Last July, United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, issued a memo to governors, urging them to “improve mobility and safety on roadways” by removing rainbow Pride crosswalks and street art installations.
While some states like Florida and Texas have complied, and others, like Idaho and Utah continue to implement Pride flag bans on government buildings, most places have rejected the memo.
In fact, cities like Miami Beach, St. Petersburg, San Antonio, and more, have creatively defied their local directives, installing rainbow bike racks or sidewalk displays instead.
While California has not implemented bans on Pride displays, its cities remain vocally supportive of LGBTQ+ rights. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has just announced a bold public art installation that will celebrate Pride Month, the World Cup, and the Fourth of July all at once: Rainbow sky lasers.
The artwork is called “7X7,” a display in Civic Center Plaza with 49 rainbow-colored beams of light, one beam for each square mile of San Francisco.
A rendering of the “7×7” installation. Photo courtesy of San Francisco Office of the Mayor
The display made its debut on June 21 and will light the sky through July 4. According to a press release from the city, it will be visible across San Francisco and the Bay Area.
“As our city welcomes people from around the world this summer for Pride, July Fourth, and the World Cup, we are showing the creativity, energy, and spirit that make San Francisco the greatest city in the world,” Lurie said in a statement.
While the mayor did not expressly discuss recent Pride display bans across the country, he did make it clear that San Francisco is a city that celebrates its diverse residents and visitors.
“We have always been a city that leads with our values, and we’re demonstrating that with this installation,” Lurie said. “Whether you live here or you’re coming to visit, whether you’re in one of our neighborhoods or coming downtown, there’s so much to be excited about in San Francisco this summer.”
The artwork was conceived and produced by Illuminiate, an organization that creates large public art installations in the Bay Area.
The rainbow lasers will be visible throughout Pride Month, and will share airspace with a 4.1-mile rainbow laser installation along Market Street during June 27 and 28, billed as the world’s largest Pride flag, according to the city’s press release.
But the display will change colors to represent the American flag on July 4, Illuminate clarified.
“The beams change color across the run, shifting to rainbow hues during Pride Weekend and the colors of the American flag on July 4,” the organization’s website reads.
“The laser systems sit roughly ten feet above the ground on a custom truss, so visitors and families can walk freely beneath the entire installation and look straight up through the canopy of light.”
Illuminate’s “Welcome” display will also shine during Pride Weekend, a 4.1-mile stretch of rainbow lights down Market Street. Photo courtesy of Illuminate
Regardless of what people are celebrating, the goal is to create a public art piece that inspires and brings people together.
“One of the things that makes San Francisco such a great place to live is that you can find moments of joy, beauty, and connection in our public spaces,” Sarah Madland, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department’s general manager, said in a statement.
“Projects like ‘7X7’ bring people together, activate our civic spaces, and create experiences that are free and accessible to everyone.”
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Header image courtesy of San Francisco Office of the Mayor
