About 100 people in Orlando, Florida, protested the recent painting over of a rainbow crosswalk created in memory of the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub tragedy. State crews from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) painted over the crosswalk without notifying city officials, at the behest of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and orders from the current presidential administration.

Local resident Dallas Perdue used chalk to recreate the crosswalk’s colored rectangles, but rain washed the chalk off by Thursday evening. “I was just fixing what shouldn’t have been, y’know, painted over in the first place,” Perdue told WFTV.

Related

Democrat convinces colleagues to stand up to Ron DeSantis’ anti-Pride agenda with impassioned speech

In July, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged governors to remove any political messages, artwork, and markings on intersections not directly related to pedestrian or driver safety. He wrote on social media, “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.”

A local activist told WFTV that the commemorative crosswalk followed all FDOT regulations and rules when it was first installed.

Insights for the LGBTQ+ community

Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

Florida Rep. Randy Fine (R) told the news station, “I think there are appropriate places to memorialize people. I don’t think a public street is the place to promote a woke agenda.” He has previously referred to LGBTQ+ people as “perverts who wish to groom our children” and supported numerous anti-LGBTQ+ bills, according to GLAAD.

Activists told the news station that they would continue to fight for the crosswalk’s restoration to its former rainbow colors.

Gov. DeSantis wrote via X, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.” He has told cities that if they don’t paint over any municipal rainbow crosswalks, FDOT will do it for them. FDOT painted over the Pulse crosswalk during Thursday’s early morning hours.

In June, DeSantis dropped any mention of LGBTQ+ and Latin people from his remarks on the 9th anniversary of the 2016 tragedy.

Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf told the new station, “The cowards threateneď by our lives should feel lucky they didn’t have to bury the ones they love — then watch the state come & bury their memory.”

Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.