MIAMI (AP) — A rainbow-colored crosswalk, celebrating the contributions and history of the LGBTQ+ community in Miami Beach, was removed from the renowned Ocean Drive entertainment district, approximately two months following a state order from Florida requiring the removal of all street art statewide.
On Sunday afternoon, Florida Department of Transportation workers began removing the vibrant pavers, just two days after Miami Beach officials were informed of their unsuccessful appeal against the state mandate. By Monday, the intersection was covered in asphalt.
Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez reported that city public works personnel retrieved all the removed paving stones so they could potentially be reused in the future.
“These stones symbolized years of enduring housing discrimination, expulsion from military service, workplace discrimination, the stigma of HIV and AIDS, and the fight for marriage equality—all the significant battles that transformed the LGBTQ community from being marginalized to becoming a celebrated, visible part of the community,” Fernandez remarked.
Designed by the Savino & Miller Design Studio and installed in 2018, the Miami Beach crosswalk was a notable attraction in many tourist guides. It showcased multicolored terrazzo pavers in an Art Deco design, a style with a nearly century-long history in Miami Beach.
Fernandez noted that the crosswalk adhered to federal standards and claimed it is among the safest intersections in the area, recording half as many crashes as the nearest intersection to the south since 2018.
The Department of Transportation under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis had ordered communities to remove the crosswalks and other street art by early last month and threatened to withhold state transportation funding for noncompliance.
Critics say it’s the latest attack on the LGBTQ+ community by the DeSantis administration and Republican-controlled Legislature, including restrictions on gender-affirming care and Florida’s measure commonly referred to as Don’t Say Gay, which bans classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.
DeSantis has previously explained his administration’s rationale: “I think the street art got out of hand. I think it’s much better that we use crosswalks and streets for their intended purpose.”
Not all of the street murals tapped for removal pay tribute to historically marginalized groups. A “Back the Blue” mural outside Tampa police headquarters, was painted over.
Among the first crossings to go was a rainbow one, honoring the victims of the 2016 massacre outside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were killed. Work crews painted it over in the middle of the night in August, angering community members who restored its rainbow colors, only to see a state transportation department crew repaint it black and white.
