ORLANDO, Fla. — Local leaders in Orlando are denouncing the state’s removal of a rainbow-painted crosswalk outside the site of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre, calling it a politically motivated attack on the LGBTQ community.
The crosswalk, installed in 2017 to honor the 49 victims of what was then the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, was painted over overnight this week. City officials said they were not notified in advance of the decision.
A Memorial Erased
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer described the move as deeply disrespectful, particularly given the significance of the memorial site to survivors, families, and the LGBTQ community nationwide.
“This callous action of hastily removing part of a memorial to what was at the time our nation’s largest mass shooting, without any supporting safety or discussion, is a cruel political act,” Dyer said in a statement posted on X.
The rainbow crosswalk was designed to meet federal safety standards and was considered not only a tribute but also a visibility feature to improve pedestrian safety around the popular memorial, according to Dyer.
State and Federal Push Against “Asphalt Art”
The removal follows new directives from both the Florida Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation to eliminate crosswalk markings associated with “political or ideological messages.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended the action, saying: “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed that reasoning in a July memo to governors, urging that intersections and crosswalks remain free of distractions. “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks,” Duffy wrote in an X post.
Florida cities including Delray Beach, Key West, and Boynton Beach have also been ordered to remove rainbow intersections by early September.
LGBTQ Leaders and Survivors Speak Out
The move has sparked strong backlash from LGBTQ advocates, survivors of the Pulse shooting, and elected officials. Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, the city’s first openly gay elected official, posted a photo of herself standing near the painted-over crosswalk, writing, “No notification. No due process. So angry. They can’t erase us.”
Florida State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, the state’s first openly LGBTQ Latino lawmaker, called the action a “disgusting act of betrayal.” He accused the DeSantis administration of insulting families and survivors of the tragedy, which occurred nine years ago.
Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the massacre and now a prominent advocate, said the removal compounded the trauma for many in the community.
“In the dark of night, they came to erase our show of solidarity, our declaration that we will never forget,” Wolf wrote on social media.
A Community Commitment
Despite the controversy, Orlando leaders said plans remain in place for a permanent memorial at the Pulse site, expected to be completed by the end of 2027. City officials vowed that the removal of the crosswalk would not diminish their commitment to remembering the victims.
“While this crosswalk has been removed, our community’s commitment to honoring the 49 can never be erased,” Dyer said.
The Pulse shooting on June 12, 2016, was carried out by a gunman who killed 49 people and injured dozens more at the popular LGBTQ nightclub. It stood as the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history until the 2017 Las Vegas massacre.
The crosswalk removal comes as debates intensify across the U.S. about LGBTQ visibility in public spaces and the limits of government authority over memorial expressions.