Florida officials have placed signs warning against “defacing” a crosswalk outside the former Pulse nightclub and begun arresting protesters who chalk over it, just weeks after the state removed the rainbow Pride crosswalk that had commemorated victims of the 2016 massacre.
Framed as part of a broader national crackdown on traffic “distractions” led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Orlando residents fought back by chalking — and even repainting — the bare crosswalk in rainbow colors.
“The Free State of Florida is now trying to ban *sidewalk chalking*,” wrote local investigative reporter Jason Garcia, who was present at the scene, on X.
Orange-and-white reflective signs posted at the crosswalk read “DEFACING SIDEWALK PROHIBITED” and “DEFACING ROADWAY PROHIBITED.” Another, marked “NO IMPEDING TRAFFIC,” drew the attention of one passerby, who added a rainbow “Love Wins” sticker.
In a follow-up post, Garcia shared photos showing as many as seven police cars near the crosswalk, claiming they were all “just on chalk duty.”
Metro Weekly could not independently verify whether all of the officers were assigned solely to monitor the crosswalk.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has already arrested several people protesting the removal of the rainbow crosswalk. On Sunday, August 31, officers arrested Zane Aparicio, Mary Jane East, and Melody Short after observing them using chalk to color the crosswalk.
In arrest reports, FHP cited Florida Statute 316.0775, accusing the trio of “interfering with a traffic control device” and causing damages of more than $1,000.
Attorney Blake Simons represented the protesters at their first court appearances on Monday.
“I find the statute to be overly broad and vague as to what constitutes a traffic control device,” Simons told the judge. “They were exercising their right to free speech.”
The arrests came shortly after the case of Orestes Sebastian Suarez, who was charged with one count of interfering with a traffic control device for rubbing chalk on the bottom of his shoe and walking across the crosswalk with his wife.
“To come here and do something like this, and to be threatened with something so extreme as a felony charge for protesting and showing love to your fellow human, it’s just insane in my opinion,” Suarez told WESH 2.
The following day, a judge dismissed his case, finding “no probable cause” for the arrest.
On social media, some mocked Florida officials for their swift response to keeping the Orlando crosswalk black and white, while others voiced frustration at what they deemed a fruitless endeavor.
“If you have a street with potholes and want a quick fix, paint rainbows around them and FDOT will show up the next day,” wrote one X user.
“florida is a fucking JOKE. We have better things to be worried about than chalk on a sidewalk, this is such a waste of resources. rainbow sidewalks literally do not hurt anyone!!!” wrote another X user.
It remains to be seen whether Florida’s crackdown on crosswalk chalking will continue.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has subpoenaed records from the Kilted Mermaid, a popular Vero Beach restaurant, as part of an investigation into a June 29 "Pride Tea Dance" featuring music, dancing, and drag shows.
Uthmeier's office claims the restaurant allowed "adult, sexualized performers in front of children," allegedly violating Florida's blocked law banning drag shows and other "adult live performances."
Announcing the probe on X, Uthmeier wrote, "In Florida, we don't sacrifice the innocence of children for the perversions of some demented adults." He said his office had subpoenaed Kilted Mermaid owner and Vero Beach Vice Mayor Linda Moore to testify and provide documents related to the event.
Court rules state’s expanded “Don’t Say Gay” provisions are unconstitutionally vague, violating the First Amendment and censoring acclaimed literature.
A federal judge in Florida has struck down major parts of the state's expanded "Don't Say Gay" law, ruling that its book banning provisions violate the First Amendment. Approved in 2023, the law not only restricted classroom discussions of LGBTQ identities but also made it easier for any county resident to demand the removal of books from school libraries.
Under the law, once a complaint was filed schools had five days to pull the contested book from shelves, making it unavailable while under review. Districts were required to set up procedures for handling complaints, but those rules were criticized for favoring would-be censors and sidelining parents who opposed bans.
The former Kentucky clerk -- and anti-LGBTQ culture warrior -- who went to jail rather than issue licenses to same-sex couples is now targeting the landmark 2015 ruling.
A decade after catapulting to right-wing stardom, Kim Davis -- the former Rowan County, Kentucky county clerk who chose jail over issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples -- has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its landmark 2015 decision that legalized marriage equality nationwide.
Represented by the anti-LGBTQ Liberty Counsel, Davis has formally asked the nation’s highest court to strip away the right of same-sex couples to marry.
A Mike Huckabee acolyte and four-time married fundamentalist zealot, Davis rose to fame in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses to any couple -- gay or straight -- after the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision struck down all state-level bans on same-sex marriage, including Kentucky’s. Ordered to comply, she instead spent six days in jail for contempt of court.
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