Something new is coming to downtown Carrboro and it is no pigment of the imagination.
The town of Carrboro, North Carolina is famous for its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) friendly streets, and will add a new addition to represent the community: a rainbow crosswalk.
The rainbow crosswalk represents the LGBTQ community, while black and brown stripes represent people of color in the LGBTQ community.
The Board of Aldermen, Carrboro’s official city council, approved the repainting of the mid-block crosswalk on East Main Street in late October. The date of installation has not yet been released.
“I think one of the most important aspects of doing this is it makes the streets feel like they belong to the people,” Alderwoman Randee Haven-O’Donnell told The Herald-Sun.
Chapel Hill High School’s QSA (Queer Straight Alliance) members senior Eri Kakoki, senior Liz Clark, and junior Claire Woodrow voiced their approval of the new crosswalk.
“Even with this small step in the community, I think it will create a safer and more inclusive [place],” Kakoki said.
“The crosswalk will be an everyday show of support for inclusion, continuing Carrboro’s tradition of advocacy for the community,” Clark added. “I’ve always been passionate about social justice issues, especially for the LGBTQ community.”
Clark not only remarked on the importance of LGBTQ rights in the community, but also that of minorities.
Woodrow commented on how the installation of the crosswalk will reflect on the community as a whole.
“I think it is a great way for Carrboro and the people in it to show their acceptance for the
LGBTQ community,” Woodrow said. “Being able to see how welcoming our community is serves as a nice contrast to many other places.”
