Rainbow crosswalk in downtown Phoenix refurbished ahead of Phoenix Pride Festival

PHOENIX — Rainbow flags are set to wave in the air this weekend with the Phoenix Pride Festival.

However, there will also be a colorful Pride flag on the ground.

Although the rainbow crosswalk near Portland Street and Central Avenue has been around for a while, it’s been officially refurbished as of Thursday morning.

A new member of the Phoenix City Council, Carlos Galindo-Elvira, spearheaded the project.

“As I was going throughout District 7, I noticed that it was looking shabby,” he told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “We thought, ‘Let’s do it before Pride weekend because we know there’s gonna be people coming up and down on the light rail.'”

The rainbow crosswalk is right next to a light rail stop. Galindo-Elvira hopes the repainting will uplift festival goers who are using public transit to get to Steele Indian School Park for the city’s annual pride event.

“Pride is more than just a title; we really mean it at the city of Phoenix,” Galindo-Elvira said.

How rainbow crosswalk in Phoenix was revitalized

After noticing the crosswalk needed a makeover, Galindo-Elvira reached out to several leadership groups throughout the city.

Firstly, he reached out to Phoenix’s street transportation department, which has worked with Phoenix Pride, the organization behind the Phoenix Pride Festival, and One N Ten, a local nonprofit dedicated to serving LGBTQ+ youth.

“Once we found out what the history was, it had been that each organization paid a portion: Phoenix Pride would pay half and then One N Ten would pay half,” Galindo-Elvira said.

However, he came up with a different plan due to the fact that the Pride festival was rapidly approaching.

“I said, ‘Okay, what if we do this? What if my office pays for half, and you will pay 25% each?'” Galindo-Elvira said.

They each said yes and the city’s street transportation department also agreed.

“I believe in partnership, so I gave 50%, they gave 50%, and now, today, we have 100% with the rainbow crosswalk,” Galindo-Elvira said.

What impact does rainbow crosswalk have on Phoenix’s community?

One N Ten‘s senior director of development and marketing, Clayton Davenport, also attended the event to commemorate the rainbow crosswalk’s refurbishment.

He said it’s a powerful statement of visibility and support for the community.

“It’s really important in today’s world to be able to see yourself reflected in the community that you live in,” Davenport told KTAR News. “The crosswalk services as a silent message to the community that they are welcome here.”

He also said it has positive ripple effects throughout the broader community.

“It really helps bring a positive economic impact because people want to move here,” Davenport said. “People want to live in Phoenix where they know that their children are going to be supported.”

Symbols like this rainbow crosswalk essentially serve as magnets, he added.

“You’re going to draw people in for jobs, economic advancements,” Davenport said. “It’s really an investment into the city itself by creating a safe space for young people.”