Exploring Newport’s Pride Sidewalks

Photography by Wolf Matthewson

When Daniel Cano Restrepo moved to Aquidneck Island from his native Colombia with his husband in 2017, he was struck by the community’s openness. Cano Restrepo, who heads the marketing agency Newport Out with his husband, Sean O’Connor, and also serves as executive director of Newport Pride, says he felt supported in his LGBTQ+ identity. But something was missing. The couple had traveled throughout the United States and seen the rainbow crosswalks signaling visibility. “We got inspiration from the ones that the city of Austin, Texas, has,” he says. After raising funds and securing permission from the City Council, the couple gathered up volunteers and painted the city’s first rainbow crosswalks across from Equality Park in 2022. The location is on the route of the annual Pride Bike Parade taking place this year on June 29. Along with the parade, Newport Pride — which officially became a nonprofit organization in 2022 — runs an LGBTQ+ community center on Spring Street. For Cano Restrepo, the crosswalks are a reminder of the progress that could be jeopardized if members of the LGBTQ+ community don’t continue to speak out and stay engaged. “Some colors in the streets aren’t going to save somebody’s life right away. But for somebody that knows what those colors mean, it means a lot. It can definitely change your day,” he says.