NYC Pride Heritage of Pride, Inc had an idea to commemorate the LGBTQIA+ community. They provided the funding to coordinate with the City of New York and selected Ruby Lake Glass to provide the vibrant and long lasting color necessary to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the first time that WorldPride will be held in New York City in June 2019. With Ruby Lake Color Coated Recycled Glass a crosswalk was installed at the intersection of 7th Avenue (South) and Christopher Street (east side) near the Stonewall Inn.

Crews from Hi-Way Safety Systems and Ruby Lake Glass meticulously laid down Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Sky Blue, Cobalt and Purple color coated glass to create a stunning crosswalk that is reminiscent of the original Pride Flag. Ruby Lake Glass specializes in custom color, and for this crosswalk, Pink was their newest custom color created. After a series of tests at the plant in Richfield Springs NY, the perfect match of pink was created on the color coated glass to match that reflected on the flag. Ruby Lake Glass prides itself in using the highest quality UV stable pigments on pulverized 100% recycled glass that will last for years.

The people of New York City chose Stonewall Inn as the location for the installation. This iconic location has a historical past for the diverse communities of the city of New York. In 1969, after a police raid of the Stonewall Inn, riots and protests against police harassment and social discrimination of the LGBT(QA+) community erupted on the streets of Greenwich Village for six days as the Gay Rights Movement began in the United States. To commemorate those who fought, and who continue to stand up against bigotry and hatred, a 1969 Penny was placed in the Purple stripe of the Rainbow Crosswalk.

All images in this post were taken by NYC DOT.