The Key West Business Guild is holding a meeting Thursday night to talk about the future of the city's iconic rainbow crosswalks.
The meeting will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Frederick Douglass Community Center (111 Olivia St.), with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.
The meeting will be moderated by Key West Business Guild Board President, Dr. Cori Convertito, and will include city leaders, advocates, and community voices "to provide updates on the legal status of the crosswalks, reflect on their history and significance, and explore contingency plans should removal move forward," organizers said in a statement.
Among the panelists will be Key West City Manager Brian Barroso and Joe Saunders, of Equality Florida, the state's largest civil rights organization dedicated to defending LGBTQ+ rights.
"A key focus of the discussion will be exploring alternatives to preserve LGBTQ+ visibility and safety in the event the crosswalks are removed," said organizers in a statement.
"These crosswalks are not just symbols of LGBTQ+ pride; they are a reflection the spirit of Key West, a community that values diversity, freedom, and self-expression," said Rob Dougherty, Executive Director of the Key West Business Guild, in a statement. "Their removal, driven by outside political overreach and pressure, sends a troubling message: that decisions made by and for this community can be overridden without our input."
“This meeting will give our community a chance to hear the facts, provide input, and work together on how we move forward," Dougherty said.
DeSantis administration officials have informed Key West city officials that if pavement markings in its historic downtown aren't removed by Sept. 3, "the Florida Department of Transportation will remove them by any appropriate method necessary without further notice."
Multiple Florida cities are now facing deadlines in the coming days after being ordered to paint over or remove so-called rainbow crosswalks, brightly colored street crossings meant to celebrate gay rights and LGBTQ pride.
Warnings from DeSantis administration official to communities across Florida come after this week's removal of a rainbow-colored crossing marking the 2016 massacre outside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were gunned down. It was painted over in the middle of the night by work crews.
READ MORE: Miami Beach commissioner slams state for demanding removal of Ocean Drive 'rainbow' crosswalk
The issue has been simmering since a July 1 directive from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who gave U.S. governors 60 days to identify what he called safety improvements.
"Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork," Duffy said in a statement at the time.
The Federal Highway Administration said in a statement last Friday to The Associated Press that Duffy "has made every state receiving federal dollars responsible for identifying hazards on their roads."
Gov. Ron DeSantis amplified those comments, saying on X: "We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes."
A statement from the Florida Department of Transportation said the agency has a duty "to ensure the safety and consistency of public roadways and transportation systems."
"That means ensuring our roadways are not utilized for social, political, or ideological interests," it said.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Future of Key West's iconic rainbow crosswalks
WHEN: 6:00–8:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM)
WHERE: Frederick Douglass Community Center, 111 Olivia Street, Key West.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
