The Gainesville City Commission voted to remove three rainbow crosswalks at an Aug. 7 meeting.
The crosswalks, located near the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and the Hippodrome Theatre, were first painted six years ago to showcase LGBTQ+ pride.
The commission’s unanimous decision comes after an order from the Florida Department of Transportation to remove the art.
The FDOT’s June 30 memo argued the crosswalks could "jeopardize driver and pedestrian safety.” The order stated that if the city didn’t comply, its federal and state transportation funding would be withheld.
The three crosswalks were originally painted in 2019 with materials donated by the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida.
The rainbow sidewalks aren’t the only markings that will be removed. Gainesville’s green bike lane markings will also be removed.
The FDOT’s Florida Greenbook states surface art on traffic control devices is prohibited unless it directly supports public safety. The rule wasn’t in place when Gainesville installed the crosswalks.
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said the city’s hands are tied, and resisting the state isn’t realistic.
“It’s very clear what they’re looking for here; there is no doubt in my mind,” Ward said. “We don’t have a separate pot of money that we can use for transportation.”
He felt it was “absurd” the city was asked to do this, he said, but he hopes the community understands why. He wants direction from the community on how to reaffirm support for Gainesville’s LGBTQ+ community, he added.
Brian Singleton, the special advisor to the city manager, said there weren’t many ways the city could avoid the removal.
“I don’t see any flexibility in this particular situation, the way these manuals are prepared, there are standards,” Singleton said. “We must comply with them.”
Gainesville residents attended the meeting, offering alternative ideas for relocating the artwork during public comment.
Dex Lewis, a director of the Pride Community Center, said the organization previously assured queer youth that it’d continue to get better, but the words feel “hollow” following the city commission’s decision, Lewis said.
“We are living under a system that wants to erase us, and it’s hard to sit with that,” Lewis said.
Kim Popejoy, a 72-year-old Gainesville resident, said the decision is an opportunity for the city to reach out to advocacy groups and work with local governments across the state.
“It’s not just Gainesville they’re going after,” Popejoy said. “Start building a source of support that is beyond just each individual citizen or community.”
In response to the decision, the city passed a motion to rename Gainesville’s First Street to Terry Fleming Street.
Terry Fleming was a well-known LGBTQ+ activist and one of the founders of the Pride Community Center. He was involved in the initial painting of the crosswalks. Fleming died in 2020 at the age of 58.
The commission voted for staff to propose different art installations in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Brick removal will begin by Aug. 15.
The next city commission meeting is Aug. 21.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @logandmcbride.
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and the Summer 2025 city commission reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
