Photo courtesy of This is It!
In these days of heightened tensions, amidst marches and pandemics, a city snafu could not have been more poorly timed. It seems the Rainbow Crosswalks at the intersection of Wells and Jefferson Streets, (installed in 2018 thanks to a concerted LGBTQ community campaign and fundraising effort led by George Schneider, owner of the This is It, one of the nation’s oldest gay bars), had been defaced not by vandals but by the Department of Public Works (DPW) itself.
In fact, the Crosswalks’ annual refreshing repaint had taken place just days earlier on Saturday, June 6 as a part of Pride weekend. This year, pink, blue and white colored stripes along the crosswalk’s length were added in recognition of the transgender community. Given the pervading gloom and doom, the gleaming bright colors of this symbol of LGBTQ equality were cause for joy and celebration. But that moment of Pride was short-lived.
On Tuesday, June 9, Schneider discovered that a DFW crew had marred the rainbow renovation with unsightly underground utilities markings for the Diggers Hotline. Cryptic squiggles, lines and dots ran straight down the middle and along the borders of the rainbow stripes. Apparently, someone didn’t get the memo. Consternation and ire ensued.
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DPW Commissioner Jeff Polenske quickly issued a formal apology for the unfortunate faux pas. In his official statement he acknowledged the Rainbow Crosswalks as a historic tribute to the LGBTQ community and promised to immediately restore them to their original splendor. Schneider, meanwhile, has offered his gratitude on behalf of the community for both the speedy resolution of the problem and the city’s support of this important civic project.
