Ron DeSantis forced this city to remove Pride crosswalks. So it put up Pride bike racks instead.

The City of St. Petersburg, Florida, has unveiled 11 Pride-themed bike racks to replace the rainbow crosswalks Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) forced officials to remove.

“Pride on the streets!” declared a social media post from the city and its mayor, Ken Welch (D), who called the bike racks “a vibrant way to honor the Pride street murals that were removed earlier this year due to state requirements.”

The post includes a video of construction workers installing the colorful racks, some of which are rainbow for the Pride flag and others that are the colors of the Trans Pride flag.

Folks celebrated the move in the comments, calling the new displays “amazing,” “clever,” “awesome,” “beautiful,” and “a smarter path forward.”

“Love our little inclusive, Sunshine City,” one person wrote.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” said another.

The state of Florida has become the epicenter of Republicans’ rainbow crosswalk crackdown. The DeSantis administration has heeded warnings from federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has falsely claimed Pride art is distracting to drivers.

Duffy wrote in a July 1 letter to the nation’s governors that all non-freeway intersections and crosswalks must be kept “free from distractions.” In a subsequent X post, he said, “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.”

In response, DeSantis signed a law directing the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) “to ensure compliance with FDOT’s uniform system for traffic control devices,” according to a July statement from a department spokesperson. The law effectively bans all pavement art and murals like rainbow crosswalks, regardless of their political message.

The DeSantis administration has been aggressive about ensuring the crosswalks are erased, despite protests and resistance from local leaders.

St. Petersburg officials ultimately complied with the order to remove its crosswalks upon the threat of losing state funding, but Mayor Welch made it clear in August that he would not stand down from defending progressive values.

In a press conference, Welch called the order to remove the crosswalks an attempt by the state “to usurp local values and priorities and instead mandate what our values should be.”

“We’ve seen the attempts to stifle our ability to express and celebrate our community values,” he added. “Yet time and time again, our community has risen to the occasion. And this latest challenge will be no exception.”

A post from the city’s official social media account said the murals that had to be removed – which included one declaring, Black History Matters – “reflect the soul of our community.”

“That message can’t be erased. This is our city, our voice, and our story… Together, we’ll continue building a community that is resilient, inclusive, and united.”

While state and federal officials have said that street art distracts drivers, data from the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2022 Asphalt Art Safety Study contradicts that claim.

The study found that crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists drop 50% at painted intersections. It also reported a 25% decrease in conflicts between drivers and pedestrians, a 27% increase in drivers immediately yielding to pedestrians, and a 38% decrease in pedestrians crossing when the walk signal was not lit at intersections involving public art. The data also revealed that injuries resulting from crashes drop 37% in painted intersections.

December 16, 2025 0

Equality Florida Responds to Filing of Pride Flag Ban Bill

Changing your domicile in the US while working abroad.

*Editor’s note: The following blog is purely informational and sourced by Savvy Nomad’s website itself. Flee Red States does not endorse any particular company, nor have we validated its claims. We suggest you always consult professionals such as a CPA or attorney before going through with changes such as these. We’re also aware they are suggesting a red state as your domicile.

For many modern professionals, location is no longer a limitation. The rise of remote work and the digital nomad lifestyle has made it possible to live anywhere in the world—yet many people still find themselves burdened by high state income taxes and complicated residency laws. This is where Savvy Nomad steps in. Designed for the globally minded U.S. citizen, Savvy Nomad offers a simple and fully legal way to minimize state taxes while maintaining compliance with federal requirements.

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Savvy Nomad emphasizes compliance. Their team handles filings correctly and ensures users stay aligned with all relevant U.S. laws. For those with unique income or business structures, Savvy Nomad even connects users with certified CPAs who can identify additional tax credits and optimization opportunities.

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The Bottom Line

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October 14, 2025 0

Protestors vow to restore Pulse memorial crosswalk after Ron DeSantis destroys it

Read more at LGBTQ Nation.

About 100 people in Orlando, Florida, protested the recent painting over of a rainbow crosswalk created in memory of the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub tragedy. State crews from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) painted over the crosswalk without notifying city officials, at the behest of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and orders from the current presidential administration.

Local resident Dallas Perdue used chalk to recreate the crosswalk’s colored rectangles, but rain washed the chalk off by Thursday evening. “I was just fixing what shouldn’t have been, y’know, painted over in the first place,” Perdue told WFTV.

In July, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged governors to remove any political messages, artwork, and markings on intersections not directly related to pedestrian or driver safety. He wrote on social media, “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.”

A local activist told WFTV that the commemorative crosswalk followed all FDOT regulations and rules when it was first installed.

Florida Rep. Randy Fine (R) told the news station, “I think there are appropriate places to memorialize people. I don’t think a public street is the place to promote a woke agenda.” He has previously referred to LGBTQ+ people as “perverts who wish to groom our children” and supported numerous anti-LGBTQ+ bills, according to GLAAD.

Activists told the news station that they would continue to fight for the crosswalk’s restoration to its former rainbow colors.

Gov. DeSantis wrote via X, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.” He has told cities that if they don’t paint over any municipal rainbow crosswalks, FDOT will do it for them. FDOT painted over the Pulse crosswalk during Thursday’s early morning hours.

In June, DeSantis dropped any mention of LGBTQ+ and Latin people from his remarks on the 9th anniversary of the 2016 tragedy.

Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf told the new station, “The cowards threatened by our lives should feel lucky they didn’t have to bury the ones they love — then watch the state come & bury their memory.”

August 22, 2025 0

Florida city paints over Pride crosswalk on orders from Trump & Ron DeSantis

Read more at LGBTQ Nation.

In a literal erasure of LGBTQ+ identity in South Florida, the city of Boynton Beach has complied with recent orders from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the Trump administration to eliminate a rainbow crosswalk in the beachside city.

Video reveals a road crew painting over the once-colorful intersection at East Ocean Avenue and Southeast First Street on Wednesday morning. It’s now painted black.

Boynton Beach has “removed the inclusionary-painted intersection on the 100 block of East Ocean Avenue to ensure full compliance with state and federal transportation mandates and address safety concerns,” a statement from the city read. “The decision follows recent guidance from the U.S. Transportation Secretary and the Florida Department of Transportation.”

The Pride commemoration was first unveiled in June 2021.

The rainbow intersection has been vandalized before. During Pride month in 2023, surveillance video captured a motorcyclist burning out over the mural, leaving black tread marks across it. He then stopped to record the damage he caused.

The Pride erasure comes just days after a coordinated campaign by the Florida governor and the federal Transportation Department to remove rainbow intersections across the state.

On July 1, former Road Rules reality star and current Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy issued a social media edict to all U.S. governors to remove the crosswalk art.

“Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks,” Duffy declared. “Political banners have no place on public roads. I’m reminding recipients of @USDOT roadway funding that it’s limited to features advancing safety, and nothing else. It’s that simple.”

In the order and subsequent interviews, Duffy implies the Pride crosswalks are causing chaos on the roads and have led to traffic fatalities.

“Far too many Americans die each year to traffic fatalities to take our eye off the ball,” Duffy told the far-right Daily Signal.

“Roads are for safety,” he said somewhat incongruously, “not political messages or artwork.”

Duffy didn’t specify what percentage of the 39,345 traffic deaths in the U.S. in 2024 were caused by rainbow crosswalks.

Other cities in South Florida with rainbow intersections, including Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, face the same state and federal mandates. It wasn’t immediately clear whether or how they would comply.

Other Pride crosswalks in the state have also been subject to vandalism, some repeatedly.

Florida Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue enthusiastically endorsed the federal mandate the day after it was issued.

“Florida’s proactive efforts to ensure we keep our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies were cemented into law by @GovRonDeSantis,” Perdue posted to socials. “Great to now have our federal partners also aligned behind this same common-sense policy.”

Rand Hoch, president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, called the orders “blackmail”.

“This is just another example of the president and the governor blackmailing local governments by telling them they’re going to withhold funding so they can try to publicly erase the LGBTQ+ community,” he told the Sun-Sentinel. “This seems to be a priority of these administrations.”

Despite the public erasure, Hoch, who was present at the 2021 unveiling of the Boynton Beach Pride intersection, said LGBTQ+ people “are not going to disappear.”

July 19, 2025 0

MAGA woman thrown off city council for posting about throwing gays off buildings & using n-word

Read more at LGBTQ Nation.

A Florida woman is suing the city council that suspended her after her history of obscene, racist and homophobic tweets was uncovered and published in a local paper.

The councilwoman, Judi Fike, was appointed to her seat in Groveland, Florida last year and is running for a full term.

Fike responded to the local paper’s story with an apology “to anyone who was hurt” by the posts, while maintaining that their publication was a timed “political attack” just weeks ahead of her August primary.

“I will not let that tactic work,” she said.

The collection of Fike’s offensive screeds extends back to at least 2015, and reveal deep-seated animus toward Black and LGBTQ+ people.

Just hours after the Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016 in nearby Orlando, Fike posted to Facebook, “Duh….why would the shooter target a gay club? My answer…Easier than marching them up steps to push off the roof..some sarcasm, some truth…”

In 2015, Fike posted to her “Widow Fike” account on Twitter (now X), “Can we divert our attention back to real news? The #LGBT freak show has had its run.”

Fike owns and operates a catering company called The Black Napkin.

Last week, the city council confronted Fike with the posts in an open meeting, displaying screenshots as Fike watched, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Groveland Vice Mayor Barbara Gaines, who is Black, said the posts included “racist” portrayals of then-President Barack Obama as a monkey.

“This is a picture of President Ronald Reagan babysitting Barack Obama, except it is an ape, a baboon, a monkey or whatever you call it,” Gaines said.

In several tweets shared at the meeting, Fike obsesses over the word “thug”.

“#thug the new n word,’ she posted in 2015. “Thug life = thug treatment = no pity from me,” she wrote in 2019. In 2022, Fike shared a meme that read, “What’s the magic word to get what you want? Racist!”

Groveland, Florida has a fraught history of racism against Black people. In 1949, false allegations of rape against four black teenagers known as “The Groveland Four” led to the extrajudicial killing of two of the teens and the wrongful imprisonment of two others. They were posthumously pardoned in 2019.

In her defense over the Pulse nightclub post, Fike claimed for council members that her message was about a presidential candidate in 2016 aligning with a community in the Middle East who were “pushing gay individuals off of buildings.”

“It was meant as a support of the community, not against the community,” she said. “It might have been written in poor taste, but I want to clarify that for you because that was going on at the time.”

Fike went further about other posts, denying responsibility altogether.

“Those are indeed manipulated, and so I’ll just let that rest,” she said at the meeting. “They are not my words. Some are, there are some copies, but what Barbara just showed were absolutely not products of mine.”

Council members were not swayed and voted her suspended until an investigation is complete.

Two days later, Fike responded with a lawsuit.

“The city does not have the legal authority to suspend or remove any of its members, period,” said Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini, who is representing Fike. “It just simply does not have that authority. Most cities don’t.”

Groveland Mayor Kevin Keogh said he was more concerned with Fike’s response to the allegations than the resurfaced posts themselves.

“It has to do with the non-truthful nature of your response,” he told Fike, before voting with colleagues to suspend her.

July 14, 2025 0

Hockey star kicked out of women’s restroom by ‘gender police’ who thought she was a man

*This is reported by Outsports.

Hockey star Madison Packer played in five All-Star Games and is the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier Hockey Federation, which was the forerunner to the National Women’s Hockey League.

Packer is widely recognized as an icon of women’s sports. Yet not for the first time, Packer recently found herself being misgendered as a result of gender policing she believes is escalating in line with heightened anti-trans rhetoric.

Two weeks ago, the 33-year-old posted an Instagram story to say that in late April she had been “forcibly removed” from a women’s bathroom stall in a Florida nightclub.

She was prompted to go public after learning of a woman who was kicked out of a Boston hotel bathroom, having been ordered by an attendant to “prove” she was female.

Packer, who spent eight seasons with the Metropolitan Riveters in the NWHL and PHF, wrote “sounds familiar” when sharing an article about the incident on social media.

She describes her own experience in Florida as “humiliating” and connects it directly to the ongoing discourse in society that suggests trans people pose a threat in women’s spaces.

“The entire bathroom situation is absurd,” Packer tells Outsports.

“The fear-mongering and outright propaganda we have perpetuated against the trans community in this country is pathetic.”

Packer says she had been with her wife and their friends at the club in Naples, Fla., when she left them to visit the restroom.

“Upon walking in, the female bathroom attendant several times said, ‘Sir sir,’ as to get my attention,” recalled Packer. “I am a cis female. I don’t respond to ‘sir.’”

During her playing days, the former power forward was a vocal leader on and off the ice, partnering with You Can Play on the organization’s LGBTQ advocacy initiatives.

She ignored the attendant and headed into a stall.

It was then that Packer felt the attendant pulling her backwards by the shoulder.

“Again, she addressed me as ‘sir’ and told me I was in the wrong bathroom. We proceeded to argue over the bathroom I was in until I showed her my driver’s license.”

In Florida, trans people are prohibited by law from using public bathrooms and gendered facilities that align with their gender identity in all government-owned buildings, including K-12 schools and colleges.

The law applies only to facilities run by the state, but there have been several reports of trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people being challenged when using restrooms inside private businesses.

The Movement Advancement Project lists five other states — Arkansas, Montana, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming — as having passed bathroom bills similar to that of Florida.

For women like Packer, who in her own words is “masculine presenting,” the chances of being confronted in a restroom are by no means limited to certain states.

She says that a few years ago, she was also involved in a physical altercation with a male bouncer in the bathroom of a bar in Connecticut.

It’s natural for her to speak out about the damage done by gender policing. After announcing her retirement from hockey last November, Packer and her wife, Anya Battaglino, started a podcast called “These Packs Puck” in which they discuss queer parenthood and navigating life after pro sports.

Battaglino is also a former NWHL player. She came out as gay via an Outsports essay in 2018; the couple married the following year, and they now have two kids together.

On the latest episode, they talk about how being challenged in Florida left Packer “very upset” on what was, by coincidence, Lesbian Visibility Day. The couple had posted to Instagram to mark that awareness day, using an old photo taken in a Palm Springs restroom to make a point.

Anya wrote the caption: “Minding mine. (Wish the government would do the same).”

A little over a week later, Packer shared more details of her confrontation after reading online about what had happened in the Boston hotel.

In its reporting of that incident, CBS News quoted the executive director of PFLAG Greater Boston, Nina Selvaggio, who said: “For gender nonconforming lesbians, women in general, being harassed in public restrooms is a tale as old as time.

“I do think the surge in national anti-trans rhetoric is contributing to an increased policing of women’s bodies and their expression of gender.”

Packer told Outsports she agrees “wholeheartedly” with Selvaggio’s comments.

“I find it infuriating that we’re now going as far as to dictate or try to regulate what ‘female’ looks like.

“I’ve shared locker rooms and bathrooms with straight men, gay men, gay women, straight women, trans men, and trans women… I’ve never once had an altercation or inappropriate exchange with a trans person.

“I think we’re concerning ourselves with the wrong groups when it comes to restroom safety.”

May 21, 2025 0

Every Anti-LGBTQ Bill Defeated in Florida’s 2025 Legislative Session

*This is a press release from Equality Florida.

The 60 days of Florida’s legislative session have concluded. While lawmakers will have to come back in the following weeks to finalize the budget, LGBTQ Floridians and allies across the state are celebrating a resounding and inspiring win: every anti-LGBTQ bill filed in the 2025 legislative session was defeated.

This is more than a policy victory; it’s a testament to the unstoppable force of people power, coalition-building, and a growing refusal to let hate go unchallenged.

“Once again, we’ve done what many thought was impossible: not one anti-LGBTQ bill passed this session,” said Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida. “We improved on the tremendous defeat of 21 out of 22 anti-LGBTQ bills last session for a complete sweep this session, defeating every anti-LGBTQ bill. That’s not luck — that’s the strength of our grassroots movement. It’s students and seniors, faith leaders and frontline workers, parents and teachers, standing together and making sure lawmakers hear us loud and clear: we will not back down.”

In 2024, 21 of 22 anti-LGBTQ bills were defeated — many were expected to return this year with greater force, buoyed by the largest Republican supermajority in Florida history and a national climate increasingly hostile to LGBTQ issues — particularly transgender issues. But instead of escalation, lawmakers showed restraint, perhaps weary from years of pushing culture war bills that do nothing to address the real challenges Floridians face. Only four anti-LGBTQ bills were filed in 2025 — and every one of them failed:

Pride Flag Ban (HB 75/SB 100), a bill banning government agencies, including public schools and universities, from displaying any flag that represents a “political viewpoint,” including Pride Flags.
Don’t Say Gay or Trans at Work (HB 1495/SB 440), a bill aimed at censoring public workplace discussions of LGBTQ issues, and enabling harassment of transgender employees.
Anti-Diversity In Local Government (HB 1571/SB 420), a bill attempting to ban cities and counties from recognizing, supporting, and protecting the LGBTQ community and other minorities
Banning Diversity & Equity In State Agencies (HB 731/SB 1710), a bill that would defund a broad range of activities and positions under the guise of banning DEI in state agencies and would ban state contractors and grantees from using state funds for DEI.

This powerful blockade against anti-LGBTQ extremism was built by a broad coalition of everyday Floridians. They showed up to the Capitol every single day of session, testified in legislative hearings, sent messages to lawmakers, and organized from the Panhandle to the Keys. This session alone, over 400 grassroots lobbyists came to Tallahassee for our largest advocacy week ever. Over 16,000 Floridians sent emails to legislators, and our Pride At The Capitol participants met face-to-face with lawmakers more than 325 times over the course of session. These direct actions continue the momentum building that has grown Equality Florida’s base by more than 165,000 people in just two years, reaching nearly half a million strong in total.

“This win belongs to every person who stood up, spoke out, and locked arms with their neighbors to stop the attacks before they could advance,” Smith added. “And while we celebrate, we know the fight isn’t over. This session still delivered real harm to democracy and equity that impacts all Floridians — and we are just as committed to undoing that damage and building a Florida that truly belongs to all of us.”

May 6, 2025 0

“Cherished” teacher fired for calling student by preferred name. The community is rallying for her.

*This is reported by LGBTQNation.

A Florida teacher has lost her job for calling a student by their preferred name without obtaining parental consent. Melissa Calhoun has taught in Brevard County for 11 years and is thought to be the first to fall prey to a new state policy requiring parents to sign a consent form for a student to go by something other than their legal name at school.

Administrators at Brevard County’s Satellite High School decided not to renew Calhoun’s contract for the 2025-2026 school year after a parent complained she’d been calling their child something other than their legal name. The student’s gender identity has not been revealed, but Florida Today reported that “community members believe” the case is “related to the student’s gender identity.”

The parental consent rule—which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in 2023—does not specify the consequences for breaking it, but the school chose not to renew Calhoun’s contract since the state will now be reviewing her teaching contract due to the parent’s complaint, district spokeswoman Janet Murnaghan explained to the Washington Post. She has, however, been permitted to finish the school year.

“Teachers, like all employees, are expected to follow the law,” Murnaghan said.

But many in the Brevard County community are not on board with the school’s decision. Many people showed up to advocate for Calhoun at a recent school board meeting, even though her issue was not on the agenda.

“There was no harm, no threat to safety… Just a teacher trying to connect with a student. And for that her contract was not renewed, despite her strong dedication and years of service,” the school’s media specialist, Kristine Staniec, whose kids were taught by Calhoun, reportedly told the board.

Over 12,000 people have signed a Change.org petition to reinstate Calhoun, calling her “a cherished teacher” and “dedicated educator” who “is being punished merely for showing respect to a student’s choices.”

“Ms. Calhoun is an embodiment of what proper education should be: inclusive, understanding, and respectful of individuality,” the petition continued. “Losing her would be a significant loss to Brevard County’s education community.”

Brian Dittmeier, director of public policy for LGBTQ+ student advocacy organization GLSEN, told the Post that Calhoun’s firing “is an indicator of bureaucratic overreach of antitransgender policy,” in addition to the blatant anti-trans attacks it represents.

“A teacher could potentially be fired for calling a student Tim instead of Timothy,” he emphasized, pointing out how anti-trans laws hurt everyone in the end.

April 15, 2025 0

Trans student’s arrest for violating Florida bathroom law is thought to be a first

*This is being reported by NBCNews.

A transgender college student declared “I am here to break the law” before entering a women’s restroom at the Florida State Capitol and being led out in handcuffs by police. Civil rights attorneys say the arrest of Marcy Rheintgen last month is the first they know of for violating transgender bathroom restrictions passed by numerous state legislatures across the country.

Capitol police had been alerted and were waiting for Rheintgen, 20, when she entered the building in Tallahassee March 19. They told her she would receive a trespass warning once she entered the women’s restroom to wash her hands and pray the rosary, but she was later placed under arrest when she refused to leave, according to an arrest affidavit.

Rheintgen faces a misdemeanor trespassing charge punishable by up to 60 days in jail and is due to appear in court in May.

“I wanted people to see the absurdity of this law in practice,” Rheintgen told The Associated Press. “If I’m a criminal, it’s going to be so hard for me to live a normal life, all because I washed my hands. Like, that’s so insane.”

At least 14 states have adopted laws barring transgender women from entering women’s bathrooms at public schools and, in some cases, other government buildings. Only two — Florida and Utah — criminalize the act. A judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked Montana’s new bathroom law.

Rheintgen’s arrest in Florida is the first that American Civil Liberties Union attorneys are aware of in any state with a criminal ban, senior staff attorney Jon Davidson said.

Rheintgen was in town visiting her grandparents when she decided to pen a letter to each of Florida’s 160 state lawmakers informing them of her plan to enter a public restroom inconsistent with her sex assigned at birth. The Illinois resident said her act of civil disobedience was fueled by anger at seeing a place she loves and visits regularly grow hostile toward trans people.

April 6, 2025 0