Paris Mayor Snaps at Homophobia, Makes Rainbow Crosswalks Permanent

After Paris' rainbow crosswalks were vandalized ahead of the city's Pride parade last week, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo decided to convert the seasonal emblem of LGBT solidarity into a permanent symbol of Paris' stance against acts of homophobia.

Three days before this year's Marche des Fiertes, Hidalgo went to Twitter to declare her initiative to preserve her city's long-held French values.

"Paris is a safe haven that embraces the republican values of liberty, equality, and fraternity. In order for them to fit in its walls forever, the rainbow crosswalks created for Marche Des Fiertes will be permanent," she said in her tweet.

Messages such as "LGBT out of France" and "LGBT Dictator" were spray painted over the sometimes whited-out rainbow crosswalks in Paris' historic Marais district.

Other cities in France and Canada also experienced their fair share of homophobic vandalism throughout the countries, mostly involving rainbow crosswalks similar to Paris.

Hidalgo further bolstered the community's victory in Paris by tweeting a photo of herself taking part in the Pride parade on Saturday.