Storm over Davis rainbow crosswalks: ‘It’s a symbol of inclusion that they want to wash away’

Complaints and a threat of a protest led to the removal of a rainbow crosswalk created by students at an elementary school in Davis to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

Students in a Montessori education class at Birch Lane Elementary School created the crosswalk on Tuesday as part of an art project, said Mara Seaton, an employee in the school’s counseling office.

The city sponsors the Pride Festival event each June to celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and its community, which includes the creation of rainbow crosswalks in designated intersections. Now, there are some who fear an uproar over Birch Lane’s crosswalk will lead to protests as volunteers try to paint city-sponsored Davis Pride rainbow crosswalks around Central Park.

Seaton said the Birch Lane Elementary students used chalk paint Tuesday to create the rainbow crosswalk just outside their school. The crosswalk was removed Friday by the city’s public works department.

“We really wanted to show that this is an inclusive school,” Seaton said. “Obviously, it’s a symbol of inclusion that they want to wash away.”

Trouble started when the parent of a former Birch Lane student complained to school officials about the Pride symbol.

Seaton was told that the parent argued that allowing a rainbow crosswalk would give white supremacists the right to paint a Nazi swastika on a crosswalk. Seaton bristled at the parent’s attempt to equate the two symbols.

“One is symbol of support for the LGBTQ community, and one is a literal symbol of hate,” Seaton said. “One is inclusive, and one is made to alienate and put people in danger.”

Birch Lane Elementary Principal Amanda Walsh refused to discuss the rainbow crosswalk Friday. She referred questions about the matter to the school district.

The Sacramento Bee made several attempts on Friday to speak with Davis Joint Unified School District officials. Calls to the district’s public information office were not returned. A call to Superintendent Matt Best’s office also was not returned.

Kristin Conner, a school district spokeswoman, replied in an email Friday afternoon, indicating that the school district “did not wash away the rainbow colors in the Birch Lane Elementary School crosswalk. As the district did not remove the rainbow chalk in the crosswalk, we did not capitulate and cause its removal.”

Rainbow crosswalks have to be authorized

Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said his department received multiple complaints about the Birch Lane crosswalk. He said the department received emails purported to be coming from multiple individuals, but Pytel believes they came from one person.

“Unfortunately, there seemed to be some miscommunication here,” Pytel said about the incident.

While the Davis Pride Festival is a city-sponsored event and includes the creation of temporary rainbow crosswalks at designated intersections, painting on a city street or crosswalk is not allowed without prior approval.

While the school and its students can create Pride symbols and messages on campus, they weren’t allowed to do so on the road without authorization. Pytel said his department was not informed about the crosswalk art beforehand.

“If we allow a rainbow crosswalk, then we have to allow opposing messages on the street,” the police chief said on Friday.

Pytel said he spoke to the person who complained — and had threatened to protest outside the school — and believes its removal would alleviate the dispute. But, according to Pytel, the resident went on to complain about the city-sponsored rainbow crosswalks and all pride symbols at schools.

Threat of protests at Davis Pride event

Davis Pride Festival officials said Friday they’re aware of a Davis woman who was organizing protests over the rainbow crosswalks and threatening to wash them off. In spite of possible protests, Pride organizers planned to paint the crosswalks Sunday morning.

“These threats will not alter our plans for Sunday, or our Davis Pride events June 3 and 4,” said Gloria Partida, founder of the Davis Phoenix Coalition. “We’re heartened that Davis continues to stand up for the LGBTQ+ community and show their support.”

Sandré Henriquez Nelson, director at Davis Pride, said members of a right-wing group have launched numerous complaints about this year’s festival. But he said the festival and the people it celebrates have strong support from city officials, residents and the Police Department.

“We are a community, and we are inclusive and supportive,” Henriquez Nelson said about the festival’s message each year. “This is a place you are welcome.”