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4w ago

Florida Paints Over Pulse Memorial Rainbow Crosswalk Overnight

The action followed new federal directives plus Florida rules to strip roadway art, a policy Orlando leaders argue conflicts with the memorial’s state‑approved, safety‑compliant design.

Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith helps Dallas Perdew color the sidewalk with chalk she brought to bring color back to the intersection in Orlando, Fla., Thursday.
Image
In a photo from 2021, the crosswalk painted in Pride colors in front of the of the onePULSE Foundation's Pulse Interim Memorial, honoring victims of the nightclub shooting.
A rainbow crosswalk is installed on West Esther Street next to Pulse Nightclub on Oct. 11, 2017, in Orlando, Fla.

Overview

  • FDOT crews repainted the Esther Street crossing at the Pulse site before dawn Thursday, replacing the rainbow design with standard black‑and‑white striping.
  • Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer condemned the move as a "cruel political act" and noted the crosswalk was installed by the state in 2017 as part of the memorial.
  • Gov. Ron DeSantis defended the decision, while a July letter from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and a June FDOT memo directed the removal of roadway artwork and "political messages."
  • Volunteers quickly used sidewalk chalk to restore rainbow colors at the site, and local officials signaled potential legal or creative responses.
  • Other Florida cities, including Key West and Delray Beach, have been ordered to remove similar crosswalks by Sept. 3, even as research cited by opponents finds no clear safety risk from painted street treatments.