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In Hawaii, there are rainbows, but so far none in the form of the brightly colored city crosswalks that many other destinations have installed to honor the LGBTQ+ community.
Temporary and permanent rainbow crosswalks have cropped up in places like San Francisco, New York, Miami, Seattle, Baltimore, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and many more of the nation’s large and small cities.
A collection of Waikiki residents and groups with ties to the LGBTQ+ community are seeking to get a permanent rainbow crosswalk painted in the tourism mecca to show that Waikiki’s welcome to people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and others goes beyond a Pride parade or weekend.
Richard Knocton of the Hawaii Gay Kickball League is among those championing for a rainbow crosswalk in Waikiki. Knocton said a couple of L-shaped arch designs have been suggested to fill both crosswalks at the intersection at Kapahulu and Kalakaua avenues.
“I’ve seen rainbow crosswalks all over the place and in many different cities throughout the country and Canada. I feel like Honolulu should have one to welcome the LGBTQ+ community and make everybody feel included,” said Knocton, who flew the Pride flag at the proposed rainbow crosswalk site on Wednesday.
Knocton was joined by a diverse cross section of supporters, including some members of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board as well as members from the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation, Honolulu Pride Parade and Aikane Ohana. State Rep. Adrian Tam (D, Waikiki-Ala Moana- Kakaako) and a mix of local residents also marched with Knocton in the crosswalk.
City spokesperson Ian Scheuring told the Honolulu Star- Advertiser that the city Department of Transportation Services says federal highway and traffic safety regulations make the prospect of painting crosswalks in an active street unlikely. Scheuring said he was told that Honolulu had tried to do “something akin to this in the past” and “was found to have run afoul somehow of federal regulations.”
He said the city is willing to work with the Waikiki group to come up with a similar show of support, adding the city already is working with a company in the downtown area that is interested in applying rainbow-colored paint to the city sidewalk in front of the business.
He noted that Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration is the first to have flown the Pride flag at a city building, doing so in June at the Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building to mark World Pride Month. He said it will be raised again in October to mark Honolulu’s Pride Month. Honolulu Hale also has been lit in rainbow colors to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, he said.
Knocton said he is hopeful that a rainbow crosswalk is not off the table given that other places have made it work. In the event of an impasse, he said other options might be the painting a private street or a street divider, easement or curb extension.
Waikiki Neighborhood Board member Jeff Merz, who is an urban planner, said he is glad the city is willing to think out of the box but wants officials to seek updated guidance from the Federal Highway Administration before making a definitive decision on a rainbow crosswalk for Waikiki.
“Rainbow crosswalks are everywhere. If they were a threat, I wouldn’t think that would be the case,” Merz said. “Most every other city with a sizeable gay population has these all over the street. It’s not like they are proposing to put it on the H-1 freeway; this is being proposed for a neighborhood.”
The Federal Highway Administration was not able to immediately provide the Star- Advertiser with updated guidance on painting designs on crosswalks. The agency in the past has routinely frowned on the practice, once telling officials in Buffalo, N.Y., that their plans to paint crosswalks in a jigsaw-pattern of yellow, green and gray would be a safety hazard.
In a 2013 memorandum, the FHA that said “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.”
Dr. Alexander Khaddouma, a licensed psychologist in Hawaii, said in an email that he supports a rainbow crosswalk for Waikiki, as “people thrive when they are connected to a supportive, inclusive community.”
“A rainbow crosswalk offers a simple way to openly display a widely recognized symbol of acceptance and community in a popular tourism and residential sector,” Khaddouma said. “I think this can remind people that no matter their identity or background, they are seen and valued here.”
He said LGBTQ+ youth can face many challenges, including risks of bullying, stigma, abuse, rejection by family members and the broader community, and difficulties connecting with affirming role models.
“These challenges can be even greater for youth in Hawaii due the limited availability of affirmative medical and mental health services within the state,” he said. “This makes it hard for LGBTQ+ youth to connect with the resources they may need to overcome the challenges that they face.”
Kumu hula Brad Lum said the importance of a rainbow crosswalk on Oahu is growing, especially given a political climate in which the LGBTQ+ community nationally is facing increased discrimination.
“A rainbow crosswalk would be a light in our community,” Lum said. “It would uplift our community. Besides, we are a rainbow. Our community is diverse. We have the Rainbow Warriors, the Rainbow Wahine. We have songs about rainbows.”
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