All the cool kids are doing it.
The city of Austin is exploring a waiver that would allow its current street art to stay in place. In a message board post on Monday, Mayor Kirk Watson said the city plans to ask the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for an exemption to preserve pavement art.
The move comes in response to a directive from Gov. Greg Abbott requiring the removal of nonstandard street markings by Nov. 7. That includes the Pride-themed crosswalk at Fourth and Colorado streets and the “Black Artists Matter” mural on 11th Street, among others.
While the city intends to comply with the directive to avoid jeopardizing millions in state and federal transportation grants, it will also explore alternative ways to celebrate Austin’s diversity. Watson proposed forming a task force composed of members from various city commissions to identify creative solutions that align with state and federal guidelines.
The issue was discussed at the LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission meeting on Monday. Commission Chair KC Coyne, speaking personally, underscored the broader impact of the installations.
“It’s not just a symbol. It actually has real mental health benefits that actually translate to safer communities for LGBTQ folks, and particularly youth,” Coyne told KVUE. “It is a gross overstep of the state and federal power on a local entity’s public art.”
See here, here, here, and here for the background. Look, I don’t expect any of these waiver requests to succeed. No one in Greg Abbott’s government is going to cross him. But the point is that Austin and San Antonio didn’t just roll over like a ragdoll. They stood up and they pushed back. They may wind up in the same place that Houston is at now, but at least they tried. They showed that they cared. I do not understand why Mayor Whitmire, with his Fifty Years Of Doing Government Stuff, doesn’t understand this.
And on a related note:
Less than a day after Houston city crews removed Montrose’s rainbow crosswalks, protesters brought the colors back — and the debate over the symbol’s meaning is only growing louder.
Overnight and into early Tuesday morning, residents returned to the intersection of Westheimer and Taft, repainting sections of the area in rainbow hues and spray-painting messages. They say they’re not ready to let the symbol go.
“Everyone’s just really happy that someone’s doing something and there’s already chalk out here. I just wanted to do something to make it more permanent,” said Jai, one of the protesters.
[…]
“Even losing the crosswalk doesn’t mean that the work we do ends,” said Kevin Strickland with Walk and Roll Houston. “It’s a beginning for us, not an end.”
Now, less than 24 hours after the latest removal, residents are once again filling the sidewalks and crosswalks with color — using spray paint, chalk, and their voices.
Community leaders say they’re already looking at ways to preserve visibility through new Pride art projects across the neighborhood.
“We’re going to try to coordinate with some of the businesses and residents to see if they’re interested in painting their driveways or parking lots,” said Jack Valinski, president of the Neartown/Montrose Super Neighborhood.
You have to watch the story video to see that what was brought back was a rainbow spray painted on the sidewalk wheelchair ramps. Which HPD cops were taking pictures of as evidence of “vandalism”. There damn well better not be any charges filed for this, that’s all I’ll say about that.
