Ireland’s first-ever permanent Pride crossing, boldly painted in vibrant rainbow colours across Arklow Main Street, is now in the process of being erased. Installed in December 2021 after a five-year community campaign, the crossing symbolised progress and visibility for LGBTQ+ people in the town and across the country. The project, which cost €1,500, was spearheaded by filmmaker and Wicklow Pride Co-Founder Dave Thomas.

Today, that symbol of equality is under threat. According to Thomas, the local council’s failure to allocate funding for maintenance has led to the decision to remove the crosswalk entirely. “This is not just about paint on a road,” he said following a council meeting. “It is about what that paint represents—equality, dignity, and recognition.”

The removal of the Arklow rainbow crossing comes at a deeply sensitive time on the eve of Pride month, sending what Thomas and many others see as a damaging and regressive message. “To remove it now, at the start of Pride Month, sends a toxic and deeply harmful message—not just to us here in Arklow, but to LGBTQIA+ people across Ireland,” he said. “It feels like abandonment.”

The crossing has not been without controversy. In 2022, it was threatened by the far-right group Proud Boys Ireland, who vowed to deface it with white paint. Local LGBTQ+ advocates have also had to endure protests and hate-fueled opposition, all while appealing for ongoing support and protection from the State.

Despite repeated pleas to the Department of Transport, there has been no official intervention or funding to preserve the crossing. Thomas is now urging Tánaiste Simon Harris, a Wicklow native and previous supporter of LGBTQ+ causes, to intervene before the rainbow crossing is lost for good.

Calling on the public, allies and political leaders to “speak up”, Tomas said: “We cannot allow Ireland’s first permanent Pride Rainbow Crossing to be scrubbed from existence. To do so would be an act of erasure—not just of colour on tarmac, but of the lives, identities and contributions of LGBTQIA+ people across this country.”