Somewhere over the rainbow crosswalks in Sacramento

Kevin Knauss

10 years ago

Somewhere over the rainbow of Sacramento’s crosswalks.

With the City of Sacramento formally approving the installation of rainbow colored crosswalks in midtown Sacramento, proponents of the project hope they’ll now see a rainstorm of money to actually install the fancy crossing stripes. The rainbow crosswalk project at the intersection of 20^th and K St. is as much an homage to the LGBTQ community in Sacramento as it is recognition that all people need safe passage through their journey of life.

The Golden Gate Bridge is mine

Just as Dorothy wanted to go home in the Wizard of Oz, we all want a place to call home. We want to embrace tangible symbols of our history and identity. We find these expressions of identity all around us in our communities from church steeples to rose gardens. Anyone who has travelled across the Golden Gate Bridge, if only once, owns that bridge and that experience every time they see an image of the graceful golden span.

Somewhere over those rainbow crosswalks

It should be no surprise to anyone that Sacramento’s LGBTQ community would be interested in constructing a permanent display that constitutes a place marker and expression of faith. The human spirit dictates that one must have faith that crossing the road will result in safe passage. Regardless of your human condition, a rainbow crosswalk symbolizes that all people should be able to walk their journey without fear of oppression and persecution.

Crossing a street in life can be dangerous

All of us have had to cross a dangerous street in our journey of life. Some of us were fortunate enough to find that crosswalk that helped us safely cross to the other side. As much as the rainbow crosswalks will symbolize the heart of the LGBTQ community in Sacramento, they’ll also represent that all of us, irrespective of our gender, race, age, religion, or nationality, should be able to walk through an intersection in life in safety.

Sacramento Rainbow Crosswalks installed in October of 2015.

Where’s the pot of gold?

Some folks have mistakenly assumed that the City of Sacramento is actually paying for the installation of the rainbow crosswalk. This is a myth. With the same entrepreneurial spirit and sense of community that helped organize today’s Sacramento LGBT Community Center and support of numerous gay friendly businesses in midtown, the rainbow crosswalks will be funded with donations from the community. In the forefront of raising the money necessary to install the rainbow crosswalks is the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce.

Traditional American values at work – community

For all its charm and pedestrian friendly nature, Sacramento’s midtown business section relies on patrons from outside the area to keep the stores open and thriving. Consequently, any universal icon or attraction that helps draw people into the midtown area is welcome. I don’t think it can be underscored enough that this installation of the rainbow crosswalks is a community movement. No one is asking the government to fund the project. Rather, this effort is rooted in traditional American values where communities organize to bring positive change and enhancement to their neighborhoods.

Rainbows belong to everyone

Just as San Francisco doesn’t own the Golden Gate Bridge, neither will the LGBTQ community in Sacramento own the rainbow crosswalks. Because once someone has traversed the intersection over the stripes of rainbows colors in safety, they forever own that experience and it becomes part of their history and quite possibly their identity. If you’ve ever safely crossed one of those dangerous intersections of life with the help of family, friends or your community, I hope you will consider donating to the rainbow crosswalks as an affirmation that we all deserve safe passage in our lives.

Lavender Heights Rainbow Crosswalk Project Fundraiser