Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration made the deeply offensive decision last week to paint over the memorial crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando where a gunman opened fire on June 12, 2016. DeSantis’ erasure of the memorial is not merely a disregard for a physical space, but a profound desecration of sacred ground and a grievous affront to the memory of the 49 lives lost and the countless others impacted by the horrific mass shooting targeting the LGBTQ community.
Erasure of the memorial is a profound desecration of sacred ground and a grievous affront to the memory of the 49 lives lost.
Erasing the rainbow crosswalk was not a neutral act of urban planning, but a calculated move that disregards the sanctity of a site forever marked by unimaginable pain and loss. The governor’s decision — and his remarks on social media that, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes,” serve as chilling reminders of the ongoing struggle against those who seek to deny history and diminish the suffering of marginalized communities. It signals a deeply troubling lack of respect for the victims and survivors, as well as for the broader LGBTQ community and its allies who have found solace and strength in this sacred space.
Of course, DeSantis isn’t alone. Florida’s move came after U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy criticized rainbow crosswalks in July, writing on social media, “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.”
We are devastated to learn that overnight the state painted over the Pulse Memorial crosswalk on Orange Avenue. But we know that while this crosswalk has been removed, Orlando's commitment to honoring the 49 can never be erased. pic.twitter.com/4LdXvLUiom
— Mayor Buddy Dyer (@orlandomayor) August 21, 2025
But LGBTQ Americans are taxpayers, too, and the people who assembled this weekend to defiantly chalk the rainbow colors back into the crosswalk rightly signaled to the governor and those who think like him that the LGBTQ community isn’t just going to sit silently and let itself be disregarded.
The memorial outside the nightclub was put in place as a vital testament to the strength, resilience and love of the LGBTQ community and its allies. It is a place of healing, remembrance, and a stark reminder of the ongoing fight against hate and violence. For many, it represents a beacon of hope, a tangible expression of solidarity in the face of unimaginable prejudice.
The crosswalk, with its vibrant colors and symbolic design, was more than just a painted street; it was a public declaration of remembrance, a vibrant symbol of acceptance and a silent promise that the lives lost would never be forgotten. Its destruction is an attempt to silence that promise and to obscure the brutal reality of the hate that fueled the tragedy. It is an act that seeks to erase a visible landmark of LGBTQ history and a symbol of the community’s enduring fight for equality and dignity.
To destroy such a site is to inflict further pain upon a community still grappling with immense grief.
To destroy such a significant site is to deliberately erase history, silence trauma and inflict further pain upon a community still grappling with immense grief. It is an attempt to bury the memory of those who perished and to diminish the impact of the tragedy on countless survivors, family members and friends. Painting over the memorial is a direct assault on the collective memory of the Pulse community. It invalidates the pain of those who lost loved ones and it mocks the resilience of those who survived. It is a callous act that undermines the healing process and reopens wounds that have slowly begun to mend.
This act sends a chilling message that the lives and experiences of those who were targeted by 2016’s mass murderer are expendable and forgettable. It communicates a disturbing lack of empathy and a disregard for the collective memory of a community that has suffered immensely. We demand immediate accountability for this egregious act and call upon all relevant authorities to ensure the respectful and permanent preservation of the memorial. The decision to remove the crosswalk is not an isolated incident; it is part of a broader pattern of actions aimed at marginalizing and attacking the LGBTQ community. This intentional erasure of a memorial serves as a stark warning about the dangers of historical revisionism and the importance of safeguarding spaces that honor victims of hate crimes. This is not just about a crosswalk. It is a demand for recognition, respect, and a commitment to preserving the historical truth of what happened. It is a demand that the voices of those affected by the Pulse tragedy be heard and honored, not silenced. The crosswalk was a visual testament to a horrific event and a symbol of unity in its aftermath. Its removal represents a deliberate attempt to rewrite the narrative, to pretend that the pain and the prejudice did not exist, or at least, that they are not worthy of public acknowledgment. We cannot allow this act of defiance against memory to stand unchallenged. We will not allow this memory to be painted over or covered by asphalt and indifference. We will continue to fight for justice, remembrance, and a world where such a tragedy can never be forgotten or repeated, where the lessons learned from hate are honored, and where the LGBTQ community is treated with the dignity and respect it deserves. We will stand in solidarity with the survivors, the families of the victims, and all those who believe in the power of remembrance to inspire change. The fight for the preservation of the Pulse Nightclub Memorial is a fight for historical truth, for human dignity, and for a future free from hatred and intolerance. The memory of the 49 lives lost will endure, and their legacy will continue to fuel our pursuit of a more just and compassionate world.
Fla. state Sen. Shevrin Jones
Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Florida Senate, represents District 34, which includes communities in the northern portion of Miami-Dade County. 
