Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis self-declared war on rainbow crosswalks reached its latest stop in the Florida Keys on Tuesday when the Florida Department of Transportation painted over gay mecca Key Wests Pride display in the dead of night.The erasure of the tiny crosswalk, measuring just six feet deep at the intersection of Duval and Petronia Streets, gave the lie to DeSantis claim that such street art is a traffic hazard in search of fatalities. Bikers and pedestrians at the narrow intersection regularly move faster than motorized traffic in the slow-paced resorts gayborhood. Related Protestors across Florida rally against rainbow crosswalk removals: We will not be erased The overnight erasure was met with an outpouring of emotion from our community, said the Key West Business Guild, which was deeply disheartened by the removal of the Rainbow Crosswalk in the middle of the night.While this action has caused pain and disappointment, we are not deterred, the group said in a statement posted on social media. The Guilds board and staff remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that the LGBTQ+ community is visibly represented in our Historic Gayborhood.We encourage everyone to make their voices heard by reaching out directly to the Key West City Commission tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM, the Guild said. Together, we will move forward, stronger, prouder, and more united than ever. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today They destroyed the rainbow crosswalks in Key West overnight by order of the Orange felon but they ll never destroy their spirit. pic.twitter.com/YuOhQccGU4 Karen Tennents girl (@karen_flynn) September 9, 2025DeSantis obsession with the crosswalks resulted in multiple orders for Key West to remove the rainbow art. The final order, arriving on Monday, proved disingenuous; the FDOT erased the art before the city commission could act.Youre always gonna have the Key Wests of the world that are going to virtue signal, DeSantis raged about the LGBTQ+ bastion and other cities protesting the state governments unilateral removal orders two weeks ago. Thats just what they do.DeSantis employed the same duplicitous tactics north of Key West in Delray Beach near Fort Lauderdale on the very same night.Before dawn on September 9, 2025, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) unilaterally removed the Delray Beach Pride Intersection, the city posted to Facebook today.Less than 12 hours before, the City of Delray Beach received an order directing the CITY to remove this symbol of inclusion. This immediate action by FDOT did not allow the city commission the opportunity to review the order as an elected government body and decide how to move forward.By acting outside of its process, FDOT disregarded the Citys good-faith efforts to follow established procedures, the statement reads. While FDOTs action cannot be undone, Delray Beach remains steadfast in its commitment to unity, respect, and the fundamental human rights that belong to every member of our community. Lets be honest. We all know this is not about traffic safety. This is political, said Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long last week.In July, DeSantis signed a law effectively banning all pavement art and murals like rainbow crosswalks, regardless of their political message, in collusion with Transportation Secretary and former Road Rules contestantSean Duffy, who directed all state governors to keep intersections and crosswalks free from distractions.In a subsequentX post, Duffy said that Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks. Duffy also referred to nonexistent data implying the crosswalks cause traffic fatalities, a ruse deployed to serve the Trump administrations erasure of LGBTQ+ identity. DeSantis has promoted this untrue implication.Protests have erupted in several cities subject to the rainbow crosswalk ban, with activists and allies replacing the street art soon after its erasure. DeSantis deployed the Florida Highway Patrol to monitor the intersection in front of the Pulse Nightclub Memorial in Orlando after protesters chalked and then painted a new rainbow crosswalk for a third time.Last week, a 29-year-old man was arrested at the same intersection for rubbing chalk on his shoes and walking over the crosswalk, in defiance of a new sign reading, Defacing Roadway Prohibited. A judge released him the following day, finding no probable cause.Returning triumphantly on a rain-soaked day to the scene of his crime, the man danced and clapped his way across the intersection as supporters cheered him on.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.