09/05/2025
After state work crews erased the rainbow memorial crosswalk at Orlando's Pulse nightclub two weeks ago, Michelle Sasha knew she had to act. "The first thing that really made me think that I wanted to do something about it was when I saw that they covered up the Pulse Nightclub crosswalk and then I started seeing people painted over it every day," said Sasha. The St. Petersburg artist and founder of ArtFluent Creatives launched the Love Thy Neighbor project last week, offering free pride murals painted on private properties across Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg's street murals are slated for removal by the state this week.
Sasha and her co-organizer, Jazzy Erickson, pictured at right, are painting rainbow pride flags on driveways, mailboxes, garage doors, anywhere the state can't mandate their removal. "My gut just was in knots with excitement like it was just the kind of thing that when you feel it in your gut, you gotta do it. That was it," she explained. Within days of the project's launch, over 60 homeowners requested murals, eager to display what Florida's Republican governor is erasing from public spaces.
The project emerged after Governor DeSantis's administration put in force new rules banning "non-uniform traffic control devices." Cities face September deadlines to remove rainbow crosswalks, pride murals, and other street art or lose millions in state transportation funding. The most controversial removal came with the overnight destruction of Orlando's Pulse memorial rainbow crosswalk, which the state itself had installed in 2017 to honor the 49 victims of the 2016 mass shooting.
For Sasha, the removals represent more than lost paint: "What matters more to me than anything is to show the community and these marginalized community specifically that people are paying attention, that people do love you, people do care." Thrilled by the community's enthusiastic response to the new initiative, she reflected: "I'm honored and humbled by the fact that I have an opportunity to make my voice really loud, and show people we can lead with love and not hate."
While DeSantis has claimed he's simply following a new law passed by the legislature, Democratic lawmakers dispute his characterization. State Rep. Anna Eskamani of Orlando objected to DeSantis' characterization of the legal justification for the removal of the street art. "What happened was a rule change in late June that created this new crosswalk prohibition," Eskamani said. "And a rule change to the Green Book is not the same as a new law." The Green Book -- Florida's technical manual for road design standards -- can be updated administratively without legislative action.
State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith was more blunt: "There is NO NEW LAW banning colored crosswalks. State law has required uniformity in crosswalks with FDOT-approved exceptions for decades. DeSantis invented an excuse to punish LGBTQ visibility and it's costing taxpayers millions." While state officials claim the art distracts and confuses drivers, research proves otherwise. A study examined the crash history at 17 asphalt art sites across the country that have a minimum of two years of crash data and found 83 fewer crashes at the analyzed intersections -- more than a 50 percent decrease compared with data from before the crosswalks were painted.
DeSantis' ban on street art has led to an eruption of community resistance statewide, with Sasha's project joining a wave of creative defiance against the state's actions. At the destruction of the memorial at Pulse, protesters immediately began using chalk to restore the rainbow colors, returning daily despite state crews repeatedly painting over their work and Florida Highway Patrol monitoring the site around the clock. Senator Smith called the removal a hostile act and an "insult to the families and survivors of the Pulse tragedy", vowing "Somewhere nearby, sometime very soon, there will be a mural painted. It will be bigger... It will be more q***r... And it will be more colorful than they ever imagined because we will not be erased."
In St. Petersburg, organizer Tamara Leigh is also coordinating chalk art demonstrations, declaring "They can erase the streets, but they can't erase us... They can't erase our story, they can't erase our culture and they can't erase our contributions to this state, to the city or to this country". For her part, Sasha emphasizes her initiative transcends political divisions: "I don't want the politics or religion or things like that to cloud the fact that this project is simply just humanity and loving and trying to make people feel welcome in their homes and communities."
To learn more about Michelle Sasha's 'Love Thy Neighbor' project - and how to support it or request a mural - visit https://www.artfluentcreatives.com/love-thy-neighbor-project -- you can also learn more at ArtFluent Creatives
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For an excellent guide for girls on how to make a positive difference in their communities, we highly recommend "A Smart Girl's Guide: Making A Difference" for ages 8 to 12 at https://www.amightygirl.com/smart-girl-s-guide-making-a-difference
For kids in general, we also recommend "How to Make a Better World: For Every Kid Who Wants to Make a Difference" for ages 7 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/how-to-make-a-better-world
For stories about Mighty Girls who celebrate diversity and stand up for others, visit our blog post "Standing Together: 50 Mighty Girl Books Celebrating Diversity and Acceptance” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=13481
For many books for children, teens, and their parents that promote acceptance and understanding of LGBTQ people, check out our blog post "True Colors: Mighty Girl Books for Pride Month" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12258
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To read about DeSantis' ban on street art, visit https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/desantis-uses-law-never-mentioned-090358202.html
To read more about Michelle Sasha's new project, visit https://stpetecatalyst.com/street-mural-removals-foster-activism-solidarity/
