Orlando’s mayor has denounced a decision to paint out a rainbow crosswalk outside The Pulse night club, the scene of a brutal 2016 massacre that saw 49 people killed, and an additional 53 wounded.
The decision to remove the rainbow crossing follows on from a demand from the US federal government. Last month the USA’s Secretary of Transport, Sean Duffy, wrote to the governors of all US states ordering them to remove non-traditional crosswalks from their communities.
The rainbow crossing outside The Pulse was part of a memorial to those who lost their lives. Orlando’s mayor Buddy Dyer has described the decision to paint the coloured sections of crossing black as “callous” and a “cruel political act.”
“This crosswalk not only enhanced safety and visibility for the large number of pedestrians visiting the memorial, it also served as a visual reminder of Orlando’s commitment to honor the 49 lives taken,” Dyer said.
State senator Carlos Guilermo Smith, a Democrat, called it’s overnight removal a “cowardly act”.
“They did this in the middle of the night because they were scared of the resistance because they know what they did was wrong,” said Smith, who is gay.
Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis has taken to social media to declare, ““We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”
Following the removal of the crosswalk demostrators voiced their displeasure with the move and used chalk to add back in the colours of the Pride flag that had been painted black over night.
We will NOT be erased. #ShowYourRainbow #ForThe49 #HonorThemWithAction 🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/smRPgumxls
— Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (@CarlosGSmith) August 21, 2025
