Florida’s Department of Transportation has painted over the rainbow crosswalk in Orlando, which was constructed to honour the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.
The removal, carried out overnight without warning, has been widely condemned by Orlando officials as unnecessary and offensive. Many have described it as part of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration’s broader attack on the LGBTQIA+ community.
Buddy Dyer, Orlando Mayor, said he was “devastated” by the decision.
In a statement, he wrote: “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 City of Orlando’s safety crosswalks were all installed in close coordination with the state and adhere to national safety standards. In fact, the crosswalk that is part of the Pulse Memorial was installed by the state.”
Dyer said the crosswalk “not only enhanced safety and visibility for the large number of pedestrians visiting the memorial,” but also served as a visual reminder of Orlando’s commitment to honor the 49 lives taken.
“While the state works to erase the memory of the victims of the Pulse tragedy by painting over the crosswalk,” he continued, “our community’s commitment to honoring the 49, and completing the memorial, will never waver.”
A total of 49 people were killed and 53 were injured in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, making it the deadliest incident in the history of violence against LGBTQIA+ people in the country.
We are devastated to learn that overnight the state painted over the Pulse Memorial crosswalk on Orange Avenue. But we know that while this crosswalk has been removed, Orlando's commitment to honoring the 49 can never be erased. pic.twitter.com/4LdXvLUiom
— Mayor Buddy Dyer (@orlandomayor) August 21, 2025
Carlos Guillermo Smith, who made history as the first openly LGBTQIA+ Latino elected to Florida legislature, posted a video condemning the “disgusting act of betrayal” and “bigoted decision by the state of Florida”.
“I cannot believe that the DeSantis administration has engaged in this hostile act against the city of Orlando,” he continued, “that they have insulted the families and survivors of this horrific tragedy.”
In response to Smith’s video, DeSantis wrote on Twitter/X: “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”
FDOT illegally vandalized + ripped the rainbow colors off of Orlando’s city crosswalk in the middle of the night outside Pulse nightclub.
This crosswalk was painted to honor the lives of 49 angels murdered here, AND to keep pedestrians here safe.
A disgusting act of betrayal. pic.twitter.com/q3wYSa8e9o
— Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (@CarlosGSmith) August 21, 2025
RuPaul’s Drag Race icon Tatianna cut straight to the point with her message to DeSantis: “Vile c**t”.
In June, Florida’s Department of Transportation banned any crosswalk art “associated with social, political, or ideological messages or images” — in other words, anything celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community — unless it’s strictly for traffic control.
Sean Duffy, US Transportation Secretary, sent a letter the following month to governors of all 50 states saying intersections and crosswalks should be “kept free from distractions” and that “taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks”.
“Political banners have no place on public roads,” he added. “I’m reminding recipients of USDOT roadway funding that it’s limited to features advancing safety, and nothing else.”
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