Governor Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Transportation to withhold state and federal funds from Dallas and other Texas cities if they refuse to remove rainbow crosswalks from their roadways. This outrageous move is ironic given that the crosswalks were the result of a years-long community effort that used no taxpayer dollars for installation.
This is government overreach, plain and simple. Cities like Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin installed these crosswalks with local support and private donations, not public money. Now the state wants to spend taxpayer funds to remove them, at a time when Texas faces real challenges in education, healthcare, flood relief and the energy grid.
“Texas leaders used to believe in local control and fiscal responsibility,” said Resource Center CEO Cece Cox. “Forcing cities to tear up privately funded community projects does not reflect either of those values. It’s political theater and taxpayers are footing the bill.”
Governor Abbott and other leaders claim the removals are about “safety.” But as we’ve seen in other states, including with the rainbow crosswalks outside the former Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the real target of these efforts is visibility for the LGBTQIA+ and other communities. The directive also targets displays of solidarity, such as Black Lives Matter and any symbols deemed “political.” Erasing these displays won’t make roads safer; it simply sends the message that not everyone is welcome in Texas.
Dallas’ rainbow crosswalks were installed in 2020 with private funding and refreshed earlier this year. No public money was used then, but public money would be used to remove them. That’s not fiscal responsibility – that’s ideology over efficiency.
Destroying a symbol of community pride won’t erase a community’s presence or progress. While this act may dishearten people in the short term, we will continue to show up, including at the ballot box.
Resource Center stands with our LGBTQIA+ community, local officials and every Texan who believes taxpayer dollars should go toward solving real problems, not manufacturing new ones.
