The colors of pride disappeared from Ocean Drive Sunday evening as crews from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) began tearing up Miami Beach’s iconic rainbow crosswalk — a symbol long celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community. Shortly after 6 PM, the Miami Herald observed workers using an excavator and sledgehammer to remove the vibrant pavers at 12th Street and Ocean Drive, steps from Twist, one of South Beach’s most famous gay bars. A crowd quickly gathered — beachgoers, residents, and drag performers — watching in disbelief as the colors of the crosswalk vanished.
The removal comes under FDOT’s directive ordering cities like Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Key West to eliminate pavement art “associated with social, political, or ideological messages,” or risk losing state funding. Drag performer CC Glitzer was getting ready for a show at Palace Bar & Restaurant along with Akasha O’Hara Lords and TP Lords, when they heard about the crosswalk.
CC Glitzer said, “It’s very emotional to see that our people and our pride is getting erased just like that. It’s very painful.” Together, these queens protested the action, chanting “Miami Beach Forever Proud.”
City Commissioner Alex Fernandez condemned the unannounced action, saying, “Why waste so many resources, so much taxpayer dollars to remove something that is safe, that is beautiful, that is iconic, that is embraced by everyone?”
On Facebook, Fernandez wrote that FDOT’s ruling “runs contrary to the fact that our rainbow crosswalk has proven to be among the safest on Ocean Drive” and called it heartbreaking for a city that is a symbol of diversity, inclusion, and equality.
Local residents called the removal appalling. As the dust settled, community members vowed to repaint the rainbow.
