TwinkVision: In downtown St. Petersburg, the community came together in a colorful display of resilience and unity ahead of the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) removal of the city’s Progressive Pride street mural. On Sept. 1st, the 23rd through 25th blocks of Central Avenue were filled with rainbow chalk art and messages of love, support, and pride.
The chalk event drew residents and allies who wanted to celebrate visibility and send a message that erasure cannot silence the LGBTQIA+ community. Families, artists, and activists decorated the pavement with affirmations of equality and joy, transforming the blocks into a temporary canvas of solidarity.
The show of support followed FDOT’s directive that all Florida cities remove street art, including the Progressive Pride mural and the “Black History Matters” Mural outside the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum. In a separate act of protest, a community member has since restored the “Black History Matters” mural…