Chicago's LGBTQ+ crosswalks make a vibrant comeback
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The new LGBTQ+ crosswalks being painted on Halsted Street in November. Photo: Moyo Adeolu/Axios
The Northalsted neighborhood is finally bringing back the colorful LGBTQ+ crosswalks.
The latest: Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) crews have been busy repainting select crosswalks around the North Side neighborhood after removing the older ones for a road repair and resurfacing project in September.
Flashback: The original crosswalks were installed in 2019. They were added to the pillars along Halsted Street that were erected in 1997, when then-Mayor Richard M. Daley named the area "Chicago's LGBTQ+ neighborhood."
- At the time, it was the first neighborhood in America to receive an official designation.
Between the lines: The timing of the construction project led some to be concerned that the beloved crosswalks were being removed permanently.
- The Trump administration and conservative state lawmakers have either removed LGBTQ+ street art projects or attempted to outlaw them, deeming them too political.
Case in point: Rainbow crosswalks were recently removed in St. Petersburg.
Reality check: Chicago is not Florida. CDOT fixed Halsted Street, and crews have started repainting 11 crosswalks.
- And the Northalsted Business Alliance is doubling down on representation, even painting one crosswalk with the transgender pride flag.
What they're saying: "We're fortunate to have a local government so committed to protecting and respecting our community, especially as we're seeing other areas of the country dismantling and paving over these physical representations of LGBTQ+ pride, love and strength," Northalsted Business Alliance executive director Kevin Barbeau tells Axios.
- "We recognize that we're in a kind of bubble in that regard, and don't take for granted the strong support and responsiveness that officials in Chicago (and in Illinois) continue to show for the LGBTQ+ community."