REDMOND, Wash. — A crosswalk in Redmond that features a mural supporting LGBTQ+ Pride was vandalized overnight Monday.
The rainbow crosswalk on Cleveland Street was installed before the city's Pride Festival last summer.
Redmond Public Works crews worked at the site for hours Monday to remove the graffiti that included hateful words and phrases.
The Redmond Police Department (RPD) is investigating the incident and has increased patrols nearby.
The vandalized crosswalk comes at a time when LGBTQ+ hate crimes are on the rise. According to the FBI’s latest numbers, attacks based on gender identity were up 32.9% in 2022 from 2021; attacks based on sexual orientation were up 13.8% in the same time frame.
Across western Washington, KING 5 has reported on several stories where pride flags have been stolen, pride murals defaced, or there’s angst in communities about hosting pride events.
Redmond Pride Organizers Axton Burton and James Webster said even though they expected the crosswalk to be vandalized, it didn’t lessen the sting of it.
"When the installation got put up, we knew it was a question of when, not if, someone would try to do something and that's indicative of the larger situation of hate crimes and disrespect against the LGBTQIA+ community in this country,” Webster said. “We can't know their motivations until we know who did it and they tell us why. Living in that unknown is very painful for the queer community because, for all we know, this is the beginning of something else."
Burton, who started pride celebrations in Redmond, said the vandals doing this in the cover of darkness speaks volumes about those responsible.
“It shows exactly where they stand, hiding in the shadows,” Burton said. “Our lives aren’t going to change because you colored on some cement.”
Both Burton and Webster said they were extremely grateful for the city's quick response when Woodblock employees reported the graffiti. Burton specifically praised Councilmember Jessica Forsythe.
“She was the first person I called. She was a huge, adamant support of this art installation from the beginning,” Burton said. “She came down here, walked with me to the crosswalk and was in communication with local businesses and law enforcement around what are the next steps to get it cleaned up.”
Burton said the workers for the city had trouble cleaning up the mural on Monday because the anti-graffiti solution doesn’t work well in the rain. They expect the mural to be restored when the roadway dries up.
“Let the Sunshine In,” the name of crosswalk art, was unveiled on Sept. 1, 2023, in time for the second annual Redmond Pride Festival. The idea for the crosswalk came about at the city council meeting on Nov. 1, 2022.
Members of the community “explained the importance of a rainbow crosswalk to raise visibility and symbolize Redmond’s support of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
In a post on social media, Woodinville Pride called the vandalism "truly disgusting."
"Redmond deserves our love, kind words and good thoughts right now," the post read.
Anyone with information about the incident should contact RPD at 425-556-2500.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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