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A rally in support of San Antonio’s rainbow crosswalk was held on Main Avenue Thursday and included a last-minute speech from Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.
Community members are adamant about fighting to preserve it despite a removal threat from Governor Greg Abbott. However, Jones, the city’s first lesbian mayor, does not appear to be supportive in keeping it at the risk of losing funding from the state.
“You don't think the gay mayor has some thoughts on this? You don't think I have some things that I want to say about this?” Jones said.
Abbott has threatened withholding Texas Department of Transportation funds from cities that have crosswalks or road markings with ideological or political leanings.
“I have to think about everybody in our community and what this could mean for them … I don't have to tell you this. We don't live in California, we don't live in Illinois, we live in Texas … and I have an obligation to think of everybody in our community in mind,” she said.
Thursday night’s rally included speeches from community groups, members of the city’s LGBTQIA Advisory Commission, and the signing of a resolution urging the city council to keep the crosswalk. Jones did not appear to sign while District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito did. Other council members were not present at the rally.
The crosswalk at Main Avenue and Evergreen was installed in 2018 with about $19,000 in privately raised donations. It’s the only city intersection with a decorative crosswalk. Other Texas cities have already removed some rainbow crosswalks, including Houston.
James Poindexter, board secretary of Pride San Antonio, says Abbott’s memo was targeted to LGBT communities in the state.
“This crosswalk has been here for over seven years, and it was legally placed here, and we did it according to proper guidelines, universal crosswalk guidelines and everything. So this crosswalk should not be going anywhere,” he said.
The crosswalk sits at the nexus of San Antonio’s LGBT owned businesses and in the newly created Pride Cultural Heritage District. John Barker, a co-owner of The Strip SA, which operates The Heat, Knockout, Sparky’s Pub and Eagle SA, said there’s optimism it will stay, but the reality it could be removed is real.
“One thing I want the community to remember is long before this crosswalk arrived, we were here, and they may take it, but after Trump and Abbott are long gone, we'll build a bigger and better one,” Barker said, adding other ways of marking the area are under consideration such as flag poles or repainting buildings.
Karen Vaught, a member of local social club Just Us Lesbians, highlighted the safety it brings to the area; an element the city of San Antonio plans to use in its exemption request to TxDOT. “These crosswalks have been proven to reduce accidents, not increase them. It's not hurting anyone. We have cultural districts all over this city, we have cultural flags. It doesn't hurt to have this. It doesn't hurt anyone, and it makes people feel good,” she said.
Last week, the attorneys for the city of San Antonio said it had until Nov. 8th to file an exemption under the guidelines provided by TxDOT. City data showed in three years before the crosswalk was installed there were two incidents at the intersection; but in the seven years since there have only been two as well.
Mayor Jones said the city’s lawyers would follow the exemption requisition process, but that crosswalks are not needed to show pride.
“My pride is not tied to this paint. You know why? Because it's in my heart and in my head. No one is going to take away who we are, what we have contributed to this city, to this state and to this country. It doesn't matter what they say. We will move forward. We know our worth. We'll just figure out a different way,” she said.
After the rally, Poindexter said he wished the mayor was more supportive.
“I understand what she's saying, but none of this is rooted in law. His memo is just a memo. There's no legal basis to it,” he said.
Neither Mayor Jones nor Poindexter believe TxDOT will grant the exemption.
“Let's focus on what we can achieve, right? And I want to manage people's expectations. Let's be pragmatic. What can we actually get done? That's what I want to focus on,” Jones said.
