MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Miami Beach’s iconic rainbow crosswalk on Ocean Drive was removed brick by brick Sunday morning — without any notice to the city — leaving residents and LGBTQ+ community members shocked and heartbroken.
“Our pride is getting erased just like that,” said drag artist CC Glitzer. “It’s very painful.”
City Commissioner Alex Fernandez criticized the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the sudden move. “Why waste taxpayer dollars to remove something safe, beautiful, iconic, and embraced by everyone?”
The crosswalk, a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride near the famous Palace Bar, drew a crowd of onlookers, including drag queens who have long performed in the area.
Palace’s owner, Tom Donall, remembers when his bar sat at the corner of the busy intersection and what it meant when the rainbow crosswalk was first installed.
“It’s really sad to see this go because it took a lot to put this together,” he said.
“This represents blood, sweat, and tears,” said drag performer TP Lourdes. “It tears my heart to see it go.”
Despite the removal, the community remains resilient.
“They might take this away,” Lourdes added, “but they didn’t take the love and memories we’ve built here.”
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