Florida NOW

For Immediate Release: August 23, 2025 by President Julie Kent, Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) president@flnow.org

FL NOW Denounces Overnight Removal of Rainbow Walkways Across Florida

Orlando, FL — In a sweeping and deeply disturbing move, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), under directives aligned with the Trump administration’s SAFER ROADS initiative, has painted over rainbow crosswalks across the state—including the memorial walkway outside the Pulse nightclub, where 49 lives were taken in one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

The removal was carried out in the middle of the night, without public notice, safety data, or consultation with local officials. The Pulse Memorial crosswalk, installed in 2017, was not only a tribute to LGBTQ+ lives lost—it was a federally compliant safety feature designed to enhance pedestrian visibility in a high-traffic areas.

“This is more than vandalism—it’s a calculated act of erasure,” said Julie Kent, President FL NOW. “By removing these walkways, the state is endangering pedestrians, undermining public safety, and desecrating sacred spaces of remembrance.”

Safety and Visibility at Risk

• The Pulse crosswalk was installed in coordination with FDOT and met national safety standards.
• Rainbow walkways increase pedestrian visibility, especially in high-traffic or memorial zones.
• FDOT’s own memo acknowledges that “surface art” can enhance safety—but now labels it “non-compliant” if tied to social or political meaning.

Erasure of LGBTQ+ History

• The Pulse Memorial crosswalk honored victims—predominantly LGBTQ+ people of color—and symbolized resilience.
• Its removal coincides with broader efforts to suppress DEI initiatives, LGBTQ+ visibility, and historical truth.
• Gov. DeSantis omitted LGBTQ+ references in this year’s Pulse Remembrance Day proclamation.

FL NOW Demands:

• Immediate restoration of the Pulse Memorial crosswalk and the others removed statewide.
• Public release of FDOT’s safety data and decision-making process.
• Protection of memorial spaces from political interference.

“Our communities deserve safe streets and honest history,” said Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW.  “We will not allow the state to weaponize transportation policy to compromise safety and erase lives, identities, and truth. We will rally against making the LGBTQ+ and Marginalized communities invisible.”

For Immediate Release: August 20, 2025

President Julie Kent, Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW)

Orlando, FL — The Florida Chapter of the National Organization for Women (FL NOW) celebrates a major victory for intellectual freedom and youth rights following Judge Carlos Mendoza’s ruling that declared key provisions of Florida’s book ban law (HB 1069) unconstitutional.

“This ruling is a resounding affirmation of our First Amendment rights and a rejection of politically motivated censorship,” said Julie Kent, FL NOW President. “Florida’s attempt to erase diverse voices—especially those of women, LGBTQ+ authors, and communities of color—was not just wrong, it was illegal.”

HB 1069 led to the removal of hundreds of books from school libraries, including Beloved, The Bluest Eye, The Handmaid’s Tale, and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. The law allowed books to be pulled based on vague claims of “sexual conduct,” without regard for literary or educational value. Judge Mendoza ruled that this approach violated constitutional standards, including the Miller Test for obscenity.

“FL NOW has long opposed HB 1069 as part of a broader campaign against authoritarian attacks on education, reproductive rights, and gender equity in Florida. It was negiligent and cruel to remove books related to the LGBTQ+ community. This is about more than books,” said Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW. “It’s about the right of young people to see themselves reflected in literature, to learn history honestly, and to think critically.”

We call on the Florida Department of Education and local school districts to immediately restore banned titles and halt further censorship. We also urge lawmakers to stop weaponizing parental fear and start investing in inclusive, evidence-based education. We demand an unwashed American history that includes the American history of people of color.

📚 Freedom to read is freedom to think. FL NOW will continue fighting for both.

Media Contact: Debbie Deland, vp@flnow.org, 407 234-6408

 

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