Around 150 protestors gathered outside the Legacy of Love Monument in Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood on Saturday to protest Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive that cities remove street designs that are primarily in historically LGBTQ and Black areas of Dallas.
Demonstrators demanded the city request an exemption for the rainbow — a prominent LGBTQ symbol — crosswalks throughout the neighborhood.
“None of those expressions of free speech and cultural identity should be erased for any reason whatsoever,” said Cece Cox, CEO of Resource Center, a nonprofit that provides health services for LGBTQ+ communities.
In an Oct. 8 press release, Gov. Greg Abbott said he was directing the Texas Department of Transportation to remove "non-standard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly support traffic control or safety ... including the use of symbols, flags, or other markings conveying social, political, or ideological messages."
“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways," said Governor Abbott. "Today, I directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure Texas counties and cities remove any and all political ideologies from our streets. To keep Texans moving safely and free from distraction, we must maintain a safe and consistent transportation network across Texas.”
The rainbow crosswalks in Oak Lawn were funded through private donations and used no taxpayer dollars.
Many demonstrators pushed back on the idea that the rainbow crosswalks were inherently political, including Dallas City Council member Paul Ridley, who represents the Oak Lawn neighborhood.
“Governor Abbott claims that they inject ideology into public spaces. Well, sexual orientation is not an ideology, gender identity is not an ideology,” Ridley said during a speech to demonstrators. “No one calls being straight an ideology.”
Ridley and the other city council members will have to make a decision on what to do with the designs soon. The city was given 30 days to remove street markings that "may cause confusion, reduce roadway uniformity, and impair the effectiveness of both human and automated vehicle navigation,” according to a letter TxDOT sent to city and county transportation officials on Oct. 8.
The letter from TxDOT was much more broad than Abbott’s statement, saying that “pavement markings such as decorative crosswalks, murals, or markings conveying artwork or other messages are prohibited on travel lanes, shoulders, intersections, and crosswalks unless they serve a direct traffic control or safety function. This prohibition includes the use of symbols, flags, or other markings conveying any message or communications.”
Failing to comply with the rules could result in the withholding or denial of state or federal funding, suspension of agreements between TxDOT and the local government or required removal on roads that are part of the state highway system or funded through TxDOT programs.
The letter notes that exceptions may be granted if the local jurisdiction gets written approval from TxDOT’s Traffic Safety Division.
Ridley told KERA News he would need input from the city's attorney before saying Dallas should take legal action against Abbott’s directive if the exemption is denied.
A Dallas spokesperson told KERA News the city has received the letter and will “provide an update to the City Council on any necessary next steps.”
Texas House Rep. Venton Jones, one of the first openly gay Black men to serve in the legislature, said Dallas should be prepared to go to court over the issue, arguing the city would spend more money on removing the crosswalks than on legal bills.
"That would cost Texans so much money right now when we should be helping families make ends meet," Jones said.
He said Abbott's directive is part of the state's larger effort to target the LGBTQ+ community.
"This is not about roads," he said. "This is about our very existence."
Dylan Duke is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Dylan at dduke@kera.org.
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