The Castro's flashy rainbow crosswalks, colorful displays of queer civic pride installed last September, will not be shining at their brightest for this year's Pride celebrations. No, says Hoodline: Damaged unfortunately (and maybe ironically) when covered during filming of the LGBT history series When We Rise — an effort to return the street to its 1970s appearance and avoid anachronism — the rainbow crosswalks will have to wait until after Pride to be repaired.
That represents a delay, Hoodline writes, and actually the repairs are more like a wholesale replacement. A pressure wash, we're told, wasn't enough to get some black gunk off them. Fortunately, the TV show will foot the bill for all these costs.
The replacement/refurbishment definitely sounds like a production: "Many pieces of the puzzle need to be coordinated to accomplish this work," SF Film Commission executive director Susannah Robbins told Hoodline. "Four days will be needed to "take out the asphalt, redo the asphalt, paint the white lines and then replace the rainbow walk. All of this needs to be coordinated with different companies which do this work, as well as with Muni, which will need to deactivate the electric bus lines without impeding public transportation."
Dry your eyes! The Castro doesn't lack for colorful displays, and the 'hood got even MOAR RAINBOWZ in May with the addition of LED lighting across the Muni Castro Street Station escalators. Last, as a bonus, it's vaguely possible that there will be a rainbow slip-n-slide on Dyke March day in Dolores Park. Regardless, it's safe to say that there will be plenty of rainbows etc. waving high, if not underfoot.
Previously: Film Shoot Damages Castro's Rainbow Crosswalks