Orlando officials denounce removal of rainbow crosswalk near Pulse nightclub mass shooting site

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Orlando officials condemned Thursday the removal of a rainbow-colored crosswalk near the Pulse nightclub, where 49 people were shot dead, overnight, claiming it was part of Democratic Governor Ron DeSantis’ attack on LGBTQ life.

According to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, the state employees’ ruthless and brutal political deed was painting the crosswalk in rainbow hues, which are frequently associated with LGBTQ pride. The 2016 tragedy at the LGBTQ-friendly nightclub was, at the time, the deadliest mass shooting in contemporary American history.

According to Dyer, this crosswalk not only improved safety and visibility for the many pedestrians who visited the monument, but it also acted as a visible reminder of Orlando’s dedication to remembering the 49 lives lost.

Orlando Democrat State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith referred to the overnight removal effort as a cowardly move.

Smith, who is out gay, stated that they did this in the middle of the night because they were afraid of the reaction because they knew what they were doing was wrong.

An email for response from the Florida Department of Transportation was not answered. According to Dyer, the state first erected the rainbow crosswalk in 2017.

In recent months, the state transportation agency has been warning localities throughout Florida that they risk having their transportation funds withheld if they don’t remove crossroads and crosswalks that are rainbow-colored. Cities including Delray Beach, Key West, and St. Petersburg were among those informed. Officials in St. Petersburg requested an exemption for five street art pieces earlier this week, arguing that they foster a strong sense of community. These consist of a crosswalk with a University of South Florida motif, a rainbow-colored intersection, and a Black Lives Matter mural.

In June, Florida Department of Transportation assistant secretary Will Watts sent out a directive that forbade surface art on shoulders, travel lanes, junctions, walkways, and crosswalks. Surface art that does not support traffic control and is linked to social, political, or ideological ideas or imagery was forbidden by the memo.

We will not let the appropriation of our public roadways for political ends, DeSantis declared on social media on Thursday.

On June 12, 2016, 49 people were murdered and 53 injured in the Pulse nightclub shooting, which took place during a Latin night celebration. After a three-hour standoff with police, Omar Mateen, the shooter, who had sworn loyalty to the Islamic State group, was dead. It was the worst mass shooting in the history of the contemporary United States at the time. However, that figure was exceeded the following year when a country music festival in Las Vegas claimed 58 lives and injured over 850 more in a crowd of 22,000 people.

A few locals gathered at the crosswalk and waved rainbow-colored flags when rumors spread that the rainbow colors had been painted over. Some people used chalk to paint on the crosswalk, but an afternoon downpour wiped off their work.

Smith, the congressman, said that the LGBTQ community will not be wiped out at the location of the planned permanent memorial if the state got its way.

Nearby, there will be a rainbow mural that is larger, queerer, and more vibrant than they could have ever dreamed, Smith added.