West Hollywood: home to the LA Gay Pride festival, the bachelorette-antagonizers at The Abbey, and The L Word. Gay enough, right? Wrong! West Hollywood needs a rainbow infusion, stat!
As the city ramps up for pride, the City Council is mulling a nifty idea: painting the crosswalks rainbow-colors for the month of June. Everyone seems to support the idea, which the Council will discuss this evening (you can show up at 6:30 PM at the West Hollywood Library if you’d like offer public comment on the proposal).
But it wouldn’t be local municipal politics if there wasn’t also a bizarre Parks-and-Rec-style scandal a-brewing. Even though Tel Aviv seems to have originated the idea of rainbow crosswalks, two local gays are at odds over who gets the credit for bringing the concept to the states.
Venice artist Martin Duvander says that he asked the council to consider the idea back in April, and even set up a Kickstarter to raise funds for it. But LA Weekly reports that gossip blogger Lucas John says that re-painting the crosswalks was originally his idea, and that he “is very upset” that someone else has claimed to have come up with it. Oh, honey.
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No matter who winds up getting credit for this groundbreaking public works project, it seems like it’s almost definitely going to happen. So check out the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente if you’re in the neighborhood this month, and keep your eyes peeled for two gays arguing over whose signature should be on it.
By the way, in case you’re wondering what the going rate is for two rainbow crosswalks: nearly $13,000. Money well spent!
Rex
*Yawn* Who cares? This is WeHO and it’s full of stuck up homos.
WillBFair
Traditionally, this fight was between SF and NY. SF had a Stonewall event before Stonewall. Castro queens run around nake in public. And the Castro has a giant rainbow flag blowing in the breeze at Castro and Market. That alone blows WeHo out of the water. On the other hand, The Mattachine was started in LA. But Sanat Monica Blvd is a frigging freeway, which does not make for a pleasant village. But LA does have the better climate. So it’s really all a toss up.
Matt
WillBFair-You need to spend less time in GLBT ghettos and more time in reality.
Bob Conti
13K? I suppose who cares if it’s private funds that covers all costs and labor. But really, an expenditure of a dime of public funds for this would just be silly. Also, the vehicle code requires that crosswalks be painted in yellow or white… I don’t suppose that little legal tidbit was considered, was it?
Tyler
Ugh how faggy and utterly pointless.
WillBFair
@Matt: Hun, I left the gay ghetto thirty years ago because it was ignorant and repetetive. But there’s many kinds of gay culture. There’s a harmless, whimsical kind, which I wrote about, and a hypercritical kind, which you seem to prefer.
So Yo
Lucas John is a walking piece of garbage.
#teammartin
SFMatt
WillbFair-What gay “culture” no such thing exists for gay/LGBT people. LBGT ghettos, rainbow flags, pride parades, being bitchy, muscle queens, and drag queens don’t count.