Multiple Florida cities are now facing deadlines in the coming days after being ordered to paint over or remove so-called rainbow crosswalks, brightly colored street crossings meant to celebrate gay rights and LGBTQ pride.
In letters from the state transportation department, communities are being ordered to remove them by early next month.
“I am outraged by the State of Florida’s decision to forcefully remove Pride crosswalks — symbols of love, support, and unity in our communities,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Thursday (local time).
“These vibrant installations are more than paint on pavement. They reflect the values we hold dear in Miami-Dade: respect, appreciation of fellow neighbors, and the fundamental right to live and love openly,” she said in a statement.
The warnings to communities across Florida come after this week’s removal of a rainbow-colored crossing marking the 2016 massacre outside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were gunned down. It was painted over in the middle of the night by work crews.
