In 2014, Northampton made the local news by getting the city to paint the main thoroughfare downtown. There was quite a bit of buzz about bringing it to Worcester, but there was not enough will at that time to support it on the committee when I was president of Worcester Pride.

Fast-forward to 2017, and the painted crosswalks now have traction and people are not just offering their dollars but also their help. Since the cost of permanent paint is quite significant, Michael Johnson, Pride treasurer, suggested we use chalk spray so that we can try it before we buy it, as it were.

Peter Bacchiocchi, Pride president, said that this year everything aligned! He spoke with Che Anderson, who has event coordination among his many duties as a project manager for the city. Che thought it was a great idea! Since it is not permanent, this would be seen as the same as sidewalk chalk. If we wanted to get a permanent paint, then there would likely need special approval by the city council. Keep your ears open; if the temporary “paint” is a success, then we will need your support!

Since the idea for a crosswalk was posted on social media, it has become a mini phenomenon! More than 130,000 people have seen the original post; there have been many, many shares; and more than 30 people have signed up to help! Even on my little ol’ page, a dozen people shared the post, it got more than 30 comments and more than 300 people reacted to the rainbow crosswalk posts! You can still help; on Sept. 6 at 9 a.m., the team will gather to paint the crosswalks! Email worcesterpride@gmail.com to volunteer.

There is never a good thing without controversy. You may know that the rainbow flag for Pride was designed in the ’70s and has been modestly adapted over time. What has also happened is the proliferation of other flags for specific segments of the community. I would argue that the rainbow flag still represents the LGBTQ community but also has come to symbolize diversity.

As a symbol of diversity, the Pride team felt the need to be more overt about its support of two intersecting identities. One is the trans community, given that trans people are still openly attacked, from the president to our own community. The trans flag will be one of the crosswalks. The other is the intersectionality of people of color and all of the LGBTQ community. Historically, and even to this day, people of color are often targeted in their communities, as well as in the LGBTQ community. The Pride team felt the need to acknowledge this by the inclusion of brown and black in the rainbow. There is a problem getting brown chalk however, and the team is working it out.

Full disclosure: I personally have argued that additional colors are the right thing to do. There are arguments that we should maintain the settled color scheme and historic meaning of the colors, but I believe we must evolve to acknowledge our current situation. If you would like to read more about the colors and the evolution, I have summarized it as part of my work with the UMass Diversity and Inclusion Office LGBTQ program; visit umassmed.edu/dio/lgbtq.

If you have an idea for an article, please email me at John@JohnArt.com.

John Trobaugh