Rainbow crossing
LGBTQ symbol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A rainbow crossing or rainbow crosswalk is a pedestrian crossing that has the art of the rainbow flag installed to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
Rainbow crossings may be installed just for particular occasions, such as events or Pride parades while others may be permanent fixtures of cities, especially when they are installed in gay villages.
History
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The rainbow flag or gay pride flag, is associated with the LGBTQ community activities around the world.
The idea to create rainbow crossing appears to have first emerged in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2008.[6] The first permanent rainbow crossings were introduced in West Hollywood as part of the 2012 Gay Pride Month celebrations.[1]
This inspired similar crossings in Sydney, Australia, the following year,[3][7] as well as some temporary rainbow crossings in other cities such as Tel Aviv[8] for a photo shoot to promote TYP: Ivri Lider and Johnny Goldstein, the act scheduled to headline the Gay Pride Parade's main concert. These photos, reminiscent of the Beatles Abbey Road album cover were posted on Facebook and the crosswalk was repainted white a few hours later.[9]
Following some of the temporary and early permanent installations in 2012 and 2013, the symbolism of rainbow crossings has gained widespread adoption by cities around the world to celebrate the LGBTQ community with many having been made into permanent installations. With that they have also been subject to regular attacks and vandalism by people opposed to them.
The first rainbow crossing in New Zealand was installed in Beach street Queenstown in 2018,[10] and as of 2026 there are five permanent rainbow crossings in New Zealand.[11][12][13][14]
In May 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1662 to keep "our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies."[15] Soon after, the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the removal or rainbow crossings across the state. In at least one city, officials responded by installing rainbow colored bike racks in protest.[15]
Community protests and internet activism
DIY Rainbow crossing protest movement in Australia
The DIY rainbow crossing movement was a protest movement that emerged in Sydney, Australia, in 2013 that involved people creating rainbow pedestrian crossings in chalk[16][17] as well as engaging in internet activism to protest the removal of a rainbow crossing from Oxford Street Darlinghurst in the LGBTQIA+ district of Sydney.[18][5][4][3][19]
The first rainbow crossing in Australia was created on Oxford st in Darlinghurst, in the LGBTQIA+ district of Sydney by the City of Sydney as part of the 35th-anniversary celebration of the Sydney Mardi Gras and lasted from the 25 February 2013 to 10 April 2013.[17] It has been commented that the "Rainbow crosswalks on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood were Lord Mayor Clover Moore's inspiration... ...[and] council hoped that the crossing would be just as successful as those on Santa Monica Boulevard and that public opinion would persuade the New South Wales roads minister to allow the crossing to remain in place."[17]
On 14 April 2013, members of the community from several local schools chalked a rainbow in the public square at Lackey St, Summer Hill, as part of the DIY Rainbow Crossing movement,[20] and on 15 April 2013, Ashfield Council workers removed the rainbow[21] and the council issued a statement labelling it a slip hazard and requesting a permit be obtained before it could be re-chalked.[22][23][24][25]
On 17 April 2013, it was rechalked by more than 100 people, including Ashfield local councillor Alex Lofts[20] after an art permit was obtained[20] and on 18 April, it was again removed.[20] The rainbow was re-chalked again and since 18 April it has now remained chalked with a group of local community members and supporters continuing to chalk in the rainbow, especially after rain. This group also hold occasional performances and arts-related celebrations at the site and some local businesses have offered discounts and support for the rainbow with these businesses display a logo with a stylised image of the rainbow crossing on it. A Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing Facebook page was also used to support the community protest.[26]
At an Ashfield Council meeting on 28 May 2013, the council passed a motion that a permanent outline of a rainbow be painted in Summer Hill Square, with the understanding that this may be periodically 'chalked in' by community members[27] and on 3 November 2013 this outline was installed in the square[20] becoming New South Wales first permanent rainbow crossing.
Following the removal of the temporary crossing on Oxford st the City of Sydney installed a rainbow flag at Taylor Square in 2014[28]and in 2019 a permanent rainbow crossing was installed in the southern end of Taylor Square close to where the original temporary Rainbow crossing was located.[29]The perminent rainbow crossing sits on the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets[30] and this crossing was updated in 2024 to include the Progress Pride Flag.[3][31] In 2025 a second permanent Rainbow crossing with the Progress Pride Flag was installed in Taylor Square Darlinghurst at the corner of Bourke and Forbes streets.[32][33][34]
Wider adoption of the protest movement
The original DIY rainbow crossing protest movement that was generated by the removal of the rainbow crossing in Darlinghurst, Sydney has also appeared in other forms of protest elsewhere around the world. In June 2013, a new law was passed in Russia which banned the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships" towards minors[39] and it was argued that the law was broad enough so that it would ban any public display of LGBTQ+ symbols in Russia and suppress LGBTQ+ culture.[40][35][41] In 2023 a law was passed in Russia that did officially criminalize any expression of support for the LGBTQIA+ movement in Russia and designated the "international LGBT movement" an "extremist" group.[42][43][44]
In August and September 2013 the Russian embassies in Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki all had Rainbow crossings painted on the road outside of the embassy buildings by activists in response to this new law passed in June 2013.[36][45] [37][38] In all three cities the Russian embassy buildings already had zebra crosings on the road outside of the buildings and the activists painted over the top of them in rainbow colours.[36][37][38] In Helsinki the activists returned the night after they had painted the zebra crossing and staged a kiss-in in front of the Russian embassy.[46] In Stockholm the activists returned to the rainbow crossing and walked naked across it whilst they were having their photo taken by other activists and they also stood outside the embassy wearing only underwear and dressed up in drag.[36] One of these activists in Stockholm who was wearing only a tight fitting pair of shiny blue underwear also pole danced upside down on a street sign pole outside of the embassy.[36]
Rainbow Path
Rainbow paths are very similar to rainbow crossings with the main difference being they do not exist on roads but on footpaths, cycleways and in public parks.[47] In 2016 Australia's first permanent rainbow path was installed in Light Square in Adelaide[48][49] and in 2021 rainbow paths were installed in Prince Alfred Park in Sydney and along the footpath adjacent to Cooggee Beach in Sydney with the path in Prince Alfred Park becoming permanent.[50][51] The rainbow path in Prince Alfred Park was updated in 2024 to include the Progress Pride Flag.[31][52]
In prepearation for Sydney hosting World Pride in 2023 new temporary rainbow paths were installed in Waterman's Cove in Barangaroo and in Kensington street, Chippendale.[51][53]
In 2017 in Mount Albert, Auckland a Rainbow path was installed that stretched for almost 500 metres along a cycle route,[54] and in 2021 a 570-metre rainbow path was installed along a bicycle route in Utrecht, running through Utrecht university.[55][56]
Rainbow footpath at Dublin City University main campus
A rainbow bike lane at Utrecht university. 2022
Rainbow footpath at a train station in Amsterdam. 2026.
Ankeny Rainbow Road plaza. Portland, 2025
Rainbow footpath in Québec City, Canada. 2022.
Pedestrian safety
In 2011, the United States Federal Highway Administration advised, without data, that "crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians".[57]
In early September 2019, the city council of Ames, Iowa, cut the ribbon on a rainbow crosswalk. Subsequently, the Federal Highway Administration sent them a letter "requesting" that it be removed. The city council ignored the letter.[58][59]
Since then, the 11th edition of the US Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices discourages bright colors from use within a crosswalk but no longer prohibits them, provided that the colors are not standard for use in other traffic control applications. However, symbols in addition to the rainbow may not be permissible depending on the application.[60]
In the United Kingdom, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has complained about the risk of rainbow crossings for people with visual impairments, who may rely on the contrast between traditional black and white stripes in order to cross the road safely.[61][62]
Other disability groups have said that people with dementia or learning disabilities may not recognise that they are road crossings, or that the colours may be overwhelming for autistic people or guide dogs.[63] In response to an open letter by the RNIB, the Alzheimer's Society and Scope, London mayor Sadiq Khan temporarily paused the crossings.[63]
A 2022 study by Bloomberg Philanthropies found that 17 sites with asphalt art had a 17% reduction in crashes and a 50% reduction in crashes with pedestrians after their painting;[64] though, the study does not mention rainbow crossings explicitly. An analysis of decorative crosswalks in Orlando, Florida, found more pedestrian crossings after their installation alongside a decrease in dangerous driving behaviors.[65]
Defacement and vandalism
Rainbow crossings around the world have been regular targets of homophobic attacks and vandalism such as defacement.[66][67]
In early June 2019, the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, unveiled a rainbow crosswalk on the historic U.S. Route 66.[68] Just a few days later, a motorcycle gang caused a significant amount of damage to the $30,000 crossing with their motorcycles.[69]
In August 2022, police in Atlanta arrested a suspect that was said to have defaced the city's rainbow crosswalk by painting swastikas over it.[70]
In October 2022, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigated a potential hate crime after a severed pig's head was found on a rainbow crosswalk outside a school near Spruce Grove, Alberta.[71]
In February 2024, a rainbow crosswalk in Redmond, Washington, was defaced by vandals with slurs using spraypaint.[72]
In March 2024, a rainbow crossing in Gisborne, New Zealand, was painted white by members of Destiny Church. They attempted to paint it again after it was restored and five were arrested.[73] A rainbow crossing on Karangahape Road in Auckland was subsequently defaced in the same manner, but Destiny Church denied involvement.[74]
In June 2024, a video showed a pickup truck doing burnouts on a newly installed rainbow crossing in Huntington, West Virginia.[75][76]
Bans
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On 22 February 2024, a by-law was passed by referendum in the Canadian town of Westlock, Alberta, which prohibits the painting of crosswalks with non-standard colors, or the flying of flags on municipal property that represent "political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities". The referendum was proposed by petition, with its supporters claiming that it was meant to promote governmental "neutrality" on social issues.
The bill's passage was criticized by Westlock's mayor and other local politicians, who believed that it was specifically meant to restrict LGBTQ pride commemorations by the municipal government. A rainbow crossing had been painted in Westlock for the first time in 2023, but was subsequently removed to comply with the neutrality bill.[77][78]
Later that year, a similar by-law inspired by the Wastlock ban was passed in Barrhead, Alberta, while groups have advocated for similar laws in other Canadian municipalities.[79]
In 2025, the US state of Florida officially prohibited new installations of all aesthetic and non-standard crosswalk markings on the state highway system, which includes rainbow crosswalks.[80] A rainbow crossing in Orlando, painted in 2017 to honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, was removed in August 2025.[81]
List of rainbow crossings
This list below includes all rainbow crossings of notability but does not include all crossings in existence.
| City | Country | Date installed | Location | Image | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | United States | 2012 | West Hollywood | |
First permanent rainbow crossing in the world and the first in the United States and California.
The two rainbow crosswalks were painted on the intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard in time for the LA Pride Parade in June 2012.[1] They were updated in 2022. |
[82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92] |
| Sydney | Australia | 2013 | Taylor Square, Oxford st, Darlinghurst | .jpg) |
First temporary rainbow crossing in Australia, lasting from February to April 2013, for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. | [3][4][5] |
| Sydney | Australia | 2013 | Lackey Street Piazza, Summer Hill | |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Australia. | [93] |
| Vancouver | Canada | 2013 | Davie and Bute streets | .jpg) |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Canada | [94] |
| San Francisco | United States | 2014 | Castro District |  |
First permanent installation in California's fourth largest city. | [95][96][97][98] |
| Toronto | Canada | 2014 | Church and Alexander Streets |  |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Ontario and largest city of Canada | [99] |
| Seattle | United States | 2015 | Broadway and Pine Street, Capitol Hill, Seattle |  |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Washington state | [100] |
| Philadelphia | United States | 2015 | 13th & Locust streets | First permanent rainbow crossing in Pennsylvania | [101] | |
| San Jose | United States | 2016 | First rainbow crossing in San Jose. | [102][103][104][105] | ||
| Swift Current | Canada | 2017 | Central Avenue | First permanent rainbow crossing in Saskatchewan | [106] | |
| Saskatoon | Canada | 2017 | Third Avenue and 23rd Street and Fourth Avenue | .jpg) |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Saskatchewan's largest city | [107] |
| Atlanta | United States | 2017 | Pedestrian scramble at 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue | First permanent rainbow crossing in Georgia, US | Swift Current | |
| Darwin | Australia | 2017 | Knuckey and Smith Streets, Darwin city | The first rainbow crossing in the Northern Territory, installed for the city's pride week. | [109] | |
| Queenstown | New Zealand | 2018 | Beach st, Queenstown | First rainbow crossing in New Zealand. | [10] | |
| Paris | France | 2018 | Marais district |  |
First permanent rainbow crossing in France | [110] |
| Melbourne | Australia | 2018 | Jackson street, St Kilda | First rainbow crossing in the state of Victoria. Was expected to have lasted two years. | [111] | |
| Canberra | Australia | 2018 | Elouera and Lonsdale Streets, Braddon |  |
First permanent rainbow roundabout in the world.
First in the capital of Australia. |
[112] |
| Wellington | New Zealand | 2018 | Intersection of Dixon and Cuba st, Wellington |  |
First rainbow crossing in Wellington. | [11] |
| Milwaukee | United States | 2018 | N. Jefferson St. |  |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Wisconsin | [113] |
| Sydney | Australia | 2019 | Taylor Square, corner of Campbell and Bourke streets, between Surry Hills and Darlinghurst. |  |
Second permanent Rainbow crossing in Australia, notable for its size and prominence in the LGBTIQA+ district of Sydney.[29] | [30][31][3] |
| Nottingham | United Kingdom | 2019 | Broad Street |  |
First permanent rainbow crossing in the United Kingdom. | [114][115] |
| Guildford | United Kingdom | 2019 | Stag Hill, University of Surrey | First permanent rainbow crossing at a British university; installed after the council refused to allow rainbow crossings elsewhere in the county, as it is a crossing on private (university) land | [116] | |
| Vienna | Austria | 2019 | Burgtheater, Innere Stadt |  |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Austria | [117] |
| Chicago | United States | 2019 | North Halsted Street at West Buckingham Place |  |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Illinois | [118] |
| Venice | United States | 2019 | First rainbow crossing in Los Angeles | [119][120] | ||
| Ferndale | United States | 2019 | Downtown Ferndale | [121] | ||
| Taipei | Taiwan | 2019 | Ximending, Ximen Station Exit 6 |  |
First permanent rainbow crossing in Taiwan; commemorates passing of marriage equality | [122] |
| New York City | United States | 2019 | 7th Avenue and Christopher Street |  |
Near Stonewall Inn to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (not officially permanent by any governing body, but has been consistently refurbished since 2019) | [123] |
| Key West | United States | 2020 | Duval and Petronia streets | First permanent rainbow crossing in Florida | [124] | |
| New Plymouth | New Zealand | 2020 | Gill st, New Plymouth | First rainbow crossing in New Plymouth | [12][125] | |
| San Diego | United States | 2020 | Hillcrest neighborhood | [126][127][128][129] | ||
| Auckland | New Zealand | 2021 | Karangahape Rd, Auckland Central | First rainbow crossing in Auckland. | [13][130] | |
| Derry | Northern Ireland | 2021 | Peace Bridge | First permanent rainbow crossing in the country of Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland | [131] | |
| Arklow | Ireland | 2021 | Main street | First permanent rainbow crossing in Ireland | [132][133] | |
| Gisborne | New Zealand | 2021 | Gladstone Road, Gisbourne | First permanent rainbow crossing in Gisbourne. | [14] | |
| Santa Ana | United States | 2021 | Highway 111 and West Buddy Rogers Avenue | [134] | ||
| Dublin | Ireland | 2022 | Clondalkin | First permanent rainbow crossing in Dublin, largest city and capital of Ireland | [135] | |
| Cape Town | South Africa | 2022 | De Waterkant | First permanent rainbow crosswalk in Cape Town, and the first in South Africa. Installed in De Waterkant - the city's gay village - which hosts the start of its annual pride parade | [136] | |
| Manhattan Beach | United States | 2021 | [137][138] | |||
| Long Beach | United States | 2022 | [139][140] | |||
| Geelong | Australia | 2023 | Yarra Street | First intersex inclusive Progress Pride crossing in Australia, and third permanent rainbow crossing. | [141] | |
| Fairfax | United States | 2023 | [142] | |||
| Sausalito | United States | 2023 | [143][144] | |||
| Huntington, West Virginia | United States | 2024 | 4th Avenue and 10th Street | [145][146] | ||
| Nashville, Tennessee | United States | 2024 | 14th and Woodland streets (East Nashville) | First rainbow crossing in Nashville and in the state of Tennessee | [147] | |
| Davis | United States | 2025 | In 2023, a rainbow crossing in Davis was painted and removed. More rainbow crossings in Davis were installed in 2025. | [148][149][150] | ||
| Monterey | United States | 2025 | Alvarado Street | In 2025, Monterey's openly gay mayor Tyller Williamson supported the installation of rainbow crossings.[151][152][153][154] The proposal received some criticism,[155] but was painted at Alvarado Street in June 2025.[156][157] It may face federal scrutiny.[158] | ||
| Sydney | Australia | 2025 | Taylor Square at the intersection of Bourke and Forbes streets, Darlinghurst. |  |
Fourth permanent rainbow crossing in Australia, notable for its size and prominence in the LGBTIQA+ district of Sydney.[29] The Qtopia museum, that celebrates queer stories in Sydney, can be seen in the round building in the background. | [32][33][34] |
See also
- Cuba Street rainbow crossing
- LGBTQ movements
- Stolperstein - memorials to victims of the holocaust which are laid into pavement
- Zebra crossing