Florida Officials Erase Pride: Orlando's Rainbow Crosswalk by Pulse Memorial Painted Over

Late Wednesday evening, August 20, 2025, Florida officials rolled in and painted over Orlando’s rainbow crosswalk, the one by the Pulse Memorial. With no warning, just a fresh coat in the middle of the night.

That crosswalk wasn’t just some splashy sidewalk art. It was a tribute to the 49 people murdered in the Pulse nightclub shooting back in 2016. When it happened, it was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Orlando’s mayor, Buddy Dyer, didn’t mince words on social media. Dyer called the move a “cruel political act." He pointed out that the crosswalk wasn’t breaking any rules. It was put in by the state in 2017 and met all the safety guidelines.

Why the sudden erasure? Last month, Trump’s transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, sent out this letter to every state, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The gist of the statement was to keep road markings “consistent” and “free from distractions.”

On July 1, Duffy posted online, taking a shot at rainbow crosswalks everywhere, a symbol used by children, Rainbow Brite dolls, and a symbol of LGBTQ Pride.