Mason Whiteside (Instagram/mason_coolside)
A Texas man was arrested Tuesday (March 24) after repainting Dallas’ Pride crosswalk in rainbow colors, which was removed on Monday (March 23) by state order.
Mason Whiteside was taken into custody just before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday after police spotted him using chalk and spray paint to restore designs in areas such as Oak Lawn, a historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood.
The removal began earlier this week after the Texas Department of Transportation implemented Gov. Greg Abbott’s October 2025 directive requiring cities to remove nonstandard road signs because they could pose a safety risk.
Read more: A Texas church had a perfect and beautiful response to the state’s removal of rainbow crosswalks
Mr. Whiteside was detained years ago for unrelated traffic violations and paid to be released the next morning.
talk to dallas morning news On March 24, after his arrest, he criticized the widespread crackdown on LGBTQ+ and racial justice symbols, warning: “How long until it’s not just a crosswalk? Until it takes away our space, our real space? There could be a series of dominoes falling.”
The incident comes amid a broader national movement to remove Pride and Black Lives Matter street art, with similar actions taking place in cities across the country.
Despite the risks, Whiteside made it clear he has no intention of backing down. “Every time they try to take it away, I’m going to put it right back,” he said.
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Source: PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news – www.thepinknews.com
