The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) painted over the same Orlando Pride crosswalk a second time on Sunday morning after protestors restored the rainbow colors to the road. At first, protestors had only used chalk, but when rain washed it away, they turned to paint. Police are now monitoring the site, which was originally established to honor the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub tragedy. Related Delray Beach to defy Ron DeSantis & fight to keep its Pride crosswalk But the FDOTs move didnt stop protestors from returning on Sunday to again chalk the crosswalk as four highway patrol vehicles and three police cars surveilled, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. Its silly, said state Rep. Anna Eskamani (D). The amount of money and time being spent by the state on a crosswalk when theres so many better uses for it to fix potholes, for example. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Youre creating controversy over a sidewalk, she added. No one cared about it before you made it a deal.Eskamani has been outspoken against the Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) administrations obsession with covering Pride crosswalks across the state. She said people all over the world have sent her boxes of chalk in support.Robby Dodd, who lost friends in the Pulse tragedy, showed up with chalk on Sunday morning and called the police presence ridiculous. It feels weird because there could be anything else they could be doing right now other than watching us color. I mean, its chalk, itll wash away, and we understand that too, but meanwhile, taxpayer dollars are putting state troopers and OPD out here. Last week, FDOT painted over the crosswalk in the dead of night without notifying city officials after repeatedly ordering municipalities across the state to remove their Pride intersections or face financial consequences. In July, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged governors to remove any political messages, artwork, and markings on intersections not directly related to pedestrian or driver safety. He wrote on social media, Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.GOP officials claim the crosswalks distract drivers, but data says otherwise.The Bloomberg Philanthropies 2022 Asphalt Art Safety Study found that crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists drop 50% at painted intersections. It also reported a 25% decrease in conflicts between drivers and pedestrians, a 27% increase in drivers immediately yielding to pedestrians, and a 38% decrease in pedestrians crossing when the walk signal was not lit at intersections involving public art. The data also revealed that injuries resulting from crashes drop 37% in painted intersections. Nevertheless, cities across Florida are grappling with the mounting pressure to remove their Pride crosswalks. Two were removed by Gainesville city officials this week, and in July, Boynton Beach officials did the same to its once colorful intersection at East Ocean Avenue and Southeast First Street.But some cities are fighting back. Delray Beach continues to resist the DeSantis administrations efforts to remove its Pride crosswalk, most recently announcing they would fight the directive in a state administration hearing on September 2. My guess is were gonna lose, Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney, an attorney,toldGwen Filosa Media Key West. Maybe well win, so who knows. Lets give it a shot.Lets be honest. We all know this is not about traffic safety. This is political, Vice Mayor Rob Long told fellow commissioners when encouraging them to resist. Its part of the same culture war climate where symbols of inclusion are targeted precisely because they represent acceptance. Its about erasing the visibility of our LGBTQ+ people at the same time when their rights are again under direct threat.Florida Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue confirmed the true motivation behind the campaign to remove the crosswalk art while praisinga lawsigned by DeSantisbanning nonstandard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly contribute to traffic safety or control can lead to distractions or misunderstandings, jeopardizing both driver and pedestrian safety.Floridas proactive efforts to ensure we keep our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies were cemented into law by @GovRonDeSantis, Perdueposted to socials. Great to now have our federal partners also aligned behind this same common-sense policy.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.