Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to making his state the conservative utopia many of his constituents have hoped for.

As such, he’s working to remove some of the more liberal influences, including a rainbow crosswalk near the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, as Breitbart News reported.

The rainbow was painted there due to the symbol’s association with the LGBTQ community after there was a shooting at the location in 2016.

Pulse is known to be an alternative-lifestyle-friendly nightclub, and it has been closed since 2016.

From transportation officials

The assistant secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation wrote in a memo that the “art” was not contributing to traffic safety.

He went on to say that, as it is, the painting “can lead to distractions or misunderstandings, jeopardizing both driver and pedestrian safety.

“Any identified non-compliant traffic control devices or pavement markings currently installed on Florida public roads are to be immediately remedied, i.e., removed, modified or replaced,” Watts said in the memo.

The memorial

The crosswalk was painted in 2017 as a memorial to the 49 people who died in the shooting.

A gunman opened fire at Pulse, taking out dozens, and causing mayhem on the city street where revelers were caught off guard.

DeSantis responded to frustration at the change, saying that “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”

🚨 BREAKING: The DeSantis Administration just PAINTED OVER and REMOVED the LGBTQ Pride crosswalk in Orlando, Florida.

Good riddance! pic.twitter.com/Gxy3FSFhiG

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 21, 2025

"Callous" and "cruel"

The response by Orlando officials was as underwhelming as some might have expected, with local politicians giving dramatic performances in support of the rainbows.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer went so far as to say that painting over the rainbows by state workers was “callous” and “a cruel political act.”

The massacre that took place at the LGBTQ-friendly nightclub in 2016 was the worst mass shooting in modern history at that time, quickly overtaken the next year by the Las Vegas Harvest Fest shooting.

“This crosswalk not only enhanced safety and visibility for the large number of pedestrians visiting the memorial, it also served as a visual reminder of Orlando’s commitment to honor the 49 lives taken,” Dyer said.

From another official

Orlando Democrat State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith called the removal cowardly due to the fact that it took place overnight.

“They did this in the middle of the night because they were scared of the resistance because they know what they did was wrong,” said Smith, who is openly gay.