Milwaukee Pride plans to bring Rainbow Crosswalks back by Pride Month
Apr 03, 2025
The Rainbow Crosswalk display at Jefferson and Wells in Downtown Milwaukee, which had been up since 2018, is no longer there. Wells underwent construction last year, and the street replacement included new crosswalks.It caused s
ome concerns from the LGBTQ community in Milwaukee, as it is a monument that means a lot."I remember when they first got installed, and it was a touchy moment for me as a gay man in Milwaukee," Said David Wolz. He lives near those crosswalks and owns LaCage, an LGBTQ bar in Walker's Point."If I look back, I think I actually had some tears in my eyes because I was like 'wow, this is really happening in Milwaukee,'" Wolz said. The crosswalks were at an important place in LGBTQ history. Cathedral Square was the point where the first LGBTQ parade in Milwaukee ended. Milwaukee Pride is the group that painted the sidewalk through the city's Paint the Pavement program, which allows groups to privately fund projects to create displays on city streets. Watch: Milwaukee Pride plans to bring Rainbow Crosswalks back by Pride Month Milwaukee Pride plans to bring Rainbow Crosswalks back by Pride Month"They are not taxpayer funded, they are not coming from any other source of municipal, local or state gov aid," said Wes Shaver, the President and CEO of Milwaukee Pride. Shaver said it is, and always has been, Milwaukee Pride's plan to repaint the crosswalks with the original designs. The organization just had to wait for construction to be over and for better weather. "Our hope is to have things repainted, hopefully by the end of April or early May."That would be just in time for Pride Month in June. It's an exciting thought for Wolz, who would also like to see a new display in Walker's Point. "This is the heart of the gay district of Milwaukee," he said. "There are many lesbian and gay bars down here. So it'd be cool to have the crosswalks down here."Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less