Note: This article contains language some readers might find offensive.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia, is drawing fire for painting Pride flags that include transgender symbols over the crosswalks in historic Old Town Alexandria.

The rainbow crosswalks are permanent, City Council member R. Kirk McPike told a local publication, The Zebra.

“Last June, in response to resident requests, I brought a memo before [the] Council, which my colleagues supported, asking staff to put together a proposal for permanent Pride street artwork,” McPike told The Zebra. “Staff brought a proposal to us last fall, which [the] Council approved, leading to these beautiful new crosswalks.”

He also said in a tweet that the unveiling of the rainbow crosswalks was met with “great media fanfare” and an “exciting drag story time” in which men dressed as women in drag read books and danced for children.

In addition to his role on the Alexandria City Council, McPike serves as chief of staff to a California Democratic congressman, Rep. Mark Takano. McPike is married to a man.

He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Images of the flags prompted strong criticism from users of X, formerly Twitter.

“Every day is difficult, but June is incredibly hard if you are a parent trying to save your child from the clutches of the trans cult,” tweeted Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice.

Writer James Lindsay called the gender ideology-promoting crosswalks “a deliberate provocation,” while activist “Billboard Chris,” who advocates against attempted gender-transition procedures for children, argued that the modern era of LGBTQ promotion will “go down in history as the era when humans adopted a sexual deviance and child mutilation cult as the state religion.”

Republican communications adviser Sophie Delquie called the move a “disgrace.”

“Historic Old Town, Alexandria painted the trans flag on the crosswalks outside City Hall, *permanently*,” she tweeted. “Historic Old Town was founded in 1749, making it older than Washington DC, Georgetown, and Maryland, and is a landmark to our nation’s history. What a disgrace.”

The city of Alexandria kicked off its “Alexandria Pride” activities with a “Pride fair” on June 1 and a “drag story hour” inside City Hall. Images of the drag story hour show toddlers examining a book held by what appears to be a drag queen—a man wearing a wig with makeup on.

“The City offers residents a variety of events and opportunities to celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ (LGBTQ+) Pride Month in June and to recognize LGBTQ+ people and their contributions to Alexandria’s diverse community and the nation,” the city’s website states.

“The Alexandria LGBTQ+ Task Force in partnership with the Alexandria Library, Department of Community and Human Services, and many community partners hosts an annual Alexandria Pride fair,” the website continues. “Previous Fairs have provided information about LGBTQ+ inclusive services in Alexandria, free and confidential health testing and vaccines, LGBTQ+ Family Storytime, art and poetry workshops, music, refreshments and LGBTQ+ Pride swag.”