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Duncan Grant

(8,794 posts)
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 04:56 PM Thursday

Rainbow crosswalk outside Florida Pulse nightclub where 49 LGBT+ people were killed is removed...

I wanted to make sure this was documented in this forum. -DG

Rainbow crosswalk outside Florida Pulse nightclub where 49 LGBT+ people were killed is removed overnight on Trump’s orders

A rainbow-painted crosswalk on Orange Avenue was paved over in the early morning hours on Thursday, blindsiding state and local officials, LGBT+ advocates and Pulse survivors…

“We are devastated to learn that overnight the state painted over the Pulse Memorial crosswalk on Orange Avenue,” 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…”

Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani, whose district includes the Orlando area, said the crosswalk “was never a political statement, and caring about people of all backgrounds is not meant to be a political statement.”

“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 [Florida’s] approval!” she wrote.
17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Rainbow crosswalk outside Florida Pulse nightclub where 49 LGBT+ people were killed is removed... (Original Post) Duncan Grant Thursday OP
extreme disrespect Skittles Thursday #1
One paragraph says it was paved over... Mark.b2 Thursday #2
Painted over last night. No plans to repaint it. Duncan Grant Thursday #4
Nasty, mean minded cowards. Irish_Dem Thursday #3
Trump ordered its removal. sop Thursday #5
Related: Black Lives Matter plaza removed in D.C., March 2025 Duncan Grant Thursday #6
That is cruel and sick... Figarosmom Thursday #7
So...what would happen... jmowreader Thursday #8
Did Governor Go Go Boots get offended? Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Thursday #9
This message was self-deleted by its author aggiesal Thursday #10
The state has the authority to change local streets? ... aggiesal Thursday #11
Let's do both? Duncan Grant Thursday #13
That's why I mentioned ... aggiesal Thursday #14
Bastards. LoisB Thursday #12
Seems like an infringement on Free Speech BlueHurricane Friday #15
Some wonderful people chalked it back in. scipan Friday #16
That's encouraging - thanks! (nt) Duncan Grant Friday #17

Mark.b2

(612 posts)
2. One paragraph says it was paved over...
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 05:06 PM
Thursday

And the quote says it was painted over.

If it was paved over only last night, perhaps they havent had a chance to repaint yet?

Either way, it needs to be replaced.

Duncan Grant

(8,794 posts)
4. Painted over last night. No plans to repaint it.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 05:12 PM
Thursday

Florida is the “Don’t Say Gay” state. There’s no benevolent oopsies happening here.

Irish_Dem

(73,298 posts)
3. Nasty, mean minded cowards.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 05:12 PM
Thursday

Sneaking around in the dead of night to do their evil deeds.

Hated is their only creed.

sop

(15,624 posts)
5. Trump ordered its removal.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 05:14 PM
Thursday

(From the link) "Under instructions from Donald Trump’s administration, Florida officials have painted over a rainbow crosswalk in Orlando serving as a memorial to 49 people who were murdered in the deadliest attack against LGBT+ people in U.S. history."

"In a letter to governors last month, Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy instructed states to 'eliminate distractions' on public roads...'Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks,' he wrote on X at the time. 'Political banners have no place on public roads. I’m reminding recipients of [Department of Transportation] roadway funding that it’s limited to features advancing safety, and nothing else. It’s that simple.' "

"Governor Ron DeSantis — whose administration has approved naming roads after Trump and the late right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh — said 'we will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.' "

Duncan Grant

(8,794 posts)
6. Related: Black Lives Matter plaza removed in D.C., March 2025
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 05:26 PM
Thursday

Not to get too far off-topic, but right-wing extremists are sending marginalized people powerful messages — all the time. Pulse just happens to target lgbtq+ people and the victims of a domestic terrorist. It’s as if they want to erase history or to hide it. Not that anyone here is surprised, right?

‘More than brick and mortar:' DC begins removing ‘Black Lives Matter’ plaza near the White House

Edit: Another recent example pertinent to queer people, “Hegseth orders the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk scrubbed from Navy ship”.

jmowreader

(52,611 posts)
8. So...what would happen...
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 07:08 PM
Thursday

...if, say, six people each armed with a paintbrush and a gallon of paint in the appropriate color went to the Pulse memorial at two in the morning and put it back?

Response to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Reply #9)

aggiesal

(10,261 posts)
11. The state has the authority to change local streets? ...
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 07:31 PM
Thursday

Every time the state does this, just paint over it.
Annoy the living crap out of them.
Don't get upset, that's what they want. Just paint over it, then flip them off.

Duncan Grant

(8,794 posts)
13. Let's do both?
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 08:56 PM
Thursday

I think it’s good to be upset, to shrug it off trivializes the murdered, imho. So, let’s be upset, but your suggestion is a good one. Some sort of repeated, discreet, subversive response would be appropriate.

BlueHurricane

(56 posts)
15. Seems like an infringement on Free Speech
Fri Aug 22, 2025, 11:31 AM
Friday

I can’t stand this Regime’s attacks on what seems to me should be protected “speech”. Besides this being a disgusting attack on Americans who were murdered and their community and loved ones. There appears to be no low too low for Republican politicians.

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