Houstonians are responding to the removal of rainbow crosswalks with new murals celebrating diversity.

After the city of Houston removed rainbow crosswalks in response to an executive order from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and threats from the state, the city’s artists are rallying to paint rainbow-themed murals on local businesses as a sign that the LGBTQ+ community “cannot be erased,” reports Gwen Howerton in the Houston Chronicle.

Businesses aren’t the only ones painting the town rainbow. The day after the rainbow crosswalk at Westheimer and Taft was scraped away, community members came to reclaim the street. The sidewalk ramps were brightened with rainbow colors, Pride flags, transgender symbols, and messages ranging from “Be Gay, Do Crime“ to “Trans Lives Matter ⚧” were spray-painted all over the sidewalk.

Some residents used chalk to draw rainbow crosswalks near their homes. Anna Eastman, a former state representative who painted a chalk rainbow at an intersection in her neighborhood, said “she wished that the city could repair potholes as quickly as it removed the crosswalk.”

FULL STORY: Houstonians are painting the town rainbow to protest crosswalk removal

Saturday, November 1, 2025 in Houston Chronicle

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