US EditionOrlando officials denounce removal of rainbow crosswalk near Pulse nightclub mass shooting site
The Florida Department of Transportation removed the rainbow crosswalk honoring 49 Pulse nightclub victims, citing compliance with traffic safety standards and a directive against political messages on roads.
- Florida Department of Transportation crews painted over the Pulse nightclub memorial rainbow crosswalk on Orange Avenue overnight on August 21, 2025, removing a tribute to the 49 victims of the 2016 massacre.
- Last month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged governors to remove distracting road art, and earlier this year Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1662 to enforce uniform pavement markings.
- Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer condemned the removal, saying, `We are devastated to learn that overnight the state painted over the Pulse memorial crosswalk on Orange Avenue,` while State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith called it illegal vandalism and criticized the midnight action.
- FDOT told cities it would act if they failed to comply, telling Delray Beach it would `remove them by any appropriate method necessary`; Orlando residents responded by reapplying colors and protesting with chalk.
- Critics of Florida policy argue the crosswalk removal reflects a broader stance on LGBTQ issues amid a culture-war push, while City of Orlando proceeds with permanent Pulse memorial construction expected next year; Key West city commissioners recently voted to keep their rainbow intersection.
113 Articles
113 Articles
Rainbow crosswalk outside of Pulse nightclub removed
The state of Florida painted over a rainbow crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, which commemorated the 49 people killed at the nightclub in 2016. The removal comes during campaigns by the state and Trump administration to paint over “asphalt art.” The dual directives are calling this a safety measure to make roads easier to navigate without distractions.
Orlando Citizens Defy DeSantis, Re-Color Pulse Memorial Sidewalk In Rainbow Colors
Orange County DemocratsErin In The Morning is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber.In July, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a letter to governors in all 50 states calling for the removal of Pride crosswalks. Within days, the Florida Department of Transportation followed suit, sending out a memo declaring that any crosswalks bearing “social, political, or ideological m…
LGBTQ+ advocates condemn rainbow crosswalk removal near Pulse nightclub
LGBTQ+ rights advocates and local leaders are condemning the overnight removal of a rainbow-painted crosswalk outside Pulse nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were killed by a gunman in 2016. Officials erased the crosswalk, painted in honor of the victims on the one-year anniversary, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state's Department of Transportation issued a statewide directive. Now, the removal is sparking outrage among residents a…
In Florida, a 'Hostile Act' at Memorial for Pulse Victims
Florida's Department of Transportation has painted over a rainbow crosswalk in Orlando that had served as a tribute to the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. The crosswalk was a prominent feature near the site where 49 people were killed in what was the nation's deadliest mass shooting at...
Erasure of Rainbow Memorial for Pulse Shooting Victims Raises Alarm in Florida
The Orange Avenue crossing before and after it was paved over (image courtesy Office of Mayor Buddy Dyer) Orlando residents and Florida public officials are decrying the state’s removal of a rainbow crosswalk memorial honoring the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. Late Wednesday evening, August 20, state officials reportedly paved over a multicolored street crossing on Orange Avenue that stood for nearly a decade as a tribute to the…
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