{"id":39450,"date":"2025-11-09T04:44:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T04:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/39450\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T04:44:46","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T04:44:46","slug":"the-city-of-st-petersburg-is-letting-fdot-remove-its-rainbow-street-mural","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/39450\/","title":{"rendered":"The City of St. Petersburg is letting FDOT remove its rainbow street mural"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"\"<\/a>St. Petersburg, Florida\u2019s Progressive Pride Mural at the\u00a0corner of Central Avenue N and 25th Street S Credit: Photo via Visit St. Pete-Clearwater The Florida Department of Transportation will remove St. Petersburg\u2019s street murals, including its rainbow crosswalk and \u201cBlack History Matters\u201d paintings, city officials announced Friday.<\/p>\n

The move comes a day after the state removed a rainbow crosswalk in Orlando<\/a> honoring lives lost at the former Pulse Nightclub spot.<\/p>\n

In a letter to residents, Mayor Ken Welch said Friday that FDOT denied the city\u2019s request for exemption from its recent mandate banning street murals in conjunction with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter consultation with the City Attorney\u2019s office, and considering the implications of keeping the street art murals in question, we have determined that identified street art murals must be removed under FDOT\u2019s order,\u201d Welch wrote. \u201cCity personnel will not remove this artwork, rather FDOT has indicated that it will exercise its authority to do so in accordance with state law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welch insisted that St. Pete is still committed to celebrating its community in a \u201clawful\u201d way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile these specific art murals will be removed, the spirit of what makes St. Pete a special place can\u2019t be suppressed by legislative fiat, and we will find meaningful ways to express our shared values,\u201d Welch wrote. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Black History Matters street mural outside the Woodson African American Museum of Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida. Credit: Photo via cityofstpete\/Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n

St. Pete City Council heard from protesters last week, urging council members to protect the city\u2019s street art from FDOT\u2014despite the department\u2019s threats to revoke transportation funding. A Council committee was supposed to discuss the issue on Sept. 11.<\/p>\n

Nadine Smith<\/a>, president of St. Pete-based statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Florida, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that those upset by the announcement should focus on Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 \u201cextortion\u201d and \u201cblackmail\u201d of municipalities like St. Pete.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor is continuing his censorship and his government intrusion campaign to erase anything he disagrees with. He\u2019s using taxpayer dollars and the threat of withholding funds that people impacted by hurricanes are going to need,\u201d Smith said.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery city should fight back, not roll over and capitulate. Once those possibilities are exhausted, ensure that whatever is taken is replaced with something equal to or more than what was taken.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

St. Pete Pride president Byron Green-Calisch told WUSF<\/a> that community businesses are ready to combat FDOT\u2019s move with \u201ca fleet\u201d of rainbow signs and storefronts. <\/p>\n

One of those is LGBTQ+ bar Cocktail, which posted Thursday in solidarity with Orlando, saying it will have new rainbow graphics across its building front.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will not stand by and be erased,\u201d Cocktail\u2019s post reads<\/a>. \u201cWe are proud and will not fight quietly.<\/p>\n

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\t Yesterday, Welch told CL that St. Petersburg <\/a>should be prepared for the city\u2019s rainbow crosswalks to be erased, adding that the city will still work towards the values of inclusion, creativity and resilience. <\/p>\n

\u201cTogether with our community, we will continue to find meaningful ways to honor these principles\u2014in every space and through every medium available to us,\u201d Welch added.<\/p>\n

Days before, locals filled city hall<\/a> to urge city council members to save St. Pete\u2019s street murals. <\/p>\n

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\t \u201cOne erasure leads to the next and the next and the next and when we don\u2019t stand up to tyranny, what happens is the most vulnerable pay the price first,\u201d John Gascot, who helped paint the \u201cBlack History Matters\u201d mural outside the Woodson African American Museum, said. \u201cBut make no mistake, it\u2019s going to affect me and you eventually.\u201d <\/p>\n

Terri Lipsey Scott, Director of St. Pete\u2019s Woodson African American Museum struck a more defiant tone in her comment, telling council that FDOT can paint the streets but that it won\u2019t be able to erase the faces she sees every day. \u201cThey can edit the history books, but we will keep telling the truth,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The controversy over Florida\u2019s rainbow crosswalks ignited shortly after St. Petersburg\u2019s big Pride parade weekend, when the Progressive Pride Mural at the\u00a0corner of Central Avenue N and 25th Street S gets a touch up<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tAnd, yes, there is plenty of work to do.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t Data proves that crosswalk murals\u2014not unlike those previously approved by FDOT\u2014actually make streets safer<\/a>. <\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t stop Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy from going on X and writing, \u201cTaxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bLast month, officials in Tampa told CL they know of 47 places with painted streets \u201cincluding multiple crosswalks students help paint for pedestrian safety purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the street murals\u2014the infamous \u2018Bock the Blub\u2019 outside Tampa Police headquarters\u2014was actually painted illegally. The mural, located in front of at 411 N Franklin St., was created on Aug. 1, 2020, at the height of the George Floyd civil rights protests.<\/p>\n

Retired Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan was still leading the force at the time, but retired a year later. Less than a year after hanging up the badge, Dugan told CL that while the folks painting it might\u2019ve had good intentions, it ended up looking like \u201ca first grader\u2019s art project.\u201d
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This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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