, even though I contacted the City Council (Alex Wan) and the mayor’s office. Others, like Sarah Rose, have also contacted people involved with this. I think the trans community, whether you live here or not, express your outrage at our omission.
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