The proposed St. Petersburg Harmony and History flags, designed by Andrea Pawlisz. (Photos via St. Petersburg City Council)<\/p>\n
ST. PETERSBURG | St. Petersburg City Council considered approval for two flags<\/a> recognizing the city\u2019s LGBTQ+ and Black communities Oct. 9, a response to the Florida Department of Transportation<\/a>\u2018s removal of the Progressive Pride and Black History Matters murals.<\/a><\/p>\n The body opted to delay a vote on the flags, which were designed by Tampa Bay artist Andrea Pawlisz<\/a>. The resolution\u2019s sponsor, council member Gina Driscoll<\/a>, said the goal is to assure residents and visitors that the city remains committed to diversity and inclusion.<\/p>\n \u201cAs with most art, these flags and their colors have a meaning to each person that is as unique as we are,\u201d Driscoll said before the vote. \u201cFlags are a reflection of a city\u2019s identity, and these flags will go a step further in representing the people of St. Petersburg \u2014 all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Several council members said they wanted more information about what the GOP-led state could do in response, such as cutting funding or other retaliation, as well as what voters think about the idea. \u201cI do want to see additional conversations,\u201d said council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders<\/a>. \u201cI do want to know what our constituents have to say.\u201d<\/p>\n The debate will continue at a council committee meeting Oct. 23. Driscoll said many people in the city want something done to respond to removal of the street murals.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people I\u2019ve been talking to ever since this mural thing started happening, they want something now. And we\u2019re not giving them anything,\u201d she said, but agreed to the delay. \u201cI think we can get to a good place on this.\u201d<\/p>\n One flag is dubbed \u201cHarmony\u201d and includes the city seal with a rainbow design. The city has long been known as a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people and each year hosts St Pete Pride<\/a> in June, the state\u2019s largest LGBTQ+ Pride celebration, among others like Come OUT St. Pete<\/a> and Winter Pride<\/a>. <\/p>\n Read about these celebrations and more in Watermark Out News\u2019 2025 Tampa Bay Living Out Loud Guide.<\/a><\/p>\n The other flag, dubbed \u201cHistory,\u201d is a nod to the Black experience in St. Petersburg, which was once heavily segregated. In one example, Black police officers for years were prevented from arresting white people north of the Central Avenue boundary that cuts through downtown. A federal judge eventually overturned that practice. Today, it is home to the Woodson African American Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n The flags are a reaction to\u00a0a decision by DeSantis and his administration\u00a0to erase street art around the state<\/a> \u2014 the governor contends many are inappropriate roadway political messages \u2014 including at least five murals in St. Petersburg. <\/p>\n The city council meeting included public comment, welcoming Tampa Bay advocates who spoke in favor of adopting the flags. They included Nathan Bruemmer<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSymbols in cities and communities are crucial because they embody shared values, define collective identity and foster belonging \u2026 acting as powerful and communicative representations of who, as a community, we are, and what we stand for,\u201d he said. \u201cThese symbols transform abstract ideas into meaningful images and help create shared understanding of the community\u2019s history, present and future.\u201d<\/p>\n Pawlisz also spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cI designed and led the team to paint [the Progressive Pride street mural] five years ago \u2026 it was important to me to design these flags when the intersection was censored and erased,\u201d she shared. \u201cOur city is changing, as our country changes, and if we truly want to be called the city of the arts, we need to support artists \u2026 art has power.<\/p>\n \u201cThese two flags are uncomplicated. They\u2019re colors. The History flag has red for bloodshed, black for heritage and green for abundance and hope for the future \u2026 the Harmony flag has red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue or serenity and violet for spirit,\u201d Pawlisz continued. \u201cThe other colors represent people of color and genders. There\u2019s nothing nefarious about any of these colors or the way that they\u2019re arranged on the flag.\u201d<\/p>\n View the City Council meeting here.<\/a><\/p>\n DeSantis spokeswoman Molly Best said Oct. 9 the flags are unnecessary because \u201cwe already have a flag that represents everyone.\u201d She did not specify in an email whether that was the state or U.S. flag, nor whether the governor might challenge the St. Petersburg flags.<\/p>\n The flags would be flown on city property at \u201cappropriate times,\u201d according to Driscoll\u2019s resolution, which would most likely include Pride month in June and Black History Month in February.<\/p>\n \u201cThe city should fly variations on the official flag to represent a shared sense of local identity, fostering a spirit of unity and belonging,\u201d the resolution says. <\/p>\n Sign up for the Watermark Out News eNewsletter<\/a> and follow us for more: \t
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