Florida’s Rainbow Crosswalks Threatened by New Trump Directive

LBGTQ+ Pride crosswalks in Florida are at risk of mass removal following a new directive from president Donald Trump. According to PinkNews, Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis confirmed that the Department of Transportation has been ordered by the Trump administration to remove any overt political messaging on public roads. This, evidently, includes rainbow crosswalks, which, for over a decade have been used as public displays of queer ally-ship.

Last week, following this directive, the rainbow crosswalk which memorialized the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting was painted over. The attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida resulted in the death of 49 individuals, and over 50 more were injured at the hands of a targeted hate crime. A rainbow crosswalk was then dedicated to honoring the lives lost that night.

In the wake of uncertainty over the safety and rights of LGBTQ+ people—especially young trans people—everyday there are more moves to erase queer history. These are attacks to the queer community, as unabashed as DeSantis’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

However, the queer community in Florida, as well as other Floridian politicians are fighting back against this directive. After the Pulse nightclub memorial was painted over in the middle of the night, locals used sidewalk chalk to re-create the rainbow.

Additionally, Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava released a statement on the social media platform, X, responding to the painting over of the Pulse Memorial, “Let me be clear: We will not be silenced or erased. I stand proudly with our LGBTQ residents and allies.” Combined with openly gay Florida Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith’s outrage—calling it a cowardly act under the cover of darkness.

In these troubling times, where queer safety is not only neglected, but actively being threatened, it is encouraging to hear citizens and politicians standing up against LGBTQ+ suppression. Hopefully, this clear pushback from politicians will challenge Trump’s directive, and we will be able to ensure the safety of rainbow crosswalks as protected markers. Saying loud and proud: “We’re here, and we’re queer, get used to it!”