Rainbow crosswalk outside Pulse nightclub removed overnight

Mother fuckers!

Sorry for not including the article text in the OP, but it's paywalled. Thankfully someone on Reddit copied it and I'll post the text they pasted below:

UPDATED: August 21, 2025 at 10:34 AM ET

“A rainbow crosswalk was removed overnight outside of Pulse nightclub in Orlando, one of the most significant LGBTQ sites in Florida, as state and federal transportation officials aim to wipe “political banners” from public streets.

Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan said the city hadn’t received further directives from the Florida Department of Transportation in recent weeks, after initially receiving notice that the artistic crosswalks were in violation of state and federal guidelines.

Instead, she said, FDOT painted over it overnight. Sheehan said she had just seen the rainbow in place Wednesday.

“We did everything according to state law, everything was compliant,” said Sheehan, the city’s first openly gay elected official. “FDOT never moves that quickly with anything.”

The rainbow was first installed on Esther Street in 2017, a year after 49 were killed and 53 were wounded at Pulse, which was known as an LGBTQ nightclub at the intersection. Esther Street is a city-owned road, and Orange Avenue is controlled by the state.

The removal of the Orlando crosswalk comes after the state had warned cities whose leaders refused to paint over their own rainbow crosswalks that FDOT would do it themselves if they would not comply.”

Just paint it back. That's what I'd keep doing.

I included a non-paywall version of the article below.

Fuck DeSatan and FLORIDUH!! Just paint it back!!

Grow some balls Motherfuckers

not sure about all the local ordinances, but can the city just paint it again? I realize it could just turn into a little round of painting and repainting, but if they're going to be cunts about everything, at least make them work for it. Does state power, legitimate state power, really extend to the color of crosswalks? If it does, maybe there are other ways to fuck with them locally, both right around this crosswalk and at the local DOT office. Get petty with this shit. We may need to bring back the yippies, and street theater, and all that.

The crosswalk is on a city, not state, controlled street and it's been there for eight+ years. Doesn't matter to the party that claims it's for "small and local government". They are in king mode now.

Never forget Hillary had the homophobic father of the shooter sitting vip less than a week after the shooting

Fuck you, R8.

We are now in a civil war for American constitutional democracy, and Little Goebbels Shits such as you are not going to anything but remind the rest of us that your propaganda is just the deceit of the enemy of the facts and the nation.

The city commissioner said that after initially receiving notification that these were in violation of federal and state guidelines, she hadn’t received further directives….but here we are.

Say what, R8?

Unless you were joking ironically, of course, R8!

R9. Give me a break. They knew full well who he was.this was less than week after the shooting and he was all over TV in the aftermath . This rally happened in orlando. Don't be naive .

Thanks for posting that, r9, and stopping the thread from getting derailed by the fool at r8. I'd also add that even if that story had been true, it has nothing to do with this topic. This is about the federal and state governments coming after this memorial crosswalk because it's gay.

So you're saying Hillary painted over the crosswalk r13?

If not, then shut the fuck up and shove your nonsense up your rancid mancunt.

R15, no I'm just pointing out that Hillary's disrespectful actions should never be forgotten or excused

Nor should the medias false representation of the shooter as a repressed gay manm

This thread has nothing to do with Hillary. You want to discuss her, you can create a different thread.

So what should be the response to this thing that just happened r16? This thing done by Republicans in service of a cult? Anything, anything at all, ever? Should there ever be a response to any amount of Trump Cult homophobia, or does that go against your deep and idiotic need to make everything somehow Hillary's fault?

Block R8, and move on. There's no point in responding to freaks.

NBC covering it

The cruelty IS the point.

They never spent federal dollars on this. There's not even a whisper of evidence that anyone did.

Sean Duffy needs to focus on NOT fucking that awful wife of his. Twenty-seven ugly kids is enough!

Update.. People have already showed up during the middle of a work day and painted it in with chalk. Good to see.

This just in: Governor Rhonda declares sidewalk chalk ILLEGAL!

Protest tonight at the memorial as well.

Beyond cruel and totally disrespectful.

This just in: Governor Rhonda declares a state of emergency in Greater Orlando. All protesters are now in violation of curfew, and subject to arrest on felony charges.

Probably prophetic, r27. If not tonight, soon.

Oh, Christ, people -- with all the bullshit going on right now, [bold]this[/bold] is the hill you want to die on?

I live in FL and I'm sick and fucking tired of hearing about the Pulse shooting. And I can tell you right now, if the shooter hadn't been an "A-rab," none of those straight people would have given a fat rat's ass about it.

Next up … rainbow flags, followed by banning “discriminatory” bars designated as gay bars.

But sure - rethugs would never do this.

R29 Spare us your phony MAGA indignation.

And turn this idiot question around on Rhonda and Sean Duffy. With all the problems facing America and Florida right now, why do they care so much about repainting rainbow crosswalks. IS THIS THE HILL THEY WANT TO DIE ON?!?!?!

Sean Duffy is such a POS.

Fuck off, r29. This memorial and irs crossealk mean a lot to the people of Orlando and to many gays in general.

Why SHOULDNT this be a hill to die on? The state of Florida has no business doing this. The federal gov has no business "encouraging" it.

Painting it/chalking it over and over again is a very reasonable reaction to this government overreach.

That's so stupid r29. First of all, you're lying. Mass shootings are such a fucking hobby in this country that nobody talks about any particular one for very long.

And second, if you really wanted to let people stop talking about it, you'd of course be avoiding absolutely any provocative act like this. This will be the first time most of us have thought about the Pulse shooting in years. And of course the people who did this are entirely responsible for that, and you support them in that.

Stop responding to the sick fuck (R29).

FDOT is only responsible SR and State highways. Everything else is City owned and maintained.

Oh, cute, R31. I'm not a MAGA, and BTW, I'm sick and tired of hearing about the WTC anniversaries as well (much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth coming soon to a neighborhood near you!).

Talk about casket dances!! The US is waaaay over the top with this shit -- you know why? [bold]This hardly ever happens here, and we think, as always, that America is somehow "exceptional."[/bold]

Guess what: we're not. And now that Trump is in power, it wouldn't surprise me to see more political violence happening.

Fasten your seatbelts; it's going to be a bumpy night.

Some Heroes Don't Wear Capes

R29 needs a timeout

We get it, r37. You only care about yourself. Kindly shut up and go away.

If you wanted to give the Earth an enema you'd stick the nozzle in Orlando.

Troll another thread, r41

R29 /R37 sorry but your look isn't working for ya hon

Pick another actual city to defend ,R41

r41/r44, that city, which is blue and very gay, is being attacked by the state of Florida at the urging of the Trump administration for having a gay-themed crosswalk that memorializes the slaughter of almost 50 gay people and all you can do is make a dumb remark about the quality of the city. That's why I basically said to fuck off. But enjoy yourself.

R27-Stephen ‘’Goring’’ Miller

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE SHIT IN MY MOUTH!!????!!!

Thank you, R8, for completely derailing a thread and making it all about some bullshit. Fuck you and your wart-addled dark avian hole. May you never know a proper bowel movement again. If you weren’t already a miserable, scum-sucking, piece of shit inside a piece of shit, I’d wish that fit guy. You completely ruined a thread, rather than start your own. Fuck you to hell and when you’re there, may your herpetic gash be loaded with salt and may you be forced to listen to Bjork, Patti Lupone, and Anita Bryant as you writhe in fecal matter and pus. No, seriously, fuck you rancid cunt.

Overjoyed to see Pointless Bitchery is on the comeback trail here at the DL.

I'm surprised Republicans are letting the roads remain black.

Give em time…

Made BBC news. Another embarrassing moment for our country. Of course, under Trump, there's like five such stories a day that make us look terrible. Ugh.

‘’Americans deserve what they get’’

And we're only 8 months in - the fat orange freak and his rethug team is just gettin started...

R29, more importantly, he was a muslim. There are still a few Arab Christians left. Jihad is forever, baby.

R29 has the sickness.

Orlando's Mayor is OUTRAGED!

Home Rule applies only to MAGATS

Where is a trans woman of color with a brick when you need one?

Yes he is and rightfully so, r58

Please tell us how a rainbow crosswalk that leads to a memorial for the senseless mass murder of gays is disrespectful, r57

It’s disrespectful because I find it offensive. You shouldn’t care about anyone but God.

Too many homophobic MAGATS on this thread and on this site altogether.

I fully expect to be FF'ed to oblivoon now.

r57 / r60 What makes you so desperate to just be stupid?

MAGATS are the epitome of stupidity r65. Look who they vote for

They voted for a pedophile because he validates their shitty beliefs.

Thinking about it, it would be pretty cool if in response random people colored every crosswalk in Orlando. Hell, expand it to Florida. Crosswalks near DeSantis home even. That's a good, harmless use of some chalk and paint.

I'm glad they keep colouring it back in. Pretty sure the city will get tired of this before the gays do.

It's the state that erased it, r69. City of Orlando government is solidly gay friendly

This seems deliberately cruel. No matter how you feel about the lifestyle fellow citizens were killed in an awful way.

I just don’t understand these people.

According to Reddit, some people have made rainbow crosswalks with chalk in their driveways and on the sidewalks. Nice to hear

It's been posted& said a million times since 2017 during Dtrump 1st term& will continue thru the 2nd Dtrump's 2nd term.

"CRUELTY IS THE POINT"

Few more updates:

The back and forth is continuing between the state and the locals.

Rain causes issues with the chalk so people have to make sure it's always freshly colored in. Someone used paint but that was removed or it was the wrong type.

Someone, presumably the thugs, has installed a camera by the crosswalk.

911 operators are getting calls from angry MAGAts whenever it's colored in. Some of these are even coming from out of state MAGAts who apparently have nothing to do but watch social media and see when activists color it back in. However, Olando police are not being sent out in response to these calls. Only if someone reported violence or someone hit by a vehicle would they be sent.

For all you ancient Pollyanna kweens on DL. Just take a look at the vile comments on FB posts about this. "Yeah but they only want the Trans". You senile old dolts.

And yet another update, the state painted it black and has highway patrol thugs across the street monitoring it. People showed up anyway to color over the black paint and the thugs did nothing but watch. It's clear those particular thugs don't want to be involved. Unfortunately, there will be some tough guy thug at some point and then shit will start.

Also, overnight state thugs painted over some other colorful crosswalks people had done in protest around the city. As well as a few that were another color not rainbows and not related to this. It's really quite funny because it's basically impossible to stop this activism. How soon before DeSantis tries to ban the sale of chalk or paint

[quote] No matter how you feel about the lifestyle fellow citizens were killed in an awful way.

Sorry, but I can't with these, even if I'm just feeding a troll. But seriously, the lifestyle? The goddamn lifestyle? the fuck decade are you posting from?

The MAGAs are making it worse for themselves, because it's easy to frame their actions as the disrespect of a memorial to slain fellow Americans.

I honestly don't think the state realised the significance when they painted this one in, but now they have to double down to save face.

If they start arresting protestors it'll make the state look heavy handed, homophobic and disrespectful.