In response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that cities remove rainbow crosswalks, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church is painting its front steps in rainbow colors.
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church is a long-standing inclusive faith community in Dallas and a reconciling congregation.
The governor’s order claims that crosswalks are a distraction to drivers. However, studies have shown fewer accidents involving pedestrians happen in rainbow crosswalks.
For OLUMC, located at the corner of Oak Lawn Avenue and Cedar Springs Road which is the site of one of the crosswalks, church leaders say this act is not one of defiance, but of faith.
“It’s important because silence is not neutral — silence in the face of harm always sides with the oppressor,” said OLUMC Senior Pastor Rachel Griffin-Allison. “Painting our steps in the colors of the rainbow is a visible witness to the gospel we preach: that every person is created in the image of God and worthy of safety, dignity and belonging.”
In a written statement, the church’s leadership said it hopes the rainbow steps will serve as both a statement of solidarity and a sanctuary of hope for the LGBTQ+ community and allies across Dallas.
Members of the church, led by Robert Garcia Sr., began painting the steps on Tuesday morning, Oct. 21. Garcia said it would take four or five coats of paint before a non-slip sealer is added to preserve the rainbow.
Garcia said work on the steps should take about two weeks.
Major changes are underway in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, where crews have removed the city’s rainbow crosswalks — long considered a symbol of Pride, remembrance, and unity.
By sunrise Monday, the bright colors at Westheimer and Taft were gone, replaced with fresh asphalt. Crews began work around 2:30 a.m., and by late morning, the intersection had reopened.
The removal follows a directive from Governor Greg Abbott calling on transportation departments statewide to eliminate what he described as “political ideologies” from roadways. That guidance traces back to a federal directive from the Trump administration earlier this year.
Tense overnight protests
As work began, dozens of protesters gathered near the intersection. Several were arrested just after 4 a.m. after standing in the street to block crews from starting the removal process.
“This is a memorial for someone who was killed in a hit-and-run,” said protester Ethan Hale. “This is more than just the LGBT community.”
Community members have long said the rainbow crosswalks were originally painted in honor of a person killed in that intersection years ago, giving them special meaning beyond Pride symbolism.
Another protester, Andy Escobar, said the directive was a distraction from real issues.
“We know we have some of the worst air quality, we have people disappearing in the bayous, we have urgent matters that need to be attended to, and we are wasting time on a distraction and a vilification of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans people,” Escobar said.
Brenda Franco, another community advocate, echoed that frustration.
“This is just a distraction. We are wasting time and money,” Franco said. “We should be elevating our communities and amplifying the work that we’re doing here.”
City, METRO, and state responses
City officials confirmed the equipment used in the removal was provided by METRO, but as of Monday, the transit agency had not yet responded to KHOU 11’s request for comment.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city was informed that the Texas Department of Transportation threatened to withhold federal funding if the crosswalks weren’t removed — a factor that likely accelerated the timeline.
The city councilmember representing the district, Abbie Kamin, said she was supposed to be notified before the work began but instead learned about it from residents who spotted the heavy equipment Sunday night.
Community reaction and history
This marks the second time in less than two months that the Montrose crosswalks have been removed. METRO previously stripped the paint for road repairs before it was repainted weeks later.
Many residents spent the night leaving Pride flags, flowers, and chalk art along the sidewalks — acts of defiance and remembrance for what they describe as a safe-space symbol that connected the Montrose community.
“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.”
What’s next
As of Monday afternoon, no official timeline has been shared for whether the intersection will remain asphalt or be repainted with a different design.
KHOU 11 has reached out to METRO and the Texas Department of Transportation for further comment.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for the removal of rainbow crosswalks and other symbols of pride from public roads across Texas, saying they pose safety concerns and misuse taxpayer dollars.
“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott said in a statement Wednesday.
He directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure all cities and counties “remove any and all political ideologies from our streets” within 30 days. Any city that does not comply, he said, could risk the “withholding or denial of state and federal road funding and suspension of agreements with TxDOT.”
“To keep Texans moving safely and free from distraction, we must maintain a safe and consistent transportation network across Texas,” Abbott said.
Advocates say the rainbow crosswalks in Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighborhood have always been privately funded.
“No taxpayer dollars were used. We didn’t want to access those funds, even if we were able to,” said Valerie Jackson, chair‑elect of the North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.
Jackson said the project was funded through private donations and community events such as wine walks. She added that organizers worked with Texas Department of Transportation and the City of Dallas to ensure the designs met state safety standards.
“We agree with the governor and the administration that public safety is paramount, and we would not move forward with this project and the experience that we’ve had over the last five years by endangering people,” Jackson said.
Annise Parker, the former Houston mayor and one of the first openly LGBTQ mayors of a major American city, said she was “surprised that the governor has so little to do that erasing rainbow crosswalks has become his priority.”
“I trust that businesses and individuals across Texas will proudly display rainbow flags in response and continue to focus on real issues,” she told NBC News.
Parker is currently running for Harris County judge.
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