Press Statement:
Defying DeSantis: Communities Show Their Rainbows as State Threatens Cities

St. Petersburg, FL — Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Transportation have issued a new letter to cities threatening to withhold millions in critical emergency relief funding unless they remove street art, including rainbow crosswalks.

Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith released the following statement in response:

Equality Florida Condemns DeSantis for Defacing Pulse Memorial; Calls on Floridians to #ShowYourRainbow in Response

Orlando, FL — In the dead of night, Ron DeSantis ordered part of the Pulse memorial painted over — defacing a sacred space in the heart of Orlando that honors the 49 lives stolen in one of the deadliest massacres in U.S. history.

As the new school year kicks off, families have received a not-so-welcome “Back to School” letter from Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education urging parents to monitor and report teachers.