ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Bright rainbow colors are breaking through the black paint used to cover a Pride street mural in St. Petersburg after state officials ordered its removal.
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St. Pete Pride street mural
What we know:
The Pride street mural located on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg is beginning to peak through the layer of black paint that covered it last year.Â
The state ordered the removal of street murals across Florida, claiming the non-standard road markings distract drivers and jeopardize traffic safety.
LGBTQ+ community visual symbolism
What they’re saying:
Members of the LGBTQ+ community say the rainbow colors shining through the dark surface serve as a meaningful visual statement.
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“You would actually see glimpses of color even immediately after it was finished,” Tamara Leigh, President of Tampa Bay Black Lesbians, said. “It looked like a very, very quick, rushed job, to be honest. So, even from the very beginning, you could see little glimpses of color, which was, I don’t know, reassuring in a way. So, now, as there is continuous wear and tear and the rainbow is shining through even more so. Honestly, on a very sort of frivolous end of the spectrum, it’s slightly humorous that the attempt was minimally successful, but in a more serious light, I think it’s very symbolic. I think that’s the resilience of the community.”
State transportation maintenance response
What we don’t know:
Fox 13 reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation asking if they planned on the upkeep of these painted-over intersections across the state and hadn’t heard back when this article was published.
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