A new version of the Miami Beach Rainbow Crosswalk is back — this time outside of the street.
The LGBTQ symbolic crosswalk at Ocean Drive and 12 Street was ordered removed by the Florida Department of Transportation last October after the DeSantis administration said painted crosswalks could jeopardize road safety.
READ MORE: 'Wasteful, hateful': South Florida residents oppose rainbow crosswalks crackdown, poll shows
Now, Miami Beach has reassembled the more than 3,000 colorful pavers on city — not state — property, steps away from Lummus Park. It’s accompanied by a commemorative plaque and a new rainbow bench.
“Ripping out a crosswalk that was emblematic of Miami Beach’s embrace of our LGBTQ+ residents and visitors, at what was literally the safest intersection of Ocean Drive, was a real slap in the face to our residents and visitors,” said Miami Beach Commissioner Tanya K. Bhatt who led the effort to reconstruct the crosswalk near its original location in Lummus Park.
“It’s so important and gratifying to be able to rise above the manufactured culture wars to build something lasting, recognizing the struggle and celebrating the love that this new installation represents," Bhatt said in a statement.
Said Miami Beach Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez: “When the State forcibly removed this crosswalk, it was our straight allies on the Miami Beach City Commission who ensured our gay community would not be pushed into the shadows.
"Our allies understood that this crosswalk symbolizes a history of perseverance through the stigma of HIV/AIDS, the injustice of military exclusion, workplace and housing discrimination, and the long fight for the right to marry and to build a family.”
Fernandez, the only openly gay member of the Miami Beach City Commission, added that he was "deeply grateful to my straight colleagues for their leadership in upholding the uncompromising values of love, compassion, and equality."
The crosswalk unveiling was part of the city’s Pride celebrations, which runs through this weekend.
