Cities in Texas and Florida install new rainbow walkways as Republicans crack down on Pride crosswalks

City leaders in San Antonio plans will unveil new rainbow sidewalks as part of a Pride celebration this week. The act comes even as Texas cracks down on other decorated walkways across the Lone Star State.

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The sidewalks will be unveiled in San Antonio’s Pride Cultural Heritage District, which encompasses the North Main Avenue corridor and includes several historically significant establishments serving the LGBTQ+ community.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the removal of crosswalks at the intersection of Main Avenue and Evergreen Street. But officials have since completed repairs to the walkways and expanded the design to include the colors of the transgender flag, according to San Antonio CBS affiliate KENS.

Michael Rendon, chairman of San Antonio’s LGBTQIA advisory board, spoke to the news station and said it remained vital to visibly represent the city’s diversity.

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“In 2026, there’s certain individuals, certain people of our community that still feel unwelcome and unsafe,” Rendon said. “This strip represents a place where people can come from the LGBTQ community and our allies and come and celebrate, build community. It’s a space where we can come together, be ourselves, and welcome everyone from our community.”

But Abbott’s administration hasn’t let up on its anti-color crackdown. Just this week, Dallas removed a rainbow crosswalk at Cedar Springs Road and Oak Lawn Avenue, in the heart of the city’s LGBTQ+ district, following demands by the Texas Department of Transportation. Shortly after, police arrested a man who attempted to repaint the rainbow patterns in the roadway.

The elimination of that crosswalk was the first step in removing 30 Pride or Black Lives Matter-themed crosswalks in South Dallas.

Texas’ actions followed directives issued last year by U.S. Transportation Secretary and former Real World cast member Sean Duffy, who has insisted decorated sidewalks represent road hazards. Shortly after being appointed to his Cabinet post by President Donald Trump, Duffy sent a letter to governors in every state urging the removal of certain “distractions” from non-arterial roadways.

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Several Republican governors whose states include large LGBTQ communities proved eager to start painting over the multi-colored walkways. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis even ordered the removal of a memorial crosswalk at the site of the 2016 Pulse massacre.

In Miami Beach, city officials recently rebuilt a rainbow crosswalk inside a public park after the state forced the removal of a roadway version, relocating the symbol to a space under local control rather than abandoning it altogether, WPLG reports.

The new installation repurposes materials from the original Ocean Drive crosswalk, which state crews dismantled as part of a broader crackdown on street art. Rather than scrap the landmark entirely, Miami Beach leaders opted to preserve it as a permanent feature in a park setting.

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Related: Florida city installs Pride bike racks after being forced to remove rainbow crosswalks

The original crosswalk had become a widely recognized symbol of the city’s LGBTQ+ community before its sudden removal, which drew backlash from residents and local officials who said it erased a piece of cultural history.

In St. Petersburg, city leaders installed a series of rainbow-colored bike racks after being forced to remove Pride crosswalks, using other forms of public art to comply with state rules while maintaining a visible show of support.

Other localities have also fought back across the country. Atlanta leaders, for example, affirmed it would leave a prominent rainbow crosswalk in place in Georgia.

The San Antonio crosswalks will be unveiled in a special ceremony on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. CDT.