Austin officials held a dedication ceremony on Aug. 21 for an LGBTQ+ Historical Marker, located at the southwest corner of Fourth and Colorado Streets.
The marker reads “As Queer As You Want To Be,” and details the “contributions, struggles and success of Austin’s LGBTQIA+ community.”
Diving in deeper
The ceremony took place just before the Austin Pride parade and festival—an all-day celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and history on Aug. 22. The marker itself can be found under the Bettie Naylor Street sign—marking a stretch of Fourth Street named in honor of the civil rights advocate. The marker is also located near many of Austin’s notable LGBTQ+ establishments, such as Rain and Oilcan Harry’s.
“The businesses that built [the] community here face real financial pressure and some did not survive,” District 9 City Council member Zo Qadri said. “That is why this marker matters beyond today's ceremony. The city council and the historic preservation office, [along with] Austin Equity and Inclusion are not only recognizing the history, we are building the tools to protect what remains of it.”
Development of the historical marker was directed by a 2023 city council resolution and led by collaboration with Austin Capital Delivery Services, Austin Planning Historic Preservation Office and Austin Equity and Inclusion, according to a news release.
Some context
The dedication ceremony comes after state and federal mandates required cities to remove "non-standard" roadway markings, including street art, from local roads. As a result, the City of Austin was required to remove rainbow pavement markings at 4th and Colorado Streets, with an action plan deadline of June 22, according to a city memorandum.
The U.S. Department of Transportation presented the national Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies, or SAFE ROADS, initiative last year. The safety program is crafted to keep art and political messaging off roadways, labeling them as “distractions,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a statement.
In response to direction from Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Transportation detailed statewide standards to remove flags, symbols and other markings from roadways, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has said the mandates are a divisive waste of time, and on June 19 he said the city was responding to a targeted attack by the state on certain communities with new chances to celebrate them.
Quote of note
“The edict about these murals was meant to create sadness, be demeaning and cater to those who discriminate," Watson said on June 19. “It’s ridiculous that with all our needs and all we could be doing, some use their power to divide and demean people and to devalue things that make our communities special.”
Funding the project
The marker was funded by the city’s historical preservation fund, generated from hotel occupancy tax, according to the release.
