Most cities in Florida are wasting no time painting over the pride crosswalks installed in recent years, but some cities are giving a WOKE rainbow rebellious middle finger to lawmakers in Tallahassee and refusing to comply with state law.
Florida recently passed legislation requiring uniform traffic markings across the state. That means no special treatments or alterations to roads or intersections are allowed—whether rainbow-colored pride stripes, sports team logos, or anything else that deviates from the mandated federal road standards. The law is about safety and consistency, ensuring drivers and pedestrians have clear, standardized markings to avoid confusion and liability.
Subscribe to The Florida Jolt Newsletter!
Instead of just complying with a common-sense law meant to ensure motorists’ safety, cities like Key West, Delray Beach, and Miami are ignoring state law as an opportunity to virtue signal and claim rights are being trampled, all in the name of LGBTQUIA+ solidarity, but at taxpayers’ expense. Some say this is about standing for home rule and standing for oppressed groups. In contrast, others see it as a political stunt to get names in the paper and give the middle finger to lawmakers, something easy to do when you’re spending other people’s money. The money of residents they represent, many of whom didn’t like the pride rainbows.
Delray Beach Commissioner Rob Long, who is running for State Representative, is being quite vocal about this issue, much to the disgust of many residents on both sides of the aisle who see this as nothing but political opportunism from someone who wants to look like a hero while campaigning for a seat that will ironically put him in a position where he will be creating laws that he will expect others to follow.
Let’s be real—his whole act about the Pride crosswalk isn’t fooling anyone who’s actually read the law. Long stood up at the commission meeting, beating his chest, claiming “no law was changed, no bill was passed,” and crying about Tallahassee supposedly invading Delray Beach. He even called the move to enforce state law “one of the most extreme abuses of power” he’s experienced.
Subscribe to The Florida Jolt Newsletter!
These cities are staging a political show. They’ve received official letters from the Florida Department of Transportation with clear deadlines. If the towns don’t remove the non-conforming crosswalks, the state will step in, paint them over, and then send the bill straight back to local taxpayers. What’s happening here is not about safety or fiscal responsibility; it is the only thing local government should be concerned about in such circumstances.
These cities’ leaders deliberately defy the law while knowing full well that their residents will be left holding the financial bag. Local governments are supposed to be stewards of taxpayer dollars, not spend them on costly stunts designed to grab headlines. Their feelings about a state law don’t change their obligation.
If supporting the LGBTQIA+ community is truly the goal, there are responsible, legal ways to do it. The City of West Palm Beach took the smart path: They have chosen to comply with the new rules, remove their colorful crosswalk, and install a permanent monument in honor of Pride. That solution costs less, keeps the city compliant with the law, and shows visible support. It’s the creative, cooperative approach city leaders should pursue—not reckless defiance on the taxpayers’ dime.
Some claim the state is stomping on “home rule.” Let’s call that what it is: performative politics. The people’s representatives in Tallahassee passed the law and applied it equally to every city in Florida. Cities don’t get to play favorites to keep themselves in the news cycle.
The average Floridian doesn’t get to pick and choose which laws they’ll follow. Most homeowners would love to stop paying property taxes because they don’t like them, but the law doesn’t work that way. The comparison makes these city officials’ grandstanding even more arrogant.
If this were about Floridians, the focus would be where it belongs: spending money wisely, respecting state law, and ensuring the community receives vital funding for projects residents rely on. Standing in the way of the inevitable only hurts the very people these officials are pretending to champion.
State law is crystal clear: You don’t get to slap political or ideological billboards onto public crosswalks. The Florida Department of Transportation didn’t “reinterpret” anything—they’re enforcing rules passed by the Legislature, rules that apply to everyone, not just to cities that see themselves as “inclusive.” For someone claiming to stand for “self-governance,” Long seems awfully comfortable ignoring the state government—until it’s time to whine about funding being withheld. Sorry, but that’s how actual law works. Cities are part of the state, and when Tallahassee sets the standards, Delray Beach doesn’t get to opt out just because Rob Long wants to impress his activist friends. There’s a difference between community values and following the law; Long is flat-out wrong.
The bottom line is, like it or not, the pride crosswalks will be painted over, and resistance only drains time, money, and public trust. City leaders should stop grandstanding, follow the law, and focus on their real job—serving their residents.
Other stories you may want to read:
Bob Rubin: Woke Banks Are Cancelling Americans – How Can Floridians Fight Back?
Tracy Caruso is the President/Owner of Delray Beach Executive Suites. In December of 2022, she was appointed by Governor DeSantis as a commissioner to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. She is also a certified rape crisis counselor and trained literacy advocate. She currently serves on many boards includingThe Hispanic Vote and Propel. Tracy is married to State Representative Mike Caruso. She’s a stepmother of 7 and a mother of 2 toy poodles.
- Delray Beach, Miami, and Key West Ignore Law for Pride Displays - August 25, 2025
- Florida Jolt Exposes GOP Candidate Gabrielle Fox’s Antisemitism - July 16, 2024
- PBC Republican Party Must Oust Antisemitic Members Now - July 3, 2024