Monterey hosts ribbon cutting ceremony for rainbow crosswalk
MONTEREY — Community members and city officials gathered Friday to celebrate the new rainbow crosswalk in downtown, completed in time for the Monterey Peninsula Pride celebration.
Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson, Assistant City Manager Nat Rojanasathira and board members of Monterey Peninsula Pride met at the intersection of Alvarado and Pearl streets Friday, joined by several community members, city leaders and Monterey Peninsula residents for the unveiling.
“This wasn’t a straight path to get here, there were really some challenges along the way,” said Williamson. “The reason this is so important is queer visibility, and if this can save one queer person’s life, this (crosswalk) has done its job.”
Monterey Peninsula Pride members, who raised more than $10,000 in 24 hours for the crosswalk’s creation and maintenance, thanked the community for their support and announced the crosswalk would be the starting point for the Monterey Peninsula Pride parade on June 28.
“It was an entirely humbling experience to have so many of you show up and uplift our organization and our community as a whole,” said Nick Zafiratos, communications officer for Monterey Peninsula Pride.
The city’s public works department finished the project earlier in the week, and the crosswalk is fully functional. For many in attendance, the unveiling was more than a photo opportunity; it was an affirmation of identity, community and belonging.
Rainbow crosswalks have been a symbol of inclusivity and support for the LGBTQ+ community in cities across California for more than a decade. (Photo by Kyarra Harris/Monterey Herald)“I’ve been watching and supporting the crosswalk for a while and it’s so exciting seeing all the amazing people who helped,” said Aliah Ibarra of Monterey. “I was surprised by the pushback, but I knew there would be support from the community. There’s acceptance and community here from all levels.”
The city council first heard about the rainbow crosswalk proposal during a special meeting last month. The meeting lasted more than four hours, due to dozens of public comments both for and against the crosswalk.
City Manager Hans Uslar also made a clear declaration that none of the council members brought the project idea forward and that city staff believed the crosswalk followed Monterey’s values of inclusion and community.
During the next council meeting, June 3, several people spoke out against public comments made during the special meeting. In the end, the council voted 4-1 to pass the rainbow crosswalk on the condition that it was privately funded, and a policy on how crosswalk projects can be brought to the council in the future was created.
“I’m always surprised at the pushback, but the gentle coverups really get to me,” said Meganne Yeoman from Pacific Grove. She and her family have “been following the project and just wanted to support it. It’s important to us and we have queer people in our family. Everyone should be welcomed.”
Monterey Peninsula Pride was prepared to pay for the crosswalk out of their general funding, but after an outpouring of support and donations from the community, organization leaders say they now have enough funding to maintain the crosswalk, and use their own funding to host the Pride parade without cutbacks.
“It was a privilege to advocate for the crosswalk,” said Mel Zaragoza, board co-chair of Monterey Peninsula Pride. “I’m humbled by the community support, and the people that came to speak up with us. It was a brave thing to do. After that, we were able to raise $10,000 in 24 hours to create visibility and maintain this beautiful crosswalk.”
The Monterey Peninsula Pride Parade will begin June 28 at 11 a.m. on Polk Street and will continue on toward Pearl Street and down Alvarado Street. It will culminate at Custom House Plaza for the celebration portion from noon to 3 p.m.
