LGBTQ+ advocates repaint St. Pete’s Progressive Pride Street Mural in June. (Photo by Ryan Williams-Jent)
ST. PETERSBURG | A petition to save St. Petersburg’s street murals was launched Aug. 2 after the state threatened to withhold funding over inconsistent “pavement surface markings.”
The Florida Department of Transportation issued a memo July 2 after the Trump administration launched a “safety initiative” for roadways. “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared.
The City of St. Petersburg subsequently confirmed that they intend to comply with any federal and state requirements. Public Information Officer Samantha Bequer told Watermark Out News last month that officials “are currently compiling our inventory list of painted infrastructure at the request of FDOT.
“We will continue to work with our state partners to understand the scope of the memo, timeline for relevant actions and discuss if any of the City’s public art qualifies for an exemption,” she continued. Those efforts are ongoing.
S.O.S., or the Save Our Street Murals campaign, currently has 200 signatures and was launched by LGBTQ+ entrepreneur and area advocate Brian Longstreth. The St Pete Pride co-founder and owner of Casa del Merman at GayStPete House says he “hopes the uniqueness of St. Pete allows the murals to stay.”
The murals in question include the Black History Matters mural at the Woodson African American Museum and the Grand Central District’s Progressive Pride Street Mural. The latter’s publicly funded effort was installed in 2020, an initiative led by St Pete Pride.
The mural is repainted ahead of each year’s celebration, most recently on June 26:
St Pete Pride weighed in on FDOT’s memo on July 31.
“We are also deeply concerned about the ban on artistic expressions on public crosswalks, specifically targeting rainbow imagery that represents LGBTQIA+ pride and inclusivity,” President Dr. Byron Green-Calisch said in a statement. “For many, the rainbow imagery on our streets is more than just decoration, it is a beacon of hope, a sense of belonging, and affirmation in public spaces where LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies gather and celebrate.”
The petition echoes this, noting St. Petersburg is “a city renowned for its vibrant artistic community and rich cultural tapestry, street murals and public art play a vital role in our everyday lives.” It calls them “symbols of our diversity, a celebration of our unique identity and a testament to our city’s spirit as the ‘city of the arts.’”
“We urge our local government officials and community members to rally against these external influences and take decisive action to protect our street murals and public art,” the campaign reads. “By advocating for local rule, we can ensure the preservation of our city’s artistic soul, maintain low accident rates through traffic calming art, and continue to promote an environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion.”
The petition lists St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch as well as City Councilmembers Lisset Hanewicz and Gina Driscoll as “decision makers.” Watermark Out News reached out to the city and each councilmember’s office for comment, receiving a response from Driscoll.
“The health and safety benefits of integrating public art into crosswalks, intersections and other infrastructure are well-documented, and I believe St. Petersburg can make a strong case for allowing these elements to remain in place,” she says. “We’re dedicated to making our city safer for all — and we’re not going anywhere.”
Multiple cities in Florida have already repainted or announced the reimagining of their Pride murals. Watermark Out News confirmed Aug. 1 that the City of Sarasota will remove multiple installations, including its historic PrideWalk.
“Join us in standing up for Saint Petersburg’s identity, for our public art and for the values that make our city a beacon of creativity,” the petition reads. It currently has 200 verified signatures, locals who seek “to ensure that the vibrancy of our murals and the safety benefits they bring can continue to thrive for generations to come.”
For more information or to sign the petition, click here.
