TL;DR
- Florida cities face state deadlines to erase rainbow crosswalks and murals or lose funding.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis and the DOT claim roads aren’t for “political messages.”
- LGBTQ activists call it another attack on their community.
- The Pulse Nightclub memorial crosswalk was painted over, sparking outrage.
- Local leaders vow to fight back with new pride displays.
Florida’s War on Rainbow Pride
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida’s streets are turning into battlegrounds—literally. With the state government demanding that rainbow-painted crosswalks and murals be stripped from city roads by early September, local leaders and residents are scrambling to resist what they see as a blatant attack on LGBTQ visibility.
Under orders from Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Department of Transportation, cities risk losing millions in funding if they don’t comply. The crackdown doesn’t just target LGBTQ tributes but also bike lanes painted by kids, police-support murals, and even race-themed street art near Daytona International Speedway. But it’s the rainbow stripes—symbols of queer pride—that have become the flashpoint.
“This is just one more attempt to wipe away our existence as if we don’t even belong here,” said Robert Boo, head of Pride Center Florida. That sentiment was echoed on the streets of Fort Lauderdale, where locals like Jason Osborne vowed that erasing one rainbow will only inspire more: “We’re going to take five steps forward. People are going to paint buildings. People love each other.”
Pulse, Pride, and Pushback
The most heartbreaking removal came in Orlando, where the rainbow crosswalk honoring the 49 lives lost in the 2016 Pulse Nightclub massacre was painted over—first by state crews, then restored by locals, then obliterated again in black and white. For LGBTQ Floridians, the erasure of that tribute felt like a gut punch.
“This isn’t about road safety. It’s about silencing us,” said Rand Hoch of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, calling the move “an anti-LGBTQ push” from both state and federal authorities.
Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez, facing his city’s Sept. 4 deadline, struck a defiant tone: “They can’t strip away our pride and they can’t strip away our values of inclusivity.” He’s pushing for an appeal rather than rolling over.
The Political Theater
The DeSantis administration insists this is about safety and uniformity on state roads. “Roadways are not for political or ideological interests,” the DOT said in a statement. But the timing and targets speak volumes. Florida has long been ground zero for “culture war” battles, from book bans to anti-trans healthcare restrictions. Wiping rainbows off the asphalt is just the latest front.
For local officials, open resistance carries risks. DeSantis has flexed his power to suspend elected leaders who defy him, forcing many cities into compliance. In St. Petersburg, Mayor Kenneth Welch admitted the murals can’t be saved under state orders—but promised that new flags, banners, and public art will rise in their place. “Even more powerful expressions of who we are, expressions that cannot be erased,” he said.
What It Means for the LGBTQ Community
For Florida’s LGBTQ community, the battle over rainbow crosswalks is about far more than paint on pavement. It’s about public visibility in a state where policies are increasingly hostile. These bright splashes of color on city streets tell queer Floridians: you belong here, you are seen. Erasing them sends the opposite message.
But history shows that attempts to erase queer identity usually spark resilience. As Osborne put it: “For every step backward, we’ll take five forward.” That means more rainbows, more art, more unapologetic visibility. Florida’s roads may turn gray, but the fight for pride is about to get louder, bolder, and harder to cover up.