( PHOTOGRAPH BY WOLF MATTHEWSON )
Snapshot : Pride Crosswalks
When Daniel Cano Restrepo moved to Aquidneck Island from his native Colombia with his husband in 2017 , he was struck by the community ’ s openness . Cano Restrepo , who heads the marketing agency Newport Out with his husband , Sean O ’ Connor , and also serves as executive director of Newport Pride , says he felt supported in his LGBTQ + identity . But something was missing . The couple had traveled throughout the United States and seen the rainbow crosswalks signaling visibility . “ We got inspiration from the ones that the city of Austin , Texas , has ,” he says . After raising funds and securing permission from the City Council , the couple gathered up volunteers and painted the city ’ s first rainbow crosswalks across from Equality Park in 2022 . The location is on the route of the annual Pride Bike Parade taking place this year on June 29 . Along with the parade , Newport Pride — which officially became a nonprofit organization in 2022 — runs an LGBTQ + community center on Spring Street . For Cano Restrepo , the crosswalks are a reminder of the progress that could be jeopardized if members of the LGBTQ + community don ’ t continue to speak out and stay engaged . “ Some colors in the streets aren ’ t going to save somebody ’ s life right away . But for somebody that knows what those colors mean , it means a lot . It can definitely change your day ,” he says . — LAUREN CLEM
128 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JUNE 2024