St. Petersburg has a colorful little reminder that you can cover up Pride, but good luck making it disappear.
The iconic Progressive Pride street mural on Central Avenue was created through community fundraising in 2020 and became a vibrant part of the city’s LGBTQ+ landscape. For roughly five years, the rainbow-covered intersection served as a very public celebration of queer identity, visibility, and community.
Then, in 2025, the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the city to remove the mural as part of a statewide crackdown on pavement art on public roadways. According to the Tampa Bay Times, city officials ultimately went along with covering it up rather than risking future complications involving transportation funding.
Understandably, plenty of people were not exactly thrilled to watch a beloved piece of LGBTQ+ history get painted over. But here is where things get deliciously poetic.
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You Can Cover a Rainbow, But Good Luck Erasing It
Nearly a year after the state covered the mural in black, the rainbow is beginning to make a comeback, one worn patch at a time.
In Florida, “Pride murals” are being removed from public spaces. pic.twitter.com/SLN0SGsLpW
— China pulse 🇨🇳 (@Eng_china5) December 29, 2025
The Tampa Bay Times recently reported that sections of the colorful design are now visible through deteriorating portions of the black covering. It’s not exactly the grand Pride revival anyone ordered, but we have to admit there is something wonderfully symbolic about it. The rainbow is still there.
Underneath the pavement treatment, underneath the political arguments, underneath the attempts to make it disappear, the history remains.
And honestly, that feels very Pride.
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Florida Is Still Fighting Over Drag
The mural’s resurfacing comes as LGBTQ+ expression continues to face legal battles elsewhere in Florida.
In August, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Florida can enforce its 2023 Protection of Children Act while a broader legal challenge continues. The law restricts children from attending certain performances classified as “adult live performances,” including some drag shows.
The ruling overturned a preliminary injunction that had temporarily prevented enforcement of the law. The underlying constitutional battle is not over, meaning this particular Florida drama still has another act to go.
For the LGBTQ+ community, the situation is a reminder that visibility can be both cultural and political.
And sometimes, even when someone tries to paint over the rainbow, a little bit of it refuses to stay hidden.
Honestly? We love a comeback.