Delray Beach is removing its rainbow intersection — which the city just spent $5,759 repainting for the beginning of LGBTQ+ Pride month in June.
City Manager Terrence Moore announced removal in a written statement on Wednesday. He said the work “is expected to begin in the coming days.”
Moore said the city had no choice, though he was indirect about the precise reason.
“Like several other communities across Florida, the City of Delray Beach is required to bring the intersection at Northeast 1st Street and Northeast 2nd Avenue — commonly known as the “Pride Intersection” — into compliance with public safety standards, as outlined by the Florida Department of Transportation,” Moore said.
“We understand that this intersection holds deep meaning for many in our LGBTQ+ community and beyond. For many, it is a symbol of pride, visibility, and belonging. While we must adhere to state guidelines, our city remains committed to honoring our values of inclusion, equity, and respect for all,” he said.
The city’s decision is a result of directives from the administrations of President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis to get rid of the street markings that commemorate the LGBTQ+ community.
Trump’s transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, wrote in a July 1 social media post that “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks,” and DeSantis’ transportation secretary, Jared Perdue, wrote a day later that Florida wants to “keep our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies.”
Perdue attached a memo to his social media post that threatened to withhold state money from noncompliant cities.
In the current budget year, the city is set to receive $11.5 million in Florida Department of Transportation grant funds, passed through the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency, Gina Carter, the city’s director of communications, said via email.
The transportation policy comes at a time of a rapidly shifting political environment surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and related issues. Efforts that support diversity, equity and inclusion have been disbanded by federal and state governments.
Many local government officials are nervous about the potential risk of doing something that runs counter to the political winds blowing from Tallahassee. On Tuesday, DeSantis announced the beginning of state efforts to DOGE local governments. Among other things, he said the state would be looking for evidence of spending that promoted DEI.
In April, Delray Beach commissioners debated whether continuing the city-sponsored and -financed Pride festival and concert could attract the attention and ire from the state government. Ultimately, the City Commission maintained the $15,000 for Pride Fest and $15,000 for a Pride concert, both of which were held on June 14.
On June 16, Boynton Beach became the first of three Palm Beach County cities with Pride intersections to act. Boynton painted over its rainbow intersection in black.
West Palm Beach said on June 18 that it would remove its Pride intersection, with work likely beginning in the next 30 days.
Fort Lauderdale hasn’t responded to questions about its plans for a segment of Sebastian Street, between State Road A1A and Seabreeze Boulevard, painted to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
The section of the Fort Lauderdale street near the beach is next to a construction site and has greatly decayed. Barriers nearby make it unlikely that many pedestrians would see the flag painted on the street and covered with tracks and spots of black residue.
The Delray Beach intersection and the Fort Lauderdale street are painted as the progress pride flag, the current symbol for the LGBTQ+ community. Most of it consists of the six rainbow stripes that are a familiar symbol LGBTQ+ pride. It also includes triangular black and brown stripes to represent people of color and baby blue, pink and white stripes to include colors of a transgender flag.
The city spent $16,000 in 2021 to design and install the intersection and apply a non-slip surface. Paint was reapplied a year later for $2,500. Subsequent repaintings, including this year, cost $5,300 to $5,800, Carter said.
The Delray Beach intersection was damaged last month by a pickup truck driver burning tire marks into the paint, the third time it’s been vandalized since it was unveiled in 2021.
Political writer Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
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