Pride inspired bike racks // Credit: Facebook, City of St. Petersburg, Florida
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After Governor Ron DeSantis’s order banning street art led to the removal of inclusive murals across the state, St. Petersburg has installed multicolored bike racks where an LGBTQ pride mural used to be.
The city’s LGBTQ+ liaison calls the new bike racks a sign of support for the city’s gay residents.
The bike racks were installed along Central Avenue and 25th Street.
It was the site of the city’s progressive pride mural, one of five murals in the city removed by the state Department of Transportation.
After the removal, the city’s LGBTQ+ Liaison Nathan Bruemmer says city leaders spoke with the city council and community about what they could do.
“The idea came forward, and they were ordered, and they were installed, and it was exciting,” Breummer told WMNF.
Breummer, the city’s first openly transgender liaison, was involved in the painting of the mural and says watching its removal was tough.
But he says the community’s response to the bike racks has been tremendous.
“These little small beacons of hope are things that I think are what make America great, and we should celebrate that,” Bruemmer said.
Breummer says the city is still developing other ideas on how to honor the city’s LGBTQ+ community, and looks forward to its marquee Pride events next year.
“I think there’s even greater acts of resistance that you’re seeing from everyday citizens. You know, we’re just doing the things we need to do here for this city, and hoping it may bring some smiles,” Bruemmer said.