{"id":2477890,"date":"2025-08-23T09:24:01","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T13:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-gives-cities-final-pride-ultimatum-remove-rainbow-crosswalks-or-else\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T09:27:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T13:27:50","slug":"desantis-gives-cities-final-pride-ultimatum-remove-rainbow-crosswalks-or-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-gives-cities-final-pride-ultimatum-remove-rainbow-crosswalks-or-else\/","title":{"rendered":"DeSantis Gives Cities Final &#8216;Pride&#8217; Ultimatum: Remove Rainbow Crosswalks or Else"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdesantis-gives-cities-final-pride-ultimatum-remove-rainbow-crosswalks-or-else%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2477890&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Several cities in Florida have been ordered by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-did-the-louisiana-texas-state-line-close-amid-hurricane-ida\/\" title=\"FACT CHECK: Did The Louisiana-Texas ... Line Close Amid Hurricane Ida?\">state transportation department<\/a> to remove or paint over rainbow crosswalks-colorful street markings symbolizing LGBTQ pride and support-by early September. This directive follows a federal order from U.S.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasizing that roads should prioritize safety and not display political or ideological messages. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has reinforced this stance, stating that state roads will not be used for political purposes. the move has sparked outrage among local leaders and LGBTQ advocates, who view the removal as an anti-LGBTQ action. Some Florida cities, including Miami Beach and Key West, face deadlines with threats of funding withdrawal if they do not comply. Meanwhile, officials in other states, such as Lexington, Kentucky, have declined to remove their rainbow crosswalks, citing safety compliance. The issue is part of broader cultural and political conflicts taking place in Florida and nationwide.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Multiple Florida cities are now facing deadlines in the coming days after being ordered to paint over or remove so-called rainbow crosswalks, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >brightly colored street crossings meant<\/a> to celebrate gay rights and LGBTQ pride.<\/p>\n<p>In letters from the state transportation department, communities are being ordered to remove them by early next month.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am outraged by the State of Florida&rsquo;s decision to forcefully remove Pride crosswalks &mdash; symbols of love, support, and unity in our communities,&rdquo; Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These vibrant installations are more than paint on pavement. They reflect the values we hold dear in Miami-Dade: respect, appreciation of fellow neighbors, and the fundamental right to live and love openly,&rdquo; she said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The warnings to communities across Florida come after this week&rsquo;s removal of a rainbow-colored crossing marking the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lgbtq-orlando-florida-pulse-nightclub-massacre-6a982920a99276e9270740891d879c65\">2016 massacre<\/a> outside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were gunned down. It was <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-lgbtq-pulse-nightclub-desantis-329ebed5d628400afb066d2772c3855a\">painted over in the middle of the night<\/a> by work crews.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>The issue has been simmering since a July 1 directive from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/briefing-room\/us-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-governors-roads-are-safety-not-politics\">who gave U.S. governors 60 days<\/a> to identify what he called safety improvements.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,&rdquo; Duffy said in a statement at the time.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Highway Administration said in a statement Friday to The Associated Press that Duffy &ldquo;has made every state receiving federal dollars responsible for identifying hazards on their roads.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/desantis-announces-trump-taking-trucking-company-hired-immigrant-accused-killing-3-deadly-u-turn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/a> on Thursday amplified those comments, saying on X: &ldquo;We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A statement from the Florida Department of Transportation said the agency has a duty &ldquo;to ensure the safety and consistency of public roadways and transportation systems.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That means ensuring our roadways are not utilized for social, political, or ideological interests,&rdquo; it said.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to remove the crosswalks are &ldquo;clearly an anti-LGBTQ push on behalf of both the federal government and the copycat version from the state government,&rdquo; said Rand Hoch, founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re basically blackmailing municipalities, counties and states by saying if you don&rsquo;t do this, we&rsquo;re going to withhold funding,&rdquo; Hoch said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s absolutely ridiculous.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear whether other states and communities outside Florida are being ordered to remove rainbow crossings, but Florida is often the vanguard nationwide in fights over what some call the culture wars of politics. Those include battles over the removal of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/student-11-confronts-school-board-reading-pornographic-book-library\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">library books deemed inappropriate<\/a> by DeSantis and other Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>Officials in at least one major city outside the state &mdash; Lexington, Kentucky &mdash; responded to the federal guidance this week by saying they have no plans to remove their rainbow crosswalks.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are no plans to cover them. When we put them in, we were careful to use a design that did not cause traffic concerns,&rdquo; said Craig Cammack, a city spokesman. &ldquo;We feel it meets the federal requirements regarding crosswalks.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In Key West, Florida, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/energy-analyst-says-ev-charging-more-expensive-than-gas\/\" title=\"Energy Analyst Says EV Charging More Expensive Than Gas\">state transportation officials<\/a> said that if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-do-these-pictures-show-roads-in-the-congo-before-and-after-ugandan-intervention\/\" title=\"FACT CHECK: Do These Pictures Show ... In The Congo Before And After Ugandan Intervention?\">pavement markings<\/a> in its historic downtown aren&rsquo;t removed by Sept. 3, &ldquo;the Florida Department of Transportation will remove them by any appropriate method necessary without further notice.&rdquo; In a letter to Key West&rsquo;s city manager, federal authorities also threatened the &ldquo;immediate withholding&rdquo; of state funds if it finds &ldquo;additional violations.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Aug. 15 letter to Key West leaders said that many local communities in Florida &ldquo;immediately began undertaking actions to ensure compliance.&rdquo; It did not specify how many communities have cooperated or what steps they have taken.<\/p>\n<p>In St. Petersburg, city leaders this week requested that <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-lgbtq-pulse-nightclub-desantis-329ebed5d628400afb066d2772c3855a\">five street art projects be spared<\/a> from removal, saying they fostered a sense of community. They include a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-where-people-have-been-charged-for-vandalizing-pride-flag-displays-with-tire-marks\/\" title=\"Locations Where Individuals Face Charges for Defacing Pride Flags with Tire Tracks\">rainbow-colored intersection<\/a>, a Black Lives Matter mural and a University of South Florida-themed crosswalk.<\/p>\n<p>Miami Beach has been ordered to remove its rainbow crosswalk on Ocean Drive by the first week of September. &ldquo;We need to resist this action,&rdquo; Commissioner Alex Fernandez told <a href=\"https:\/\/wsvn.com\/news\/local\/miami-dade\/fdot-orders-miami-beach-to-remove-rainbow-crosswalk-on-ocean-drive-some-city-commissioners-plan-to-appeal\/\">WSVN-TV<\/a>. &ldquo;We need to protect the individuality of our community, the freedom and the safety that our rainbow crosswalk expresses to the world.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several cities in Florida have been given deadlines to remove or paint over rainbow crosswalks-colorful street markings celebrating LGBTQ pride and gay rights. The state transportation department has sent letters requiring these communities to take down the crossings by early next month. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expressed strong disapproval, calling the removal of these symbols of love, support, and unity &#8220;outrageous&#8221; and emphasizing that they represent important community values such as respect and the right to live openly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2477891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0c43418ae098407a8a569de147279544-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4980,5331,5894,56673,61834],"class_list":["post-2477890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-desantis","tag-lgbtq","tag-politics","tag-pride-2","tag-rainbow-crosswalks"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0c43418ae098407a8a569de147279544-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2477890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2477890"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2477890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2477894,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2477890\/revisions\/2477894"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2477891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2477890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2477890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2477890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}