Penticton embraces rainbows too?

[JBX]

Unfortunately for you, JBX, this is going to be "crammed down" your throat more and more often these days. I don't think anybody is "forcing everything to change" to suit their lifestyle. What do you consider "waving in your face"? Two men holding hands in public? A woman giving her girlfriend a peck on the cheek in the park? Or perhaps you consider the cries and pleads for equal treatment to be too much?

When a group of people have been continually shunned, humiliated and repressed by society, it's only natural for them to come to a breaking point and begin to stand up for themselves and their basic human rights. Do you understand the reasoning behind the increased coverage and support of LGBT rights? Have you read news stories of people being brutally beaten because of being gay (here, I did the research for you: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=beaten+up+for+being+gay)? It happens every day. Nobody is forcing anybody to do anything; the intention of the crosswalk is to bring about a message of tolerance (it's a shame yours is so easily swayed), a simple reminder to LGBT folk that there are advocates out there, people who wish for them to have the same treatment in society that most take for granted.

Well, I guess that's about it. I don't really hope to change any minds, because once someone has a point of view they're likely to stick with it, but maybe what I said will give a bit of insight.

EDIT: I forgot to add, I had no idea there was so much violence towards gays, I knew there was some in 3rd world hell holes but wow.... utterly disgusting.

Ok, well let me try to approach this differently with your post, worth replying too and not ignorant.

I can't stand people like that, its a truly sick thing to beat somebody up because they are gay, but, people are beat up for religion, race, what hockey team they cheer for, the color of the hair, ect ect

My point is, there is ALWAYS going to be those *bleep* who pick something out about somebody and decide they deserve a beating.

I am not advocating any sort of violence, shunning, anything towards non-straight people, or them, or whatever else useless word that you use to try to discuss a single group. I want them to go about their lives and be happy, kiss under a tree, walk on the beach, go boating, get married, adopt a kid, goto mars I don't care. What I don't want is to have to constantly have it waved in my face, why cant they just be accepted as another group within our society that deserves all the rights and protection as anybody else? The second we start singling them out of society we by definition are saying they are not normal and they need special protection, isn't normal what they want?

Rather then this, why don't we go after all the *bleep* that attack them? Why don't we go after organizations that promote hate and intolerance towards gay? Attack the root of the problem rather then try to distract from it. Like say castanet for giving an utter wingjob a front page fn story.

If this is all they want then fine, bikers have biker bars ect ect, but I still think we should be devoting most of our resources and time towards destroying the root of the hate towards them.

Oh and fck Russia.

[Rosemary1]

The main consideration that has not been part of discussion(that I have seen) is road safety and whether a municipality can unilaterally and legally change the standard white markings for crosswalks.

I hope the City has consulted with the ministry responsible for road signage standards been consulted? If not, it should have been the first thing done.

The white crosswalk markings are recognized by drivers and pedestrians everywhere and are in driving manuals.

Are we putting people at risk by changing nationally recognized road markings to look like pretty art? Will everyone recognize these as crosswalks? I assume some crosswalks will remain the same and this may add to the confusion for some travelers - local, national and international.

There are many other ways to recognize different groups in our society that may be less risky to public safety.

[antelee]

If there is a/an ____ (insert the name that you call your conception of God) he/she is having a good laugh right now.

[LANDM]

Do you actually think that people will look at a much brighter and different crosswalk, with the pattern the same and the location where every crosswalk is located, and say "hmmmm, I wonder what that is? I see people walking from a corner of a street to the other corner of a street, exactly where every crosswalk in the world is located......buuuuuttttt, it is brightly coloured and not white. I guess I can run them over!".

Time to get another, more valid excuse.

[Bunnyhop]

I have followed this forum and posting for many years. I currently live in New York City but grew up, spending all of my childhood in Penticton. My family still resides in Penticton. I felt compelled to register for an account on Castanet in order to respond to this post. This is my first post and will probably be my only post on this website. I frequently follow the new and postings to keep in touch with what is happening in my hometown.

While I understand that people don't want to have other ideals "shoved down their throats", the painting of a rainbow crosswalk is simply a symbolic gesture and I believe harmless in nature.

Having grown up in Penticton I was consistently called a '*bleep*', 'fairy', '*bleep*' and all the usual words used to describe homosexuals. I was never 'out' or acknowledged my sexual orientation while I lived in Penticton. Recently, I returned to visit family. As a 29 year old I walked down Main Street and had a young man shout '*bleep*' at me. Having lived in New York City for a number of years, where this doesn't normally happen, I was taken aback, especially since I was neither dressed nor acting in a way that would draw attention to myself (and that should not be relevant to the conversation). Similar situations have happened on other visits to visit family in Penticton, being a younger adult I disregarded them. To be honest, I would be reluctant to bring my partner to visit my family in Penticton. At home I frequently hold my partner's hard, share a kiss in public and display affection, however, if I were to do these simple actions in Penticton I may or may not face some sort of reaction in any form.

While a crosswalk is symbolic, it represents an attempt to be inclusive. In a small town such as Penticton, as a gay male, I cannot be in public, with the one I love, in the same capacity as a straight person. If a man and a woman share a kiss they are not stared at, whispered about or pointed at. Hence, I chose to move to a larger, more inclusive city not only for career purposes but for personal reasons as well.

Yes, I realize I will be lambasted for posting on this forum but I felt compelled to share my experience. Yes, a crosswalk may be insignificant to some but it is a gesture that is especially meaningful. Having grown up in Penticton, to me, this is a large step forward for the community. I think it's essential that the younger generations are meant to feel included regardless of their sexual orientation. I know if I had been I would of have been much more likely to remain in this beautiful community.

All the best, and happy debating.

How awful that you were treated that way, especially in your own hometown. No one has the right to belittle another person.

I would much rather see the money spent on rainbow crosswalks be spent on initiatives that foster inclusiveness for everyone. Education, multicultural events (does culture have to be specific to nationality?), etc. Inclusiveness initiatives such as playground equipment for disabled children, public spaces that contain appropriate areas for moms to breastfeed their babies, etc. Inclusiveness should mean everybody.

[LANDM]

How awful that you were treated that way, especially in your own hometown. No one has the right to belittle another person.

I would much rather see the money spent on rainbow crosswalks be spent on initiatives that foster inclusiveness for everyone. Education, multicultural events (does culture have to be specific to nationality?), etc. Inclusiveness initiatives such as playground equipment for disabled children, public spaces that contain appropriate areas for moms to breastfeed their babies, etc. Inclusiveness should mean everybody.

Are you under the impression that the crosswalk can only be used by gay people? Believe it or not, anyone can use it.

Without detracting from the examples you brought up, it still needs to be pointed out that disabled-friendly playgrounds and specific places to breast feed are far less inclusive than a sidewalk that is available to literally everyone. If I went to a breast feeding-specific area, I am relatively certain that it would make the women uncomfortable to have me just hanging out there.

BTW, can't breast feeding happen anywhere or is it necessary to keep that hidden also?

Next.

[Bunnyhop]

Omg. Not even going to try.

[twobits]

Do you actually think that people will look at a much brighter and different crosswalk, with the pattern the same and the location where every crosswalk is located, and say "hmmmm, I wonder what that is?

I would say yes there would be people that it might confuse. For lord's sake, most people don't even know what the green paint in bike lanes at intersections mean.
There are very clearly established international signage and signal protocols that are in place to facilitate international drivers. One of them is crosswalks in white. Other obvious examples are red octagons and yellow triangles mean stop and yield no matter what language foreign to you is written in the middle. We also have traffic signal lights that go red, yellow, green....from top to bottom on vertical hangers, or left to right in the horizontal. The only people the memorize the positional arrangements of those lights to know what they mean are the color blind. They would be the only ones that knew what the light was saying if we switched the colors to pink, orange and blue.
That would obviously not happen because of the gridlock it would cause but it does serve the point that we do have standards and there is a valid reason for those standards. How bout this food for thought. At a Court Trial, "I am sorry Madame Justice that I ran over and killed that pedestrian. I had no idea that rainbow colored lines across a road indicated a crosswalk".

[LANDM]

Yes, you're absolutely right. If you actually couldn't figure out that it was a crosswalk, then you should be in front of a judge.

[twobits]

Yes, you're absolutely right. If you actually couldn't figure out that it was a crosswalk, then you should be in front of a judge.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/eng_publications/electrical/most_pm.pdf

7.3 Transverse Pavement Markings
7.3.1 Colors
Transverse markings, as shown in Figure 7.2, are stop bars, crosswalks, aircraft
patrol markings, parking space markings, and words or symbols are white with the
exception of transverse median markings (crosshatch) which shall be yellow.


Do you see rainbow as an approved standard anywhere in this document?

[XT225]

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/eng_publications/electrical/most_pm.pdf

7.3 Transverse Pavement Markings
7.3.1 Colors
Transverse markings, as shown in Figure 7.2, are stop bars, crosswalks, aircraft
patrol markings, parking space markings, and words or symbols are white with the
exception of transverse median markings (crosshatch) which shall be yellow.


Do you see rainbow as an approved standard anywhere in this document?

Good find, twobits. I think the whole issue is a real Pandora's Box. What will happen when the black community demands black crosswalks? Pretty difficult to see those, especially at night. Paint murals where they are wanted but don't change what works. Next thing you know someone will get offended by the RED color of a stop sign and want it painted rainbow. Can of worms, completely and waste of taxpayers dollars.

[Corneliousrooster]

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/eng_publications/electrical/most_pm.pdf

7.3 Transverse Pavement Markings
7.3.1 Colors
Transverse markings, as shown in Figure 7.2, are stop bars, crosswalks, aircraft
patrol markings, parking space markings, and words or symbols are white with the
exception of transverse median markings (crosshatch) which shall be yellow.


Do you see rainbow as an approved standard anywhere in this document?

kamloops has had some of these since 1996 - people have them figured out - this is not rocket science
https://www.google.com/search?q=brick+c ... 80&bih=615

[jamapple]

I wonder what color the Emo crosswalk will be, if black is already taken.
In all seriousness, this group has also been ridiculed, beaten up, and pointed at, as did sooooo many more groups.
So, why is it that not one other group has ever came up with a banner, or flag to represent who they are? I know....because they want to just go about their lives and use laws that protect them. No one can stop someone from calling them names from across a street. But that goes for everybody, black people, muslums, and even whiteys!
Oh, and for the last time, the rainbow is not about inclusiveness for "everyone". It is a very clear symbol of the gay and lesbian community. Please stop the crap with, " What? You think the crosswalks are only for gay people". You don't need many stem cells in your noodle to figure out exactly what the rainbow means.

[twobits]

I am merely pointing out that we do have standards, have them for a reason, and this is a deviation from those standards that some could find confusing. You are being naive if you think all people that hold a drivers license have your deductive reasoning. Think of seniors or foreign nationals. Perhaps they should not be on the road for a plethora of reasons but the fact remains that they are and they hardly need a deviation from standards thrown at them on the road. Not all crosswalks are at intersections either. Cross walks need not even be painted to be considered "designated" if there are pedestrian shoulders or sidewalks that cross an intersection in a linear line. The standards however clearly state that if they are going to be painted, they will be white or yellow.
I wouldn't even be bringing up standards if people could simply wrap their head around the reality that it is an inappropriate use of public funds for a special interest group. There are far more Muslims in your community than gay/lesbian. Maybe we should fund public loudspeakers for the "call to prayer" as well if you are so hades bent on showing tolerance and acceptance. And what groups would you choose to deny public funding for a show of tolerance and acceptance?

[LANDM]

If you want to fund Muslim loudspeakers, then I guess you should get active and lobby for them. As for me being hell bent on tolerance, I guess I will wait to see how that is implemented before I comment on what may or may not happen in the future. In this case, I am commenting on the reality of a painted sidewalk and stating clearly that I have no problem with it or what it represents (for the benefit of jamapple).

I have more faith in the ability of our community to adapt to certain things, like a slightly different sidewalk, than you do. Other communities handle it just fine and we don't seem to be overrun with horrible accidents.

But, nice try on your argument and good luck with representing the Muslims in our community with a call to prayer speaker. I have no idea if they outnumber gays or not but I'm certainly not going to argue your claim that they do.