Rainbow murals to support LGBTQ+ students
The generally plain CVHS blacktop is going to look a bit more colorful. In the coming weeks, at least three ground murals will be painted in support of fellow LGBTQ+ students on campus.
Called Rainbow Pathways, multiple walkways will be installed that show the Progress Pride Flag. A symbol of headway made and more change to come, the flag combines aspects of various LGBTQ+ pride flags.
“The Progress Flag is much more inclusive than your typical rainbow one. While the original one works also, this one signifies support of those who are LGBTQ+, intersex, trans, as well as people of color,” explained junior Karissa Chu.
Chu and her friend Rebecca Ireland are the minds behind the Rainbow Pathways. Their project began last summer as an idea to fundraise money for The Trevor Project, a suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. After contacting Castro Valley Pride President Austin Bruckner to put their plan into action, he suggested doing a project that was more local. As a result, Chu and Ireland envisioned these upcoming murals.
The project is self-funded, without help from the school or district.
“After we came up with the basis of the idea, we opened a GoFundMe, advertised using posters, and spread the news through word of mouth at some events during the summer,” described Chu. “In total, we made just around $3,000.” This amount is enough to cover for the entirety of the project.
On Feb. 9, the Wellness Center’s Marian Meadows presented the Rainbow Pathways at the CVUSD Board of Education meeting, where the project was quickly approved. The Progress Pride Flag murals will not only be painted on the CVHS campus – they will also appear in CVUSD middle and elementary schools. At CVHS, Chu and Ireland plan to install murals in the quad and near the office. Although the exact locations of the murals are not yet set in stone, they are adamant on one place.
“We’re hoping to put one near the football field because of the attacks on trans students in sports,” expressed Ireland. “We want to display our support for them and show that everyone is welcome in all aspects of school.”
The Rainbow Pathways are an emblem for inclusivity and allyship. The pair hopes that these murals will spur students to be aware of and respect the LGBTQ+ community.
For Chu, “they are a reminder that we should celebrate our differences and support people even if they’re different from us.”
I am happy to see that the project is self funded but sad to see that school didn’t help at all.
I think it sucks that we don’t see much support of the LGBT groups. The fact that these students have saved up enough funds to build a mural is a great cause and might motivate other schools to follow the same idea and take action.
Go Rebecca & Karissa! Thank you for organizing this project, especially for centering LGBTQ+ folks at CV schools in it. I can’t wait to see the murals!
i think that it is a good idea that there is going to be a rainbow murals around the campus.
i think its super cool that there are going to be these rainbow murals on campus, and it’s impressive that students are funding and organizing the project 🙂
I can’t wait to see the murals!