ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando artist was inspired by the Florida Department of Transportation painting over the rainbow crosswalk near the former Pulse nightclub.
Allison McIntyre designed a pin — which looks like the crosswalk before it was painted over in August — on Photoshop. It honored the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub attack.
“I think a lot of us felt angry. It’s a really significant memorial piece. It’s about visibility. It’s about honoring people that we’ve lost,” said McIntyre.
She originally ordered 100 pins to sell locally, but the idea got much bigger than she thought. McIntyre sold them all and reordered 1,000 more.
“After the project gained traction, we had almost 500 orders basically overnight,” she explained. “So I realized we were going to need a lot more than 100 pins, which is so exciting, and I’ll keep making more as long as it’s resonating with people.”
McIntyre says she has sold about 600 pins for eight dollars each. The proceeds support The Center Orlando.
“This is a really great way of getting the word out and getting some color out into our world. It’s beautiful,” said CEO George Wallace.
This year, LGBTQ+ groups reported a loss in state and federal funding, including The Center Orlando. Wallace says he’s had to cut down on staffing and close their Kissimmee location.
“It’s been a tough year, so we’re really leaning into the community to help us get through this year and end strong so 2026 we can start again and continue to serve our community,” said Wallace.
McIntyre says she has already totaled up about $1,500 for The Center Orlando, and she is talking to local businesses to get the pins sold in person as well.
She currently sells the pins online. The project has also inspired her to start a nonprofit organization called The Fieldworks Foundation.