Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis (Photo: Shutterstock)

Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida has decreed that the next four months will be “Freedom Summer” in the Sunshine State. As part of the initiative, big Florida bridges will be illuminated in the colors red, white and blue between Memorial Day and Labor Day,.

In previous years, iconic structures such as the Sunshine Skyway and Ringling Causeway have marked Pride Month with a week of rainbow lighting. This June, that won’t happen.

DeSantis first announced the “Freedom Summer” initiative at the end of April. Visitors can visit Florida state parks for free on Memorial Day. There will also be a tax-free discount on recreational equipment (for beaches, camping, etc) over the coming months.

“Florida is stepping up to make summer more affordable for families,” DeSantis said when announcing his plans.

News of the bridge lighting plans was shared a week later by Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue on social media.

“As Floridians prepare for Freedom Summer, Florida’s bridges will follow suit, illuminating in red, white, and blue from Memorial Day through Labor Day!” Perdue said. “Thanks to the leadership of @GovRonDeSantis, Florida continues to be the freest state in the nation.”

Acosta Bridge in Jacksonville

Back in 2021, the Acosta Bridge in Jacksonville announced it was going to use rainbow lighting during Pride Month.

Following its announcement, an order was passed down from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to cancel the plans. It said Jacksonville officials should have applied for special permission to use more than one color. It tried to argue that only blocks of a single color could be used. Which was odd considering the bridge was lit red, white and blue just a few weeks previously for Memorial Day.

When the issue blew up on social media, the order was reversed and the rainbow lights were turned back on.

Taryn Fenske, a spokeswoman for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), told NBC at the time she didn’t know exactly why the lights had been ordered off at the last minute: “The Governor was most definitely not involved in that decision, and it’s absurd to think otherwise. The (Acosta) bridge lights will be back up for the remainder of the week.”

Here’s another tweet from the City of Sarasota in 2021. It highlights the rainbow lights on the Ringling Causeway Bridge that June.

Of course, since 2021 DeSantis has made being anti-LGBTQ+ rights a major part of his brand. In 2022, DeSantis signed into law the hated “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. In 2023, it was expanded across all school years in Florida. DeSantis has also signed other legislation discriminating against trans people.

Shining in the darkness

The latest move by the DeSantis administration has been slammed by LGBTQ+ advocates.

“The bridge lights were about celebrating diversity and inclusion, which will continue to happen in our communities,” said Carlos Guillermo Smith, Equality Florida’s senior policy adviser. “LGBTQ Floridians will proudly raise our flags even higher and our lights will only shine brighter in the darkness they’ve created.”

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