The City of Chicago on Wednesday released its revised–and toned-down–beautification plan to promote a gay pride theme along North Halsted Street.
The $3.2 million proposal still pays tribute to the area’s gay and lesbian community but in a much more subtle way.
Gone are the 25-foot gateway structures in the middle of the street, which would have featured the multicolored gay pride rainbow motif.
Rather, according to the plan, “more refined” and smaller streetside markers will sit on the sidewalk at either end of the project. The bronze-colored markers will not promote a gay pride theme, but a neighborhood theme. They will be adorned with the words “Northalsted” and “Lakeview.”
Officials also scrapped plans to put up 200 pylons ringed with the gay pride colors–in neon–along the 10-block area. Instead, the city will construct 22 smaller columns in the middle of the blocks. The columns will feature the red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple gay pride colors, but in paint instead of neon lights.
The city’s proposal, the first in the nation to honor the gay and lesbian community with a multimillion dollar street beautification, has been controversial since it was unveiled two months ago. Some gays, lesbians and heterosexuals vehemently opposed the plan, saying it would stigmatize the community, lower property values and dissuade heterosexuals from moving in.
But the revised plan satisfies area residents, who are happy the plan was toned down, and gay activists, who are happy the gay pride colors remain.
“We are pleased the planners turned a deaf ear to anti-gay sentiment and looked at legitimate (aesthetic) criticisms of the plan,” said Rick Garcia, who lives in the area and is the leader of the Illinois Federation for Human Rights, which lobbies for gay rights. “I think the neighborhood won, the city won and the gay and lesbian community won. The only ones who lost are the anti-gay bigots.”