Hoboken Paints Rainbow Crosswalk For LGBTQ Pride Month

HOBOKEN, NJ — It took about eight hours to paint Hoboken’s first rainbow crosswalk. But by the time it was over, the community had a symbol of LGBTQ pride that illuminated an entire street.

On Saturday, city officials, local activists and residents of Hoboken gathered to celebrate the beginning of Pride Month with the creation of a rainbow-striped crosswalk at Newark and Washington streets.

The paint will last through the summer and Hoboken’s pride week, which takes place in August, a city spokesperson said.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said that the new crosswalks are a joint effort from the city’s LGBTQ+ liaison, Laura Knittel, Migdalia Pagan Milano and the Hudson Pride Center.

“Thank you to the volunteers and city staff, as well as the [Hoboken Police Department] for spending over eight hours to carefully paint the colors of pride,” Bhalla wrote.

Hoboken isn’t the first North Jersey municipality to paint a crosswalk in rainbow tones to honor Pride Month. Last year, Maplewood unveiled permanent, rainbow-striped crosswalks on Oakview Avenue and Valley Street.

• See related article: Maplewood Paints Rainbow-Striped Crosswalks For LGBT Pride Month

Dean Dafis, the first openly gay Maplewood Township Committee member, said that the community wanted to create a symbol that would serve as a permanent testament to its commitment to inclusion.

"We wanted it to be something you can encounter every day," Dafis said. "We wanted our youth in particular - perhaps those struggling to find their way, those in need of empowerment and affirmation - to proudly cross or walk over their fear and self-doubt. We wanted to showcase Maplewood to the county, state and the world. We are proud!"

• See related article: Maplewood Official's Stunning Conversion Therapy Survival Story

HOBOKEN SHOWS ITS PRIDE

The painting of the colorful crosswalks was one of several pride events that have been taking place in the Mile Square City this month.

On the same day that Hoboken’s new crosswalk was being painted, Harmonica Sunbeam, a seasoned "Drag Queen Story Hour" performer, was the honored guest at an event hosted by the Hudson County Democratic Organization's LGBTQ Caucus.

During Sunbeam's visit to Hoboken on April 27 at Little City Books, a pair of representatives from the Pennsylvania-based American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) held a protest outside, holding up signs that read "God made them male and female" and "Honk to protect our children."

But after Sunbeam's visit to Hoboken, the local LGBTQ community rallied to her side, condemning the protest as "hateful" and not representative of values in the Mile Square City.

• See related article: Hoboken Shows Pride For 'Drag Queen Story Hour' Performer

On Monday, Allen Kratz and Paul Somerville, two longtime leaders in the Hoboken LGBTQ+ community, ceremonially raised a rainbow flag at City Hall.

According to city officials, Somerville and Kratz – both longtime Hoboken residents – were leaders in the Gay Activists’ Alliance of Hudson County. The pair were the first couple in Hoboken to register as domestic partners in 2004, became civil union partners in 2007, and were married in 2013 shortly after the state legalized same-sex marriage.

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“Hoboken is and always will be a welcoming community where all are welcome, no matter your gender, sexual preference, or any means of identification,” Mayor Bhalla said. “We’re proud to kick off World Pride Month with our flag raising and first ever Pride crosswalks in front of City Hall. This is a symbol of not just our ongoing commitment to inclusive policies for all, but also to Hoboken’s LGBTQ+ history and all those who have fought so hard for equality before us.”

Laura Knittel, the City of Hoboken’s LGBTQ+ community liaison, said the community is celebrating pride, not prejudice.

“One way I ask everyone to join in the celebration this year, is through gratitude,” Knittel said. “Let’s thank our friends, family and alliances, for all they have given us, and how they continue to love and accept us each and every day. We will continue to make an impact for LGBTQ+ communities here and around the world.”

Hudson Pride Center’s Chief Operations Officer Elizabeth Schedl said that it was an honor to be a part of Hoboken's flag raising event on Monday.

“When I grew up, queer community support was not vocalized or expressed,” Schedl said. “While I know we still have a long way to go to create a truly accepting, understanding, and inclusive society, I can appreciate how far we have come. Hoboken's Pride Flag Raising sends a message to all the people in the Hoboken area and beyond. It says that Hoboken is a safe place, an accepting place, and a place that above all values its community and the diversity within it.”

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