Several cities in Florida are now confronted with impending deadlines after being instructed to either remove or paint over rainbow crosswalks, which are vibrantly colored street crossings symbolizing gay rights and LGBTQ pride.
In letters from the state transportation department, communities are being ordered to remove them by early next month.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expressed her indignation on Thursday, stating, “I am outraged by the State of Florida’s decision to forcefully remove Pride crosswalks — symbols of love, support, and unity in our communities.”
She emphasized the significance of these installations by saying, “These vibrant installations are more than paint on pavement. They reflect the values we hold dear in Miami-Dade: respect, appreciation of fellow neighbors, and the fundamental right to live and love openly.”
The alerts to various communities in Florida follow the recent removal of a rainbow-colored crossing commemorating the 2016 tragedy outside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 individuals lost their lives in a shooting. It was painted over by work crews during the night.
This situation has been escalating since July 1 following a directive from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who mandated that U.S. governors have 60 days to identify and address what he described as safety enhancements.
“Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,” Duffy said in a statement at the time.
The Federal Highway Administration stated to The Associated Press on Friday that Duffy “has made every state receiving federal dollars responsible for identifying hazards on their roads.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday amplified those comments, saying on X: “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”
A statement from the Florida Department of Transportation said the agency has a duty “to ensure the safety and consistency of public roadways and transportation systems.”
“That means ensuring our roadways are not utilized for social, political, or ideological interests,” it said.
Efforts to remove the crosswalks are “clearly an anti-LGBTQ push on behalf of both the federal government and the copycat version from the state government,” said Rand Hoch, founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.
“They’re basically blackmailing municipalities, counties and states by saying if you don’t do this, we’re going to withhold funding,” Hoch said. “It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
It is unclear whether other states and communities outside Florida are being ordered to remove rainbow crossings, but Florida is often the vanguard nationwide in fights over what some call the culture wars of politics. Those include battles over the removal of library books deemed inappropriate by DeSantis and other Republicans.
Officials in at least one major city outside the state — Lexington, Kentucky — responded to the federal guidance this week by saying they have no plans to remove their rainbow crosswalks.
“There are no plans to cover them. When we put them in, we were careful to use a design that did not cause traffic concerns,” said Craig Cammack, a city spokesman. “We feel it meets the federal requirements regarding crosswalks.”
In Key West, Florida, state transportation officials said that if pavement markings in its historic downtown aren’t removed by Sept. 3, “the Florida Department of Transportation will remove them by any appropriate method necessary without further notice.” In a letter to Key West’s city manager, federal authorities also threatened the “immediate withholding” of state funds if it finds “additional violations.”
The Aug. 15 letter to Key West leaders said that many local communities in Florida “immediately began undertaking actions to ensure compliance.” It did not specify how many communities have cooperated or what steps they have taken.
In St. Petersburg, city leaders this week requested that five street art projects be spared from removal, saying they fostered a sense of community. They include a rainbow-colored intersection, a Black Lives Matter mural and a University of South Florida-themed crosswalk.
On Friday, St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth Welch said its request was denied, and that it will comply with the state’s order by allowing state crews to remove the artwork.
“While these specific art murals will be removed, the spirit of what makes St. Pete a special place can’t be suppressed by legislative fiat, and we will find meaningful ways to express our shared values,” Welch said in a statement to The Associated Press late Friday.
Miami Beach has been ordered to remove its rainbow crosswalk on Ocean Drive by the first week of September. “We need to resist this action,” Commissioner Alex Fernandez told WSVN-TV. “We need to protect the individuality of our community, the freedom and the safety that our rainbow crosswalk expresses to the world.”
