08/23/2025
Resist like it’s 1976
Residents in Florida fought back when officials painted over the rainbow colored crosswalk that memorialized the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Refusing to accept the erasure of such a powerful tribute, community members and activists quickly organized to repaint the crosswalk in its original colors. Their effort was both a symbolic act of defiance and a demonstration of solidarity with the LGBTQ community whose grief and resilience the memorial represented.
The original rainbow design had stood as a public acknowledgment of the lives lost in the massacre and as an emblem of inclusivity. Governor Ron DeSantis’s choice to have it removed was widely criticized as part of a pattern of policies that target expressions of q***r identity. By restoring the colors, residents made clear that remembrance belongs to the people and cannot be dictated by political maneuvering.
The battle over the crosswalk underscored the tension between state leadership and grassroots communities determined to preserve both memory and visibility. Through paint and persistence, residents reaffirmed that honoring victims and supporting equality remains a shared duty, even when leaders attempt to diminish or erase such symbols.
