Across Texas, rainbow crosswalks have become powerful symbols of love, visibility, and belonging for LGBTQ+ communities. From San Antonio’s Pride Cultural District to Oak Lawn in Dallas, these painted intersections celebrate local history and signal to LGBTQ+ Texans that they are seen and valued. Many of these crosswalks were paid for by private donations or local funds—not taxpayer dollars—and were approved by city councils through democratic processes.

Now, Governor Greg Abbott is threatening to strip away transportation funding from any city that refuses to remove these crosswalks. His directive, issued through the Texas Department of Transportation, demands cities erase what he calls “political ideologies” from public streets—despite no evidence that these symbols pose any danger or violate road standards. If cities like San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and Houston do not comply within 30 days, they could lose millions in state and federal infrastructure funding.

Let’s be clear: this is not about traffic safety. This is about censorship. It’s about using the power of the state to intimidate cities and silence LGBTQ+ visibility. Public art that reflects our communities should not be treated as a political threat. And our cities should never be forced to choose between celebrating inclusion or repairing roads.

This attempt to punish cities for supporting LGBTQ+ residents is not only wrong—it’s dangerous. It undermines local control, erodes trust in government, and sends a message that LGBTQ+ Texans are not welcome in their own neighborhoods.

We call on mayors and city councils across Texas to reject this directive and refuse to remove their rainbow crosswalks. We also call on TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams to rescind the order and restore respect for local authority. And we demand Governor Abbott stop using critical funding as a weapon to erase queer lives from public view.

These streets belong to all of us. Let’s fight to keep it that way.