As the DeSantis administration continues to erase and cover rainbow crosswalks and other symbols of pride across the state, local businesses and towns are working to replace them.
DeSantis signed a bill earlier this year mandating that “nonstandard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly contribute to traffic safety or control can lead to distractions or misunderstandings, jeopardizing both driver and pedestrian safety.” The mandate followed an announcement from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that rainbow crosswalks and similar art displays on roadways are unsafe.
Local businesses and towns, however, are seeking new ways to honor the LGBTQ+ population. The Advocate reports, “In Delray Beach, where Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration sandblasted an intersection after city officials refused to remove it themselves, City Commissioners this week brainstormed new tributes. According to a local CBS affiliate, that could include establishing an entire Pride Street, putting up murals on a city parking garage, or adding light projects on a water tower.”
“In Orlando, where the DeSantis administration started his battle against street art by blacking out a crosswalk honoring victims of the Pulse shooting and arresting people who chalked colors back in, private businesses have already started replacing the lost rainbows.”
The Advocate also reports, “The Se7enBites restaurant just hosted a ‘Parking Spaces for Pride’ opening 49 spots in its lot, one for each victim of the Pulse shooting, to be painted in tribute instead, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Some spaces ended up with rainbow motifs, while others bear messages like “Color the World Kind.”
“That came after MojoMan Swimwear, an LGBTQ-owned business in Orlando, painted the area in front of its business with a large progress pride flag. ‘I wanted to show my support as a gay business that is gay-owned and operated.'”
“In Sarasota, The Harvest, an LGBTQ-inclusive church, painted rainbow crosswalks on its own private property, according to Patch. That church is led by Pastor Dan Minor, who attended high school with Pulse victim Eddie Sotomayor. ‘I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the first crosswalk they painted over was at the Pulse Memorial,’ he told the outlet. The church, he said, felt compelled to respond to the state action.'”
