Cities across Florida have started to remove rainbow crosswalks from their streets, under pressure from state mandates targeting “non-standard surface markings” and “political ideology” on roads and sidewalks.

As a result, street art that has supported and celebrated the LGBTQ+ community for years is being dug up and covered up by officials in places like Gainesville and Orlando , while in other cities the latest pitched battle between local government and what critics see as state overreach has begun.

In Miami Beach and Key West , city officials and commissioners are citing freedom of speech as they fight back — under the threat of losing state transportation dollars. Both have been given September deadlines to take down crosswalks.

“The rainbow crosswalk on Ocean Drive has lon

See Full Page