Two Florida cities are standing up to Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ removal of their rainbow crosswalks by painting rainbow colors on two other highly visible public places.
At the start of Pride month, St. Petersburg painted the steps of its city hall in the colors of the Progress Pride flag.
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“Losing the crosswalk was a huge hit to us, so making sure that we pop up more visual signs of inclusion was right in alignment,” said Dr. Byron Green-Calisch, president of the board of directors with St. Pete Pride, according to Bay News 9. “So, the fact we got to see it at the beginning of Pride Month was chef’s kiss.”
City Mayor Ken Welch said, “The Pride steps at City Hall are more than paint on concrete. They are a reflection of St. Petersburg’s values and a reminder that our city is strongest when everyone feels welcome, respected, and seen.”
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Last July 1, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote in a letter directing the nation’s governors to keep all non-freeway intersections and crosswalks “free from distractions.” In a subsequent X post, he said, “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.”
In response, DeSantis signed a law directing the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) “to ensure compliance with FDOT’s uniform system for traffic control devices,” according to a July statement from a department spokesperson. The law effectively bans all pavement art and murals like rainbow crosswalks, regardless of their political message.
The city of Fort Lauderdale also recently installed a rainbow-colored “circle of love” at the Selene condominiums near Sebastian Street Beach, a popular LGBTQ+ beach. The city had been fighting DeSantis’ order in court to keep its rainbow street art, but it relented after his administration threatened to withhold local transportation funding. Because the new rainbow circle is located on private business property, current state law cannot force the business to remove it, WPEC reported.
“We are here today to not only say that we are going to never be erased, but we’re going to find a way to still be able to appreciate and embrace the diversity of our community,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said during the circle’s unveiling earlier this month. “Because if there’s anything that Fort Lauderdale represents, it’s diversity. People from all walks of life should be able to come here.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), who also attended the unveiling, said, “This expression in the circle of love, with the city working with a developer in the city to make sure that there continues to be a very public display of support for equality and the LGBTQ+ community, is remarkable and I’m so proud of them.”
St. Petersburg previously responded to DeSantis’ order by installing rainbow-colored bike racks and blasting a 60-mile-long rainbow laser across its night sky.
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