Florida vows to remove city’s Pride crossing ‘by any appropriate method necessary’
Florida governor Ron DeSantis. (Getty)
Florida governor Ron DeSantis. (Getty)
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which operates under the leadership of governor Ron DeSantis, has vowed to remove the city’s Pride crossing “by any appropriate method necessary”.
DeSantis, who has waged a war against everything he deems to be “woke” and previously declared that the sunshine state is where diversity initiatives “go to die”, appears intent on advancing his mission to erase LGBTQ+ visibility in Florida.
The city of Delray Beach had voted to maintain the Pride-themed crossing in defiance of DeSantis’ administration, after the city’s vice mayor Rob Long gave a passionate speech. Long also noted that FDOT had failed to issue a formal enforcement letter or make plans to reinstate the intersection elsewhere if it were destroyed.
FDOT has now written to Terrence Moore, Delray Beach’s city manager, demanding that the LGBTQ+ crossing is removed by 3 September or “the Florida Department of Transportation will remove them by any appropriate method necessary without further notice.”
As reported by LGBTQ Nation, the letter added that the state would charge the city for the costs of removal and may withhold state funds if it deans’t comply.
‘Symbols matter’
City manager Moore said in a statement: “Like several other communities across Florida, the city of Delray Beach is required to bring the pride intersection into compliance with public safety standard. This work is expected to begin in the coming days.”
In his bid to see the crossing protected, Long said: “Let’s be honest. We all know this is not about traffic safety. This is political.
“It’s part of the same culture war climate where symbols of inclusion are targeted precisely because they represent acceptance. It’s about erasing the visibility of our LGBTQ+ people at the same time when their rights are again under direct threat.”
He added: “Symbols matter. They tell our residents, visitors, and especially our youth that they are seen, valued, and safe here. Removing our pride intersection without commission consensus and without a plan to preserve that symbol elsewhere sends the wrong message at the wrong time.”
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
