Pulse club LGBTQ memorial crosswalk gets re-colored..

[Magical Realist]

Florida governor Ron De Santis authorized the rainbow street crossing near the Pulse LGBTQ nightclub memorializing the 49 victims murdered there to be painted over one night. Claimed politics and ideology have no place on state-maintained property. I didn't know honoring the dead was an "ideology". Looks like the people took the matter into their own hands.

https://www.facebook.com/RiseUpAndResist...1403901853

“The Florida Department of Transportation, in the middle of the night, ripped rainbow colors off of a city street,” said state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who visited the site Thursday morning.

Smith, the first openly gay Hispanic legislator in Florida, noted the rainbow was intended to be “a tribute to 49 mostly LGBTQ people of color who were murdered here in cold blood.”

FDOT didn’t return requests from the Orlando Sentinel for comment.

The governor’s office directed the Sentinel to a post on DeSantis’ X account, which was a response to a tweet about the Orlando crosswalk’s removal. DeSantis stated, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”

Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan said the city initially received notice that its artistic crosswalks were in violation of state and federal guidelines, but had not received further directives from the
Florida Department of Transportation in recent weeks, even as the state pushed other resistant communities to remove their rainbow colors. That had led to hope that its place in the developing Pulse memorial would allow it to remain.

“We did everything according to state law, everything was compliant,” said Sheehan, the city’s first openly gay elected official, who had just seen the rainbow crosswalk in place Wednesday. “FDOT never moves that quickly with anything.”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer confirmed in a statement that the state was responsible for the removal and the city was not notified in advance.

The rainbow was first installed at Esther Street in 2017 on the southern edge of the Pulse site, a year after 49 were killed and 53 were wounded there. The club was known as an LGBTQ haven."

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/08/...overnight/

[Syne]

Honoring the dead can be done with a street side memorial, like everyone else does. Demanding special treatment to deface taxpayer funded property or violate DOT regulated street markings is why people are over the LGBT/woke nonsense.

[Magical Realist]

Nothing wrong with state-funded memorials. Veterans, mexican-americans, native Americans, African-americans, historical figures, and many other groups are regularly honored using state funds. Complaining about a rainbow colored street crossing honoring the memory of murder victims is about as petty and hateful as it gets.


"State-funded memorials refer to monuments, parks, and other commemorative structures established and financially supported by state governments to honor historical events, significant figures, or veterans. These memorials can include statues, plazas, parks, or museums, and are funded through various state government appropriations or specific allocations for public projects.

Examples of State-Funded Memorials

California Mexican-American Veterans Memorial:
.
Also known as El Soldado, this memorial in Sacramento's Capitol Park was established and funded by the state to honor the service and sacrifice of Mexican-Americans in the military.

Oregon World War II Memorial:
.
This memorial in Salem honors the state's citizens who served in World War II and is a public space for remembrance and reflection.

Vermont Civil War Memorial:
.
Located in the Vermont State House, this memorial commemorates the state's role in the Civil War and the soldiers who fought for the Union.

Texas State Cemetery:
.
While a burial ground, the Texas State Cemetery also serves as a memorial site with monuments and markers for important Texans, including a memorial to the Texas Revolution and a memorial to the men of the Texas Navy.

Funding and Development

State Appropriations:
.
State governments typically allocate funds from their annual budgets for the construction, maintenance, and preservation of memorials.

Dedicated Funds:
.
Some states may have specific funds dedicated to memorials, parks, or public art, which are then used to support projects.

Grants and Partnerships:
.
In some instances, state agencies may provide grants to local communities or partner with non-profit organizations to fund memorial projects.

[Syne]

LEARN TO READ.
I didn't say "state-funded," as this was obviously funded by the city, not the state.
I did say taxpayer funded and violating state DOT regulations.

[Magical Realist]

I did say taxpayer funded and violating state DOT regulations

Just out of curiosity, what do you think the cost to taxpayers is for painting a crosswalk in rainbow colors?

[Syne]

State DOT traffic safety regulations are obviously more important than the cost.
What, if it's cheap enough, you can ignore traffic safety regulations?

[Magical Realist]

State DOT traffic safety regulations are obviously more important than the cost.
What, if it's cheap enough, you can ignore traffic safety regulations

Chickenshit backpedaling as usual...
.
"Because the DOT does not regulate all roadway art, communities must check with their local and state authorities for permission before installing asphalt art or rainbow crosswalks.

Florida Example:
.
Recently, the state of Florida has ordered cities to remove rainbow crosswalks, citing safety concerns and a need for uniform roadway markings."

[Syne]

State DOT traffic safety regulations are obviously more important than the cost.
What, if it's cheap enough, you can ignore traffic safety regulations

Chickenshit backpedaling as usual...
.
"Because the DOT does not regulate all roadway art, communities must check with their local and state authorities for permission before installing asphalt art or rainbow crosswalks.

Florida Example:
.
Recently, the state of Florida has ordered cities to remove rainbow crosswalks, citing safety concerns and a need for uniform roadway markings."

Where are you getting that quote?

Recent reports confirm that the state of Florida has ordered municipalities to remove rainbow crosswalks, citing safety concerns and adherence to uniform roadway standards
. The directive from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) bans "surface art" and other markings associated with social, political, or ideological messages, saying they can be distracting and compromise road safety.
Key details of the Florida mandate:

The federal directive: The Florida directive follows guidance from the U.S. Transportation Secretary, who stated that federal funding is for "safety, not political messages or artwork". The Federal Highway Administration holds states accountable for identifying hazards on their roads.
Safety justification: FDOT and federal transportation officials argue that non-standard, brightly colored crosswalks can reduce the visibility of traditional markings, confuse drivers, and create a false sense of security for pedestrians.
- Google AI

As you can see, the FDOT bans "surface art."
And it's not just Pulse:
https://www.fox13news.com/news/fdot-deni...s-roadways
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/l...757187007/


Again, you can't manage to read simple English.
I clearly said "deface taxpayer funded property." Nothing about how much anything costs the state or taxpayers.
But yes, just like removing graffiti, there can be a cost to taxpayers.

[Magical Realist]

"In 2011, the United States Federal Highway Administration advised, without data, that "crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians".[23]

In early September 2019, the city council of Ames, Iowa, cut the ribbon on a rainbow crosswalk. Subsequently, the Federal Highway Administration sent them a letter "requesting" that it be removed. The city council ignored the letter.[24][25]

Since then, the 11th edition of the US Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices discourages bright colors from use within a crosswalk but no longer prohibits them, provided that the colors are not standard for use in other traffic control applications. However, symbols in addition to the rainbow may not be permissible depending on the application."---- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_crossing

I personally have never encountered a rainbow street crossing. But I feel like being brightly colored would only cause drivers to notice it more and not hit crossing pedestrians.

[Syne]

Your feelings are irrelevant.