The U-turn sign in a Los Angeles neighborhood was taken down following complaints from the LGBT community, who viewed it as discriminatory and aimed at them. Installed in 1997 due to concerns about gay men seeking dates near popular gay bars, the signs were initially meant to deter cruising in residential areas. Despite the removal of “No Cruising” signs in 2011, the U-turn signs remained until recently. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman was made aware of this discrepancy by a resident who heard about it on a podcast.
“The podcast mentioned that there had been “No Cruising” signs along Hyperion that had been removed in 2011, but that nine signs still remained on Griffith Park Boulevard,” Raman said. “Our very own Silver Lake constituent, Donovan Daughtry, heard the episode, and in May of 2022 he reached out to our Silver Lake Field Deputy at the time.”
Councilman Hugh Soto-Martinez stated that the removal of the U-turn sign was aimed at eradicating any traces of discrimination. In an interview with NBC News, he emphasized that this decision was a necessary progression, especially in light of the increased attacks targeting the LGBTQ community.
“For me, growing up in South Central Los Angeles, cruising had a very different meaning. It usually meant folks in their lowriders or their cars, a lot of hip-hop music, just going up down Crenshaw Boulevard,” Soto-Martinez said. “But here in Silver Lake, cruising, of course, meant something very different. It meant an opportunity for the LGBT community to try to find human connection and intimacy and to be able to express themselves in a society at the time that was not very welcoming to the LGBT community.”
