One month after giving the okay for a permanent public art project that would see rainbow crosswalks painted at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue, the city has reversed course, saying the project needs to be removed a few days after Pride. According to Georgia Voice, the news came in a Sept. 15 email to Atlanta Rainbow Crosswalks founder Robert Sepulveda, Jr. from Department of Public Works Commissioner Richard Mendoza.
A resolution was approved by the Atlanta City Council’s Transportation Committee requesting the City of Atlanta’s Department of Aviation to conduct a training session for city employees, airline workers and airport contractors at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International on how to spot, identify and rescue victims of sex trafficking at the world’s busiest airport. The legislation, sponsored by committee chairwoman Felicia Moore, will be voted on by the council on Sept. 21. Atlanta is one of 14 hotspots for sex trafficking of children, according to the FBI.
The final number is in and a record-breaking 60,000 took part in last Saturday’s Lantern Parade to kick off Art on the BeltLine. See more photos and read more about the event at this link.