Following a federal directive to remove “political” or “non-uniform” road art, the Florida Department of Transportation painted over Delray Beach’s pride-themed intersection. This crosswalk is the most recent of several state-wide pavement markings to be painted over.
The removal follows a series of anti-LGBTQ+ reforms by Governor Ron Desantis in tandem with President Donald Trump. Three weeks ago, an Orlando rainbow crosswalk was painted over by FDOT officials in the late hours of Aug. 21.
The FDOT said its primary goal was to ensure “roadways are not utilized for social, political or ideological interests” as part of an overall initiative “to ensure the safety and consistency of public roadways and transportation systems.”
The Orlando crosswalk, created in 2017, honored the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting that resulted in 49 fatalities and 53 injuries.
“This callous action of hastily removing part of a memorial to what was at the time our nation’s largest mass shooting, without any supporting safety data or discussion, is a cruel political act,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in a social media statement. “While this crosswalk has been removed, our community’s commitment to honoring the 49 can never be erased.”
Athena Pacanins, a senior studying modern artist development and entrepreneurship at UM, is a Miami native who emphasized the importance of the crosswalk art for the greater queer community. Pacanins identifies as bisexual and voiced that the removal of these crosswalks feels like “going backwards.”
Many Orlando residents agreed; the following day, members of Florida’s queer community gathered to “re-paint” the memorial with colored chalk and continued to “repaint” each time the rain washed their efforts away. Using black paint, transportation officials repainted the crosswalk on Aug. 25. Additionally, Orlando police are now patrolling the scene.
“Queer people will never be erased, no matter how hard you try,” said Pacanins. “If you start a fight, expect to be met with an even bigger fight.”