(Photo via City of Delray Beach/Facebook)
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. | The City of Delray Beach confirmed early Sept. 9 that the Florida Department of Transportation had removed its Pride intersection.
City officials pushed back against the state’s ban on asphalt art, which has resulted in the high-profile removals of Pulse’s crosswalk in Orlando and St. Petersburg’s Progressive Pride street mural, among others. FDOT had set a Sept. 3 deadline for Delray Beach to remove its LGBTQIA+ Pride Streetscape.
The installation was sponsored by AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council and officially unveiled on June 12, 2021, the five-year mark of Pulse. Delray Beach attended an administrative meeting on the matter Sept. 2 in Orlando in response to the state’s demands, which did not change.
“Before dawn on September 9, 2025, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) unilaterally removed the Delray Beach Pride Intersection,” officials shared in a press release. “Less than 12 hours before, the City of Delray Beach received an order directing the CITY to remove this symbol of inclusion.
“This immediate action by FDOT did not allow the city commission the opportunity to review the order as an elected government body and decide how to move forward,” it continues. “By acting outside of its process, FDOT disregarded the City’s good-faith efforts to follow established procedures. While FDOT’s action cannot be undone, Delray Beach remains steadfast in its commitment to unity, respect, and the fundamental human rights that belong to every member of our community.”
PBCHRC was among those to condemn its removal.
“Well, the cowards came in the middle of the night to try and erase history,” Board Member Nicholas Coppola noted on social media, a message the organization shared. “They did forget that the street would need to be primed so we have the luxury of Pressure Washing the hate that was spilled on our great [city’s] intersection.”
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