According to a spokesperson for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, the mayor’s office has no official role in the implementation of a gay pride crosswalk in the city.
The Tennessee Star reported Wednesday that a group of volunteers will paint a rainbow-colored crosswalk at the intersection of 14th St and Woodland St on June 29.
The mayor’s office did not sign off on the project, according to spokesman Alex Apple, and had no answers for The Star Thursday regarding how much it will cost the city, if anything, to implement and maintain the crosswalk.
Nashville’s new crosswalk “was approved after a collaboration between the Metro Nashville LGBTQ Caucus, the Nashville Department of Transportation, Metro Nashville Councilmember Clay Capp, and Nashville Pride,” The Star reported Wednesday.
“This has been on many people’s minds for a long time. We’ve been working on it as a Caucus over the past few months and are thrilled to bring it to fruition,” Metro Nashville Council LGBTQ Caucus Chair and District 7 Council Member Emily Benedict said at a press conference. “It is historic for our city in one of our most historic locations, outside one of the most iconic lesbian-owned establishments in the country.”
Apple referred The Star to the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) regarding the question of the cost of maintenance. That entity did not return a comment request.
Also, Nashville District Attorney’s Office Glenn Funk did respond to a comment request about the legality of painting a city street and whether those who might vandalize the gay pride crosswalk will be subject to prosecution.
Around the country, people have been arrested for vandalizing gay pride crosswalks.
Last week, teens in Spokane, Washington state, were arrested for lighting a fire on a gay pride crosswalk.
A 19-year-old was arrested in Delray Beach, Florida, earlier this year for doing burnouts and leaving skid marks on a gay pride crosswalk. He was charged with a felony.
Police are currently on the hunt for a vandal who did the same to a gay pride crosswalk in Huntington, West Virginia.
In 2021, Nashville became the first city in the nation to name a street after a drag queen.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on X/Twitter.
If I lived in or near Nashville – I live about 2 1/2 hours away – I’d buy a gallon of grey outdoor paint and take care of the rainbow…..
Nashville and Memphis are both an embarrassment to Tennessee and the latter is so bad that it should have it’s city charter revoked.
The Democrat Party really does hate America.
Nashville Tennessee is such an embarrassment.
Fast Freddie just admitted that he has zero control over the city. Now who is really pulling the strings? I assume rich progressives that destroy all that they touch
Please request a VOIA request on the standards and proper process for requesting to paint a crosswalk. We need to know the rules and were they followed. Maybe a pro Life one, Pro Israel one? Just what are the rules?
I think I read somewhere during his campaign. that Freddie is admittedly a card carrying member of the Democrat Socialists of America.
In case you don’t know what that is, those folks date back to Cloward & Pivens ( communists) who developed a plan to destroy the America Constitutional Republic.
AMERICA IS NOT A DEMOCRACY; IT IS A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, which is a form of government Of the People, By the People, & For the People. WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT. Those elected are our employees.
THE PEOPLE IN DAVIDSON COUNTY DO NOT WANT THEIR STREETS DEFILED BY THE FRINGE ELEMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. We don’t want our children indoctrinated by bullies who want to cram LBGTQ down our throats.
STOP THE BULLYING
Normal people are the majority & pay most of the taxes.
But in this administration, normal people do not have a say. This Mayor spends our tax dollars on this kind of bullshit, then denies he had anything to do with it. Someone painted the tacky crap on the street. Our Nashville Dept of Transportation can clean it up.
As a life long taxpayer, I am so sick & tired of watching my money being spent on things that make my community look worse. Case in point, the ugly white things sticking up out of our roads, supposedly for bike riders’ safety, which we never see bike riders. Makes me wonder what is the name of the company that makes those useless sticks, & did they donate to Freddie’s campaign.
Talk about Waste of Tax Dollars.
If you would spend our money planting trees & beautiful gardens, rather than constructing ugly “Affordable Housing”, which is only affordable bc We the People pay for it. So everyone is broke. Sounds like Socialism.
You would think planting trees would be a priority for real environmentalists. We normal people are environmentalists too. We just don’t want our money spent on useless crap that does nothing to improve our community environment.
For those who don’t know what changed Nashville from a Conservative, Clean, Safe & Pleasant place to live.
Here is what happened:
People who pay taxes lost their POWER to make the spending decisions in Nashville in the 90’s when Progressive John Seigenthaler recruited Phil Bredesen to Nashville to run for Mayor. A man with no roots & no desire to keep Nashville ‘s history & traditions in place .
Bredesen & Seiganthaler then proceeded to do an intense PR Canpaign to convince Nashvillians to place Mandatory Term Limits on elected Council members. This immediately made Council members Lame Ducks. No longer did community volunteers want to work their fannies off for their community unless they had the incentive of keeping their job as Council by their Constituents. Like the Federal Government, there is a Deep State of Bureacrats, who can manipulate lame duck Council members bc it takes years to learn the System. By that time a new set of Council people are elected.
This caused WE THE PEOPLE to lose our Power. We no longer could Hire & Fire our Reps. So they no longer gave a damn . After awhile only those who are in it for themselves will even run for Council. its no longer a Government OF the People, BY the People, FOR the People.
You can’t call your own Mayor’s Office. You call a Councilmam. You get a VM. You may or may not get a call back, UNLESS YOUR ONE OF THE PROGRESSIVE TEAM.
It’s a JOKE ON YOU.
Next Bredesen issued an illegal Executive Order allowing Metro employees to live outside Davidson County. So we are left paying their salaries, Healthcare & pensions. They take our money & spend it in another county. They don’t give a crap about the people paying their salaries & they cannot vote. WHAT A FINANCIAL MESS!!!
FREDDIES MUTI BILLION DOLLAR TRANSPORTATION PLAN ON NOVEMBER BALLOT IS HIS WAY TO SCREW TAXPAYERS AGAIN
VOTE NO.
Tired of this crap being forced on this city with no discussion. Metro council is a joke. Rich people making Nashville their play area while throwing it in your face. Fast Freddie knew and approved of this. Demand answers.
Roads need to be fixed, pot holes everywhere but sure let’s spend money painting a sidewalk with pretty colors. .
Amen.
Try putting a pro life mural in Nashville. Why only the twisted minds can get their way.
Progressives can’t help themselves from having a hand in EVERYTHING that goes on within their purview. Just gotta control everything, because they know what’s best for YOU. Freddie not having anything to do with this is laughable. Watch as this once great city continues to spiral out of control. When Nashville looks in the mirror, it can’t help but see the shadows of Atlanta and Charlotte.
“offical”
‘no official role’ except approving it, probably providing security, and prosecuting anyone who leaves a tire mark.
word play from the liberal mayor.
….you can’t decide if you’re going to spend Saturday protesting for Hamas or painting rainbow crosswalks.
They want to goad someone into vandalizing their vandalism so they can get in on that sweet, sweet national coverage of prosecutorial overkill.
Because it sends a message. No heresy against the establishment of their religion.