The rainbow banners that line Market Street in the Castro district are in need of replacement, but actually replacing them will be easier said than done.
The issue with replacing the banners, which have been hanging for over a decade, is that they are hanging from historical landmarks, according to the San Francisco Examiner. Preservationists are pointing out that the posts the banners hang from are historic and strict guidelines dictate that only temporary banners are allowed on the posts. The steel bands that attach the banners to the posts can rust and ruin the paint on them. Though the banners violate current rules, San Francisco is allowing the old ones to remain in place but not allowing any more to be hung.
Members of the gay community aren’t happy about the state of the banners and want them to be replaced. A Facebook group devoted to the issue said, "They are now filthy and torn and no longer express the PRIDE that our community feels," according to SFist.
The Historic Preservation Commission and the Mission Dolores Neighborhood Association are responsible for the protection of the lampposts and are blocking efforts to replace the banners. Supervisor Bevan Dufty, whose district includes the Castro, identifies with those who want them replaced, but understands the laws regarding the posts.
"They can leave them there, but they can’t be replaced," said Dufty. "The [banners] are violating the law while looking bad and tattered."
Dufty is working to correct the situation by drafting legislation that would allow neighborhood banners to permanently remain on the posts along what is known as the Path of Gold –321 yellow-sodium vapor lamps that line Market Street from the Embarcadero to about 17th Street. The Historic Preservation Commission will meet on the issue on Dec. 15, and Dufty hopes to find a balance between protecting the posts and flying the banners.
