DeSantis: Florida bridges to glow red, white and blue, not rainbow, during pride month

Bridges across Florida, including the Sunshine Skyway and Ringling Causeway, will not gleam in rainbow colors this June in celebration of LGBTQ pride month at the behest of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Plans are in place to adorn Florida bridges in red, white and blue lighting between May 27 and Sept. 2 as a part of the 2024 Florida Freedom Summer effort, which includes free visits to state parks on Memorial Day weekend and the lifting of sales tax on recreational items in July, according to a social media post by the Florida Department of Transportation.

The plan coincides with the start of pride month, when the Sunshine Skyway and the Ringling Bridge have in the past lit up in rainbow colors in celebration of the occasion. It also overlaps other public awareness efforts, including National Gun Violence Awareness Month, Juneteenth, World Fragile X Day, Women's Equality Day and National Recovery Month.

FDOT has put the decision to local governments in recent years, but that has been superseded by the new statewide directive.

Manatee County Chairman Mike Rahn told the Herald-Tribune that he refused to opine on the matter this year on behalf of the conservative board with regard to the Sunshine Skyway bridge. He believes the decision should be left to FDOT officials who provide oversight to the bridge and not local-level politicians who have no other authority over the causeway.

Rahn has caught heat over the decision and has been singled out by some media outlets for stepping in the way of plans to celebrate pride month with rainbow lighting for the Skyway.

"Manatee County is out of the business of lighting the bridge," Rahn said. "This is an FDOT matter. My point is, I don't own the bridge, I can't open the bridge, I can't shut down the bridge, I get no revenue from the bridge. Why is it my responsibility to light the bridge?"

"My concern also is if we are going to do it for one group, we have to do it for all groups no matter what their political stance is," he said. "I feel, personally, that the bridge is being politicized by different organizations."

The city of Sarasota, which is typically supportive of pride month lighting for the Ringling Bridge, despite controversy, said the city's hands are tied.

"The Ringling Causeway Bridge is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation, which also controls the bridge lighting," spokesman Luke Mocherman said. "As the city cannot supersede the State, all bridge lighting schemes previously approved by the city for special recognition between Memorial Day and Labor Day will not be provided in accordance with FDOT’s directive that bridge lighting remain red, white, and blue."

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida bridges to be lit in red, white and blue during pride month