The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has again decorated several train cars on the north-south Red Line in rainbow colors for Pride Month.
The Howard Brown Health Center, which serves a largely LGBTQ clientele, sponsored this year’s Pride cars. The train car interiors are decorated with images highlighting the center’s diverse patient population and highlighting that the center will never deny care, judge sexuality, or define anyone by their HIV status.
The city has also installed 14 Pride-themed crosswalks in Boystown, Chicago’s gay village.
Thirteen of the crosswalks are rainbows, and one is painted in the colors of the transgender flag.
We are tickled Pink White & Blue to have this new Trans Pride Crosswalk in our @Northalsted Gayborhood at the corner of Melrose & Halsted! #transgender #pride #lgbtq #Chicago pic.twitter.com/1AfELQ7IXo
— Sidetrack Chicago (@sidetrackbar) May 19, 2019
Chicago’s Transgender Pride Crosswalk trans ♥️ pic.twitter.com/9r8cOHYCLz
— Asociacion OTDChile (@OTDChile) May 19, 2019
Seven of the crosswalks were unveiled Thursday. The rest are scheduled to be completed by June 22, in time for the Pride festival, the Chicago Tribune reports.
“As we step onto the crosswalks, we have to remember our history and how hard it was — as we look forward to a bright future,” Stu Zirin, vice president of the business group, said at a press conference for the unveiling.
“Obviously, Halsted Street is a tourist destination all over the country,” Ald. Tom Tunney, who represents much of the area, told the Tribune. “As the gay and lesbian community has become more visible citywide, we want to be sure this historic street remains welcoming to the LGBT community and preserves the history of the LGBT community in Lakeview.”
The crosswalks will be paid for by donations collected during Pride and the Northalsted Market Days festival, officials with the Northalsted Business Alliance told the Chicago Sun-Times.
