Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub

Rainbow crosswalk outside former Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that was painted over by Florida transportation workers

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he 'will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes'

(Image credit: Todd Stewart / Willie J. Allen Jr. / Orlando Sentinel / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

What happened

Officials in Orlando Thursday criticized Florida's state government for painting over a rainbow-colored crosswalk outside Pulse, the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were shot dead in 2016. The Florida Department of Transportation did not comment on the overnight paint job but Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said on social media that he "will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes."

Who said what

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (D) said the Florida transportation department installed the rainbow crosswalk in 2017, and it was a "callous" and "cruel political act" to "hastily" repaint it with no warning or discussion. The crosswalk "not only enhanced safety and visibility" for people visiting the Pulse memorial, he said, it "also served as a visual reminder of Orlando's commitment to honor the 49 lives taken."

The overnight "clandestine repainting" was apparently part of a push by state and federal transportation officials to "wipe 'political banners' from public roadways," the Orlando Sentinel said. After Florida warned cities to erase political or ideological "surface art," U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy nationalized that effort with a "safety initiative" in July. "Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks," he said on social media.

What next?

Orlando officials said they didn't believe the city "has the authority to paint back the rainbow," the Sentinel said. Some residents who gathered outside Pulse Thursday to criticize the rainbow's removal "colored in the crosswalk with chalk," The Associated Press said, "but their efforts were washed away by an afternoon rainstorm."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.