The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) paved over Orlando’s rainbow crosswalk honoring the 49 Pulse nightclub murder victims Wednesday night with no advance warning, blindsiding local officials.
“We are devastated to learn that overnight the state painted over the Pulse Memorial crosswalk on Orange Avenue,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a statement. “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 data or discussion, is a cruel political act.”
The crosswalk had been a tribute to the people killed in the 2016 mass shooting at the LGBTQ+ club.
“But we know that while this crosswalk has been removed, Orlando’s commitment to honoring the 49 can never be erased,” Dyer said.
The removal happened quickly. Just Tuesday, a city spokeswoman told Florida Politics that Orlando had not received any directives from FDOT on the crosswalk as Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to target LGBTQ-friendly rainbows on the roads.
Several Democrats representing Central Florida decried the move, calling it cruel to destroy the tribute to the murder victims.
“I cannot believe that the DeSantis administration has engaged in this hostile act against the city of Orlando. that they have insulted the families and survivors of this horrific tragedy,” said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith who accused the state of illegally vandalizing the crosswalk. “Of course they did this in the middle of the night because they knew what they were doing was wrong.”
Guillermo Smith said on X he hopes the city paints the colors back and sues the state.
The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its next steps, if any.
“It was never a political statement,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani on X. “But what is political, what is authoritative, and what is disrespectful to the 49 lives murdered and our entire community, is sneaking into the city in the middle of the night to literally erase a rainbow crosswalk that was originally established with FDOT approval!”
Officials also argued the bright crosswalks are important for pedestrian safety, to increase visibility for drivers.
The state is warning other Florida cities to remove their rainbow crosswalks.
“As required by state law, if the pavement markings are not removed by September 3, 2025, the Florida Department of Transportation will remove them by any appropriate method necessary without further notice,” FDOT wrote in letters to Delray Beach and Key West, the Advocate reported.
FDOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday on why it removed Orlando’s crosswalk painting.
The Pulse nightclub, though shuttered, still stands as the city prepares to build a permanent memorial in what’s been a long and troubled process. Every Summer, hundreds of runners and walkers go past the site as part of an annual race as the city remembers the lives lost.
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