The first permanent rainbow crossing in the world was installed in time for theLA Pride Parade in June 2012.[1] The crossing sits alongside the LA Pride Parade route on Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood.[2] Photo taken in 2016.
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 ingay villages.
Therainbow flag or gay pride flag, is associated with theLGBTQ community activities around the world.
The idea to create rainbow crosswalks appears to have first emerged inTaipei, Taiwan, in 2008.[6] The first permanent rainbow crosswalks were introduced inWest Hollywood as part of the 2012Gay Pride Month celebrations.[1]
This inspired similar crossings inSydney, Australia, the following year,[3][7] as well as some temporary rainbow crossings in other cities such asTel Aviv[8] for a photo shoot to promoteTYP: Ivri Lider and Johnny Goldstein, the act scheduled to headline the Gay Pride Parade's main concert. These photos, reminiscent of theBeatlesAbbey Road album cover were posted on Facebook and thecrosswalk 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 GovernorRon 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 orrainbow crossings across the state. In at least one city, officials responded by installing rainbow colored bike racks in protest.[16]
TheDIY rainbow crossing movement was a protest movement that emerged inSydney, Australia, in 2013 that involved people creating rainbowpedestrian crossings in chalk[17][18] as well as engaging ininternet activism to protest the removal of a rainbow crossing fromOxford Street Darlinghurst in the LGBTQIA+ district of Sydney.[19][5][4][3][20]
The first rainbow crossing in Australia was created in Darlinghurst by theCity of Sydney as part of the 35th-anniversary celebration of theSydney 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]
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[22] and the council issued a statement labelling it a slip hazard and requesting a permit be obtained before it could be re-chalked.[23][24][25][26]
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. ASummer Hill Rainbow Crossing Facebook page was also used to support the community protest.[27]
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[28] 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[29] on the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets[30] and this crossing was updated in 2024 to include the Progress Pride Flag.[3][31] 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.[32][33][34]
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.[38] In 2016 Australia's first permanent rainbow path was installed in Light Square in Adelaide[39][40] 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.[35][36] The rainbow path in Prince Alfred Park was updated in 2024 to include the Progress Pride Flag.[31][37]
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.[36][41]
The originalDIY 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 inStockholm, Sweden, in August 2013 in protest against new legislation in Russia.[42][43]
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".[44]
Since then, the 11th edition of the USManual 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.[47]
In the United Kingdom, theRoyal 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.[48][49]
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.[50] In response to an open letter by the RNIB, theAlzheimer's Society andScope, London mayorSadiq Khan temporarily paused the crossings.[50]
A 2022 study byBloomberg Philanthropies found that 17 sites withasphalt art had a 17% reduction in crashes and a 50% reduction in crashes with pedestrians after their painting[51]; 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.[52]
Rainbow crossings around the world have been regular targets ofhomophobic attacks andvandalism such as defacement.[53][54]
In early June 2019, the city ofAlbuquerque, New Mexico, unveiled a rainbow crosswalk on the historicU.S. Route 66.[55] Just a few days later, amotorcycle gang caused a significant amount of damage to the $30,000 crossing with their motorcycles.[56]
In August 2022, police inAtlanta arrested a suspect that was said to have defaced the city's rainbow crosswalk by paintingswastikas over it.[57]
In February 2024, a rainbow crosswalk inRedmond, Washington, was defaced by vandals with slurs using spraypaint.[59]
In March 2024, a rainbow crossing inGisborne, New Zealand, was painted white by members ofDestiny Church. They attempted to paint it again after it was restored and five were arrested.[60] A rainbow crossing onKarangahape Road inAuckland was subsequently defaced in the same manner, but Destiny Church denied involvement.[61]
In June 2024, a video showed a pickup truck doing burnouts on a newly installed rainbow crossing inHuntington, West Virginia.[62][63]
On 22 February 2024, a by-law was passed byreferendum in the Canadian town ofWestlock,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.[64][65]
Later that year, a similar by-law inspired by the Wastlock ban was passed inBarrhead, Alberta, while groups have advocated for similar laws in other Canadian municipalities.[66]
In 2025, the US state ofFlorida officially prohibited new installations of all aesthetic and non-standard crosswalk markings on the state highway system, which includes rainbow crosswalks.[67] Arainbow crossing in Orlando, painted in 2017 to honor the victims of thePulse nightclub shooting, was removed in August 2025.[68]
First permanent rainbow crossing in the world and the first in the United States andCalifornia.
The two rainbow crosswalks were painted on the intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard in time for theLA Pride Parade in June 2012.[1]. They were updated in 2022.
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
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)
First permanent rainbow crosswalk in Cape Town, and the first in South Africa. Installed in De Waterkant - the city'sgay village - which hosts the start of its annualpride parade
^abcDuvander, 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. Retrieved17 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.
^"Rainbow Crosswalk".Time Out. 26 July 2023.Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved4 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.
^abcdef"Rainbow crossing at Taylor Square to become more inclusive".City Hub. 26 October 2023.Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved4 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.
^abc"Sydney's Rainbow Crossings".Dictionary of Sydney. 2016.Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved5 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...
^"End of the rainbow".Star Observer. 2 April 2013.Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved5 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.
^abcdef"Summer Hill gets its own rainbow".Star Observer. 8 November 2013.Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved6 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.
^"Homepage".Ashfield Council. Archived fromthe original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved16 March 2021.
^"Sydney To Commemorate Marriage Equality Vote With Rainbow Path".Star Observer. 12 November 2020.Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved6 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.
^"Welcome to Pride Walk".city of adelaide. 20 October 2016.Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved6 February 2026.
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