"The Salisbury crosswalks, installed in 2018 and repainted each year by volunteers, were removed on November 11 after Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor ordered crews to mill away the paint at dawn, The Washington Post reports."
"He maintained that "government property remains neutral and does not promote any particular movement or cause," local ABC affiliate WMDT reported."
""It really made the community feel safer," 23-year-old Jonathan Franklin told The Washington Post, describing the crosswalks as a signal that queer people "are part of the fabric of Salisbury.""
"But the rationale is contested: studies highlighted in that reporting show decorative crosswalks are associated with fewer crashes, not more, calling into question the safety argument officials often invoke."
Salisbury's rainbow crosswalks, installed in 2018 and repainted annually by volunteers, were removed on November 11 after Mayor Randy Taylor ordered crews to mill away the paint at dawn. Taylor said the city must ensure neutrality on government property and announced a rotating artist-created pattern program called "The Crosswalk Canvas." Many LGBTQ+ residents described the crosswalks as rare public affirmation in a conservative region that made the community feel safer. Multiple states have ordered elimination of rainbow crosswalks citing federal guidance against non-standard markings, while studies indicate decorative crosswalks can be associated with fewer crashes, challenging safety-based rationales.
Read at Advocate.com
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