New Jersey is having the best pride ever! The small town of Maplewood is the first city/town in New Jersey to get a permanent rainbow crosswalk. And it is the first rainbow crosswalk on a county road. Located at the intersection of Oakview and Valley Street, the colorful display of pride is getting attention from locals and others who are visiting just to see the new attraction.
Maplewood joins the ranks of some major cities that have permanent rainbow crosswalks like San Francisco, Philadelphia, and West Hollywood. Check out the list of some others here!
NJ.com reports that Dean Dafis, the first openly gay committee member of the Maplewood Township, lead the initiative that saw its share of multiple approvals from the city council and the county.
Dafis says:
We want to do something that would serve as a permanent marker or symbol of our commitment to inclusion.
I wanted it to be something you can encounter every day. We want our youth in particular — perhaps those struggling to find their way, those in need of empowerment and affirmation — to proudly cross or walk over their fear and self-doubt.
While many towns have striped their crosswalks in the colors of the rainbow before for Pride, no town in New Jersey has ever done so on a County Road (Valley) and very few towns in the world have done so in permanent fashion as we are doing. This is a historic achievement and one which once again marks Maplewood as a leader and crusader in diversity, inclusion, and equal treatment. When we commit to something here, we do it BIG!
New Jersey will now be able to celebrate pride all year long!
