For more than five decades, the Cedar Springs Road corridor has been more than a business district. It is a living monument, a sanctuary and the beating heart of the LGBTQ+ community of Dallas.
The rainbow crosswalks installed along the intersections of Cedar Springs were not merely decorative concrete. They were our welcome mat, our public vow and a daily, empowering symbol to every person who crossed them that here, you are safe; you are celebrated, and you are home.
Their removal is not an act done in the name of safety; it is a deliberate erasure of that visible promise. We see it for what it is. And our response is resolute, unwavering defiance. We are not retreating.
To the state officials who made this decision: you may remove our colors, but you cannot remove our Pride. You cannot sanitize our history or dim our light. This attempt to silence our visibility only amplifies our voice.
For the past 50 years, Cedar Springs has been a refuge when the world outside was hostile. That spirit will not fade when the rainbow crosswalks are demolished. It is etched into the walls of our establishments, carried in the footsteps of our elders, and emblazoned in the eyes of our youth.
For the Cedar Springs Merchant Association, this is not an ending, but a new beginning.
We will not be made invisible.
In direct response to this erasure, we are embarking on a collective campaign of bold, permanent and undeniable visibility. We are investing in legacy projects — art installations, enhanced lighting, permanent rainbow structures — that will ensure that rainbows fly eternally over this street, in forms that cannot be so easily stripped away.
But more importantly, we call upon our community and allies: DEFY WITH YOUR PRESENCE!
Defy by dancing here. Celebrate joy in the face of those who would diminish it.
Defy by living your truth here, openly and proudly, more than ever before.
Defy by dining here. Fill our patios and restaurants with your laughter and your tears.
Defy by shopping here. Support the businesses that have supported you.
Let our economic and cultural vitality be our loudest protest. Let every dollar spent here be a vote for inclusivity. Let every gathering be a testament to our unbreakable solidarity.
They took crosswalks. But we will build monuments. They tried to fade us away. But we will shine blindingly bright.
Cedar Springs was, is and will forever be the heart of LGBTQ+ Dallas. This is not just a street; it is a state of mind. It is resilience. It is love.
And it belongs to all of us.
With fierce Pride and defiance,
— The Cedar Springs Merchant Association & Businesses of the Gayborhood