Rainbow crossing

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The first permanent rainbow crossing in the world was installed in time for the LA Pride Parade in June 2012. The crossing sits alongside the LA Pride Parade route on Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood. Photo taken in 2016. Rainbow crossing - Intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard West Hollywood - 2016.jpg
The first permanent rainbow crossing in the world was installed in time for the LA Pride Parade in June 2012. The crossing sits alongside the LA Pride Parade route on Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood. Photo taken in 2016.

A rainbow crossing or rainbow crosswalk is a pedestrian crossing that has the art of the rainbow flag installed to celebrate the LGBTQ community.

Contents

Rainbow crosswalks may be installed just for particular occasions, such as events or Pride parades. Others may be permanent fixtures of cities, especially when they are installed in gay villages.

History

The first temporary Rainbow Crossing in Australia on Oxford St at Taylor Square in Sydney. It was first installed in February 2013 for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and then removed in April 2013. Rainbow Crossing.jpg
The first temporary Rainbow Crossing in Australia on Oxford St at Taylor Square in Sydney. It was first installed in February 2013 for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and then removed in April 2013.

The rainbow flag or gay pride flag, is associated with the LGBTQ community activities around the world.

The idea to create rainbow crosswalks appears to have first emerged in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2008. [6] The first permanent rainbow crosswalks were introduced in West Hollywood as part of the 2012 Gay Pride Month celebrations. [1]

This inspired similar crossings in Sydney, Australia, the following year, [3] [7] as well as some temporary rainbow crossings in other cities such as Tel Aviv [8] for a photo shoot to promote TYP: Ivri Lider and Johnny Goldstein, the act scheduled to headline the Gay Pride Parade's main concert. These photos, reminiscent of the Beatles Abbey Road album cover were posted on Facebook and the crosswalk was repainted white a few hours later. [9]

Following some of the temporary and early permanent installations in 2012 and 2013, the symbolism of rainbow crossings has gained widespread adoption by cities around the world to celebrate the LGBTQ community with many having been made into permanent installations. With that they have also been subject to regular attacks and vandalism by people opposed to them.

The first rainbow crossing in New Zealand was installed in Beach street Queenstown in 2018, [10] and as of 2026 there are five permanent rainbow crossings in New Zealand. [11] [12] [13] [14]

In May 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1662 to keep "our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies." [15] Soon after, the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the removal or rainbow crossings across the state. In at least one city, officials responded by installing rainbow colored bike racks in protest. [16]

Community protests and internet activism

DIY Rainbow crossing protest movement in Australia

The DIY rainbow crossing movement was a protest movement that emerged in Sydney, Australia, in 2013 that involved people creating rainbow pedestrian crossings in chalk [17] [18] as well as engaging in internet activism to protest the removal of a rainbow crossing from Oxford Street Darlinghurst in the LGBTQIA+ district of Sydney. [19] [5] [4] [3] [20]

The first rainbow crossing in Australia was created in Darlinghurst by the City of Sydney as part of the 35th-anniversary celebration of the Sydney Mardi Gras and lasted from the 25 February 2013 to 10 April 2013. [18] It has been commented that the "Rainbow crosswalks on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood were Lord Mayor Clover Moore's inspiration... ...[and] council hoped that the crossing would be just as successful as those on Santa Monica Boulevard and that public opinion would persuade the New South Wales roads minister to allow the crossing to remain in place." [18]

The Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing. 2013 RainbowCrossing.jpg
The Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing. 2013

When the Oxford st crossing was removed it was commented that; "To mark its passing, people attached unofficial rainbow flags to poles in Taylor Square and tied rainbow ribbons to safety fences... ...James Brechney had a fresh idea for an alternate location that somehow captured the zeitgeist. A few hours after the official rainbow crossing was removed, Brechney, with the help of friends, chalked a rainbow across a laneway near his house in Surry Hills. The photograph they took that afternoon went viral, his friends started chalking their own rainbows and the next day he started a Facebook page DIY Rainbow Crossing (soon changed to DIY Rainbow for simplicity). Within two days the page had more than 7500 likes and counting... ...suddenly there were pop-up rainbow crossings everywhere, on streets, footpaths and driveways, not only in the inner city but in outer suburbs and eventually all over Australia. Shops, businesses and individuals were committing little acts of civil disobedience by chalking graffiti on the pavement to demonstrate gay pride, solidarity with the gay and lesbian community or support for same-sex marriage. People also began chalking rainbows as far away as the USA and Asia while around 58,000 people around the world became fans on the DIY Rainbow Facebook page. This page has been maintained and [as of 2016] people still send photos of their crossings, some chalked as individual acts of defiance, others incorporated into mass demonstrations for causes such as marriage equality." [22] [23] Not just on the Facebook Page, "DIY Rainbow", [24] but elsewhere on social media, pictures of chalk rainbow crossings appeared from many places around the world including Paris, Shanghai, Pretoria, Thailand and Cambodia. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] Facebook would later credit DIY Rainbow as one of the top 10 pages of Facebook over its first 10 years. [30]

On 14 April 2013, members of the community from several local schools chalked a rainbow in the public square at Lackey St, Summer Hill, as part of the DIY Rainbow Crossing movement, [21] and on 15 April 2013, Ashfield Council workers removed the rainbow [31] and the council issued a statement labelling it a slip hazard and requesting a permit be obtained before it could be re-chalked. [32] [33] [34] [35]

On 17 April 2013, it was rechalked by more than 100 people, including Ashfield local councillor Alex Lofts [21] after an art permit was obtained [21] and on 18 April, it was again removed. [21] The rainbow was re-chalked again and since 18 April it has now remained chalked with a group of local community members and supporters continuing to chalk in the rainbow, especially after rain. This group also hold occasional performances and arts-related celebrations at the site and some local businesses have offered discounts and support for the rainbow with these businesses display a logo with a stylised image of the rainbow crossing on it. A Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing Facebook page was also used to support the community protest. [36]

At an Ashfield Council meeting on 28 May 2013, the council passed a motion that a permanent outline of a rainbow be painted in Summer Hill Square, with the understanding that this may be periodically 'chalked in' by community members [37] and on 3 November 2013 this outline was installed in the square [21] becoming New South Wales first permanent rainbow crossing.

In 2019 a permanent rainbow crossing was installed in Taylor Square, Darlinghurst, in the LGBTQIA+ district of Sydney [38] on the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets [39] and this crossing was updated in 2024 to include the Progress Pride Flag. [3] [40] In 2025 a second permanent Rainbow crossing with the Progress Pride Flag was installed in Taylor Square Darlinghurst at the corner of Bourke and Forbes streets. [41] [42] [43]

Rainbow Path

Rainbow paths are very similar to Rainbow crossings with the main difference being they do not exist on roads but on footpaths and in public parks. [44] In 2016 Australia's first permanent rainbow path was installed in Light Square in Adelaide [45] [46] and in 2021 rainbow paths were installed in Prince Alfred Park in Sydney and along the footpath adjacent to Cooggee Beach in Sydney with the path in Prince Alfred Park becoming permanent. [47] [48] The rainbow path in Prince Alfred Park was updated in 2024 to include the Progress Pride Flag. [40] [49]

In prepearation for Sydney hosting World Pride in 2023 new temporary rainbow paths were installed in Waterman's Cove in Barangaroo and in Kensington street, Chippendale. [48] [50]

Wider adoption of the protest movement

The original DIY rainbow crossing protest movement was generated by the debate over the rainbow crossing in Sydney, however DIY rainbow crossings continue to appear as protests in other settings including a crossing outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 2013 in protest against new legislation in Russia. [51] [52]

Pedestrian safety

In 2011, the United States Federal Highway Administration advised, without data, that "crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians". [53]

In early September 2019, the city council of Ames, Iowa, cut the ribbon on a rainbow crosswalk. Subsequently, the Federal Highway Administration sent them a letter "requesting" that it be removed. The city council ignored the letter. [54] [55]

Since then, the 11th edition of the US Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices discourages bright colors from use within a crosswalk but no longer prohibits them, provided that the colors are not standard for use in other traffic control applications. However, symbols in addition to the rainbow may not be permissible depending on the application. [56]

In the United Kingdom, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has complained about the risk of rainbow crossings for people with visual impairments, who may rely on the contrast between traditional black and white stripes in order to cross the road safely. [57] [58]

Other disability groups have said that people with dementia or learning disabilities may not recognise that they are road crossings, or that the colours may be overwhelming for autistic people or guide dogs. [59] In response to an open letter by the RNIB, the Alzheimer's Society and Scope, London mayor Sadiq Khan temporarily paused the crossings. [59]

A 2022 study by Bloomberg Philanthropies found that 17 sites with asphalt art had a 17% reduction in crashes and a 50% reduction in crashes with pedestrians after their painting [60] ; though, the study does not mention rainbow crossings explicitly. An analysis of decorative crosswalks in Orlando, Florida, found more pedestrian crossings after their installation alongside a decrease in dangerous driving behaviors. [61]

Defacement and vandalism

Rainbow crossings around the world have been regular targets of homophobic attacks and vandalism such as defacement. [62] [63]

In early June 2019, the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, unveiled a rainbow crosswalk on the historic U.S. Route 66. [64] Just a few days later, a motorcycle gang caused a significant amount of damage to the $30,000 crossing with their motorcycles. [65]

In August 2022, police in Atlanta arrested a suspect that was said to have defaced the city's rainbow crosswalk by painting swastikas over it. [66]

In October 2022, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigated a potential hate crime after a severed pig's head was found on a rainbow crosswalk outside a school near Spruce Grove, Alberta. [67]

In February 2024, a rainbow crosswalk in Redmond, Washington, was defaced by vandals with slurs using spraypaint. [68]

In March 2024, a rainbow crossing in Gisborne, New Zealand, was painted white by members of Destiny Church. They attempted to paint it again after it was restored and five were arrested. [69] A rainbow crossing on Karangahape Road in Auckland was subsequently defaced in the same manner, but Destiny Church denied involvement. [70]

In June 2024, a video showed a pickup truck doing burnouts on a newly installed rainbow crossing in Huntington, West Virginia. [71] [72]

Bans

Removal of a rainbow crossing in Iceland Removing the Gay Pride rainbow from the street (22285322182).jpg
Removal of a rainbow crossing in Iceland

On 22 February 2024, a by-law was passed by referendum in the Canadian town of Westlock, Alberta, which prohibits the painting of crosswalks with non-standard colors, or the flying of flags on municipal property that represent "political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities". The referendum was proposed by petition, with its supporters claiming that it was meant to promote governmental "neutrality" on social issues.

The bill's passage was criticized by Westlock's mayor and other local politicians, who believed that it was specifically meant to restrict LGBTQ pride commemorations by the municipal government. A rainbow crossing had been painted in Westlock for the first time in 2023, but was subsequently removed to comply with the neutrality bill. [73] [74]

Later that year, a similar by-law inspired by the Wastlock ban was passed in Barrhead, Alberta, while groups have advocated for similar laws in other Canadian municipalities. [75]

In 2025, the US state of Florida officially prohibited new installations of all aesthetic and non-standard crosswalk markings on the state highway system, which includes rainbow crosswalks. [76] A rainbow crossing in Orlando, painted in 2017 to honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, was removed in August 2025. [77]

List of rainbow crossings

This list below includes all rainbow crossings of notability but does not include all crossings in existence.

CityCountryDate installedLocationImageNotabilityRef.
Los Angeles United States 2012 West Hollywood Rainbow crossing - Intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard West Hollywood - 2016.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in the world and the first in the United States and California.

The two rainbow crosswalks were painted on the intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard in time for the LA Pride Parade in June 2012. [1] . They were updated in 2022.

 [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] [84] [85] [86] [87] [88]
Sydney Australia 2013Taylor Square, Oxford st, Darlinghurst Rainbow Crossing on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst (1).jpg First temporary rainbow crossing in Australia, lasting from February to April 2013, for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. [3] [4] [5]
Sydney Australia 2013Lackey Street Piazza, Summer Hill RainbowCrossing.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Australia. [89]
Vancouver Canada 2013Davie and Bute streets Vancouver Pride Festival (44721807991).jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Canada [90]
San Francisco United States2014 Castro District Castro Street Pedcrossing with Rainbow Flag Colour.JPG First permanent installation in California's fourth largest city. [91] [92] [93] [94]
Toronto Canada2014Church and Alexander Streets Rainbow Crosswalk.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Ontario and largest city of Canada [95]
Seattle United States2015Broadway and Pine Street, Capitol Hill, Seattle Rainbow crosswalk Capitol Hill, Seattle.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Washington state [96]
Philadelphia United States201513th & Locust streetsFirst permanent rainbow crossing in Pennsylvania [97]
San Jose United States2016First rainbow crossing in San Jose. [98] [99] [100] [101]
Swift Current Canada2017Central AvenueFirst permanent rainbow crossing in Saskatchewan [102]
Saskatoon Canada2017Third Avenue and 23rd Street and Fourth Avenue Rainbow Crosswalk 2 (35110817024).jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Saskatchewan's largest city [103]
Atlanta United States2017 Pedestrian scramble at 10th Street and Piedmont AvenueFirst permanent rainbow crossing in Georgia, US Swift Current
Darwin Australia 2017Knuckey and Smith Streets, Darwin cityThe first rainbow crossing in the Northern Territory, installed for the city's pride week. [105]
Queenstown New Zealand 2018Beach st, QueenstownFirst rainbow crossing in New Zealand. [10]
Paris France 2018 Marais district Passage pieton arc en ciel a Paris 2.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in France [106]
Melbourne Australia 2018Jackson street, St KildaFirst rainbow crossing in the state of Victoria. Was expected to have lasted two years. [107]
Canberra Australia2018Elouera and Lonsdale Streets, Braddon Rainbow roundabout in Braddon January 2018.jpg First permanent rainbow roundabout in the world.

First in the capital of Australia.

 [108]
Wellington New Zealand 2018Intersection of Dixon and Cuba st, Wellington Wellington Rainbow Crossing.jpeg First rainbow crossing in Wellington. [11]
Milwaukee United States2018N. Jefferson St. Rainbowxwalk.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Wisconsin [109]
Sydney Australia 2019 Taylor Square, corner of Campbell and Bourke streets, between Surry Hills and Darlinghurst. Corner of Bourke and and Campbell street. Surry Hills and Darlinghurst - March 2025 - Daytime - panorama.jpg Second permanent Rainbow crossing in Australia, notable for its size and prominence in the LGBTIQA+ district of Sydney. [38] [39] [40] [3]
Nottingham United Kingdom 2019Broad Street Nottingham rainbow crossing.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in the United Kingdom. [110] [111]
GuildfordUnited Kingdom2019Stag Hill, University of Surrey First permanent rainbow crossing at a British university; installed after the council refused to allow rainbow crossings elsewhere in the county, as it is a crossing on private (university) land [112]
Vienna Austria 2019 Burgtheater, Innere Stadt Rainbow Zebra Crossing Wien.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Austria [113]
Chicago United States2019North Halsted Street at West Buckingham Place Rainbow pedestrian in Chicago.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Illinois [114]
Venice United States2019First rainbow crossing in Los Angeles [115] [116]
Ferndale United States2019Downtown Ferndale [117]
Taipei Taiwan 2019 Ximending, Ximen Station Exit 6 Ximending rainbow crossing 201910.jpg First permanent rainbow crossing in Taiwan; commemorates passing of marriage equality [118]
New York City United States20197th Avenue and Christopher Street Pride Crosswalk at Christopher Street and Stonewall National Monument.jpg Near Stonewall Inn to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (not officially permanent by any governing body, but has been consistently refurbished since 2019) [119]
Key West United States2020Duval and Petronia streetsFirst permanent rainbow crossing in Florida [120]
New Plymouth New Zealand 2020Gill st, New PlymouthFirst rainbow crossing in New Plymouth [12] [121]
Auckland New Zealand 2021Karangahape Rd, Auckland CentralFirst rainbow crossing in Auckland. [13] [122]
Derry Northern Ireland 2021 Peace Bridge First permanent rainbow crossing in the country of Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland [123]
Arklow Ireland 2021Main streetFirst permanent rainbow crossing in Ireland [124] [125]
Gisborne New Zealand 2021Gladstone Road, GisbourneFirst permanent rainbow crossing in Gisbourne. [14]
Dublin Ireland2022 Clondalkin First permanent rainbow crossing in Dublin, largest city and capital of Ireland [126]
Cape Town South Africa 2022 De Waterkant First permanent rainbow crosswalk in Cape Town, and the first in South Africa. Installed in De Waterkant - the city's gay village - which hosts the start of its annual pride parade [127]
Geelong Australia2023 Yarra Street First intersex inclusive Progress Pride crossing in Australia, and third permanent rainbow crossing. [128]
Huntington, West Virginia United States20244th Avenue and 10th Street [129] [130]
Nashville, Tennessee United States202414th and Woodland streets (East Nashville)First rainbow crossing in Nashville and in the state of Tennessee [131]
Sydney Australia 2025Taylor Square at the intersection of Bourke and Forbes streets, Darlinghurst. Corner of Bourke and and Forbes street, Darlinghurst - March 2025.jpg Fourth permanent rainbow crossing in Australia, notable for its size and prominence in the LGBTIQA+ district of Sydney. [38] [41] [42] [43]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Duvander, Martin (18 October 2012). "Rainbow Crosswalks: Why I, a Straight Man, Wanted West Hollywood to Be a Little Gayer". Huff Post Gay Voices. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2013. A few weeks after this, with the support of the West Hollywood City Council and lobbying from others in the LGBT community and residents of West Hollywood, the rainbow crosswalks sailed through and became a reality, complete with a little glitter mixed into the paint for extra West Hollywood sparkle, and installed just in time for L.A. Pride. The paint was still wet just a few hours before the Dyke March kicked things off.
  2. ↑ "Rainbow Crosswalk". Time Out. 26 July 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2026. The city painted two rainbow crosswalks on San Vicente Boulevard in late 2012, and ever since it seems nearly impossible to imagine the area without them. The intersection with Santa Monica Boulevard marks the longtime (and now likely former) home of LA Pride, as well as a spot along the Pride Parade route and at the gateway to one of the most vibrant gay villages in the world.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Rainbow crossing at Taylor Square to become more inclusive". City Hub. 26 October 2023. Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2026. The rainbow was installed on Oxford Street in February 2013 to celebrate 35 years of Mardi Gras. It was approved as a temporary artwork until the end of March, but Mayor Clover Moore, and many others, wanted it to stay.
  4. 1 2 3 "Sydney will soon have a new rainbow crossing at Taylor Square". star observer. 21 June 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "Back to black: rainbow crossing removed". star observer. 11 April 2013. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  6. ↑ 彩虹人行道"今日台北上路_深圳同志网. 0755tz.net. Retrieved 21 January 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Moore, Clover. "Item 3.1. Rainbow Crossing Oxford Street" (PDF). Minute by the Mayor, 25 February 2013. City of Sydney. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Tel Aviv Crosswalks Painted Rainbow Colors for Gay Pride Parade". The Algemeiner. 15 May 2012. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Lior, Ilan (16 May 2012). "Tel Aviv's rainbow crosswalk draws cheers, then jeers, online". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Rainbow crossing a first for New Zealand". Otago Daily Times. 9 June 2018. Archived from the original on 4 November 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Mayor helps roll-out rainbow crossing as part of 'pride precinct' in Wellington". Stuff. 6 October 2018. Archived from the original on 21 March 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  12. 1 2 "New Plymouth takes a step in the right direction with rainbow crossing". Stuff. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Karangahape Road Will Soon Be Home to a Fabulous Rainbow Crossing". Concrete Playground. 9 February 2021. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Gisborne's first Rainbow Pride crossing 'monumental'". Gisborne Herald. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  15. ↑ Plasencia, Ariel (12 July 2025). "Rainbow crosswalks could be removed under FDOT and USDOT memos". FOX 13 News. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  16. ↑ Plasencia, Ariel (12 July 2025). "Rainbow crosswalks could be removed under FDOT and USDOT memos". FOX 13 News. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  17. ↑ "Rainbows still "relevant" says DIY chalk crossing founder". Star Observer. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 "Sydney's Rainbow Crossings". Dictionary of Sydney. 2016. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026. Rainbow crosswalks on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood were [Sydney] Lord Mayor Clover Moore's inspiration. These had been painted as part of the 2012 Gay Pride Month celebrations in the USA and they had been such a success that they were allowed to remain in place... ...A budget of $75,000 was initially allocated by the City of Sydney for painting coloured stripes at two existing crossings on Oxford Street with the same hard-wearing and non-skid material used to mark bus lanes...
  19. ↑ "End of the rainbow". Star Observer. 2 April 2013. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2026. The City asked that the crossing remain for 12 months due to its popularity... The feedback we have received shows the rainbow crossing has made a positive impact on... the GLBT community.
  20. ↑ Saulwick, Jacob (10 April 2013). "End of the rainbow as workers cover crossing". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Summer Hill gets it's own rainbow". Star Observer. 8 November 2013. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2026. In April 2013, Kate Wake and a group of friends teamed together to chalk their own DIY rainbow at Summer Hill in NSW. Their first DIY rainbow was washed away by the council, and a second one was chalked by Kate after obtaining a Council art permit, however that too was soon 'accidentally' washed away by council workers. Fast forward six months to Sunday, November 3, and Summer Hill unveiled Australia's first permanent DIY rainbow as a result of the DIY rainbow movement created by James Breko Brechney.
  22. ↑ "Sydney's Rainbow Crossings". Dictionary of Sydney. 2016. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026. To mark its passing, people attached unofficial rainbow flags to poles in Taylor Square and tied rainbow ribbons to safety fences. But performer and activist James Brechney had a fresh idea for an alternate location that somehow captured the zeitgeist. A few hours after the official rainbow crossing was removed, Brechney, with the help of friends, chalked a rainbow across a laneway near his house in Surry Hills. The photograph they took that afternoon went viral, his friends started chalking their own rainbows and the next day he started a Facebook page DIY Rainbow Crossing (soon changed to DIY Rainbow for simplicity). Within two days the page had more than 7500 likes and counting. The do-it-yourself rainbow movement had taken off and suddenly there were pop-up rainbow crossings everywhere, on streets, footpaths and driveways, not only in the inner city but in outer suburbs and eventually all over Australia. Shops, businesses and individuals were committing little acts of civil disobedience by chalking graffiti on the pavement to demonstrate gay pride, solidarity with the gay and lesbian community or support for same-sex marriage. People also began chalking rainbows as far away as the USA and Asia while around 58,000 people around the world became fans on the DIY Rainbow Facebook page. This page has been maintained and people still send photos of their crossings, some chalked as individual acts of defiance, others incorporated into mass demonstrations for causes such as marriage equality.
  23. ↑ "Rainbows still "relevant" says DIY chalk crossing founder". star observer. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2026. The rainbow crossing was removed on the Wednesday, my chalk crossing was the Thursday night, the whole movement started on the Friday and then it blew up on the weekend," Brechney recalled... People began chalking rainbow crossings across Australia and as far as the US and Asia while some 58,000 people became fans on the Facebook page.
  24. ↑ Young, Matt (14 April 2013). "DIY rainbow revolution goes global". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  25. ↑ "A world of DIY rainbows". SameSame. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  26. ↑ "DIY Rainbow on 9 News, April 2013". Youtube. 9 Network. 15 April 2013. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  27. ↑ Spillane, James. "Social Media Lessons From the DIY Rainbow Movement". Business 2 Community. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  28. ↑ Tovey, Ana. "Social media helped link a Dubbo footpath to the global DIY Rainbow protest movement". ABC. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  29. ↑ "DIY rainbow gallery". Flickr. Archived from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  30. ↑ Brechney, James (4 February 2014). "DIY Rainbow: How Australia Showed Its Support For Gay Rights With Chalk And Facebook". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  31. ↑ "Homepage". Ashfield Council. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  32. ↑ Campion, Vikki (15 April 2013). "Chalk rainbow crossings washed from city streets by councils". Archived from the original on 13 October 2022.
  33. ↑ "Rainbow Crossings A Global Hit". 2Day Newsfeed. 15 April 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013.
  34. ↑ Habib, Rashell (15 April 2013). "No gold at end of Ashfield council's rainbow as they wash away 'hazardous' DIY chalk rainbow". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  35. ↑ Campion, Vikki. "Chalk Rainbow Crossings Washed from City Streets by Councils". The Australian. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  36. ↑ "Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing". Facebook. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  37. ↑ Sharples, Sarah (29 May 2013). "Summer Hill gets first permanent rainbow crossing in NSW". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  38. 1 2 3 "Taking another shot at an Oxford St rainbow crossing". Star Observer. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  39. 1 2 "Sydney's rainbow crossing at Taylor Square to be unveiled this weekend". star observer. 7 February 2019. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  40. 1 2 3 "Sydney's Taylor Square Rainbow Crossing Updated to Progress Pride Flag". star observer. 3 June 2024. Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  41. 1 2 "Progress Flag Intersection Unveiled At Taylor Square". star observer. 11 February 2025. Archived from the original on 20 March 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  42. 1 2 "New Sydney rainbow crossing unveiled at Taylor Square". Gay Sydney News. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  43. 1 2 "Construction Begins on New Progress Pride Flag Crosswalk in Darlinghurst". star observer. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  44. ↑ "Sydney To Commemorate Marriage Equality Vote With Rainbow Path". Star Observer. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026. "I thought it was a fabulous idea when the Surry Hills Creative Precinct suggested we paint a bright rainbow on Equality Green. The path will represent both the progress we have made towards equality and the long way to go before our LGBTQI communities are free of discrimination," said the Lord Mayor in a statement. The idea of rainbow path in the park was first proposed by the Surry Hills Creative Precinct in 2019. Last year, a rainbow crossing was installed at the intersection of Bourke and Campbell streets in Darlinghurst.
  45. ↑ "Welcome to Pride Walk". city of adelaide. 20 October 2016. Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  46. ↑ "Rainbow Walk to celebrate Adelaide's colourful LGBTIQ history". australian pride network. 27 April 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  47. ↑ "Prince Alfred Park's rainbow footpath unveiled". City Hub. 17 February 2021. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  48. 1 2 "Where to find the best rainbow crossings, murals and paths in Sydney". Time Out. 23 June 2023. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  49. ↑ "Rainbow crossing at Taylor Square to become more inclusive". City Hub. 26 October 2023. Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  50. ↑ "Four New Public Artworks Announced As Part Of Rainbow City For WorldPride". Star Observer. 7 January 2023. Archived from the original on 24 March 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  51. ↑ Ogelid, Linn (10 August 2013). "Regnbågskupp utanför ryska ambassaden". Svt Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  52. ↑ "Russia: Anti-Gay Row 'Invented' By Western Media". 18 August 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  53. ↑ Taketa, Kristen (6 February 2016). "St. Louis will let crosswalk art that violates federal rules fade away". stltoday.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  54. ↑ Rueb, Emily S. (7 October 2019). "The Government Says Rainbow Crosswalks Could Be Unsafe. Are They Really?". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  55. ↑ Mullen, Kylee. "Inclusive crosswalks unveiled in downtown Ames". The Ames Tribune. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  56. ↑ "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices — 11th Edition Issued December 2023" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
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