WUFT | News and public media for north central Florida
Photo gallery: UF students paint rainbows in response to FDOT mandate
By Reyhan Kepic
August 21, 2025 at 8:59 AM EDT
A group of University of Florida students offered rainbows Thursday in response to a state mandate from earlier this year.
On June 30, the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the removal of non-traditionally painted crosswalks, saying that not doing so would result in losing transportation funding. This targeted many rainbow painted crosswalks across the state and three in downtown Gainesville.
In response, Generation Action, a student affiliate with Planned Parenthood Gainesville organized an event to paint a rainbow crosswalk under Norman Tunnel, according to Amanda Hiatt, president of the student organization
“We’re painting rainbows across the Norman Tunnel in an act of visibility after the Florida Department of Transportation applied pressure to cities across the state, saying that it is a distraction," Hiatt said. "We just want to do it in a place where they can’t get rid of it. It’s not going to be that alleged distraction, but we could still show that gay people are still here and it’s so important to have this visibility.”
On June 30, the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the removal of non-traditionally painted crosswalks, saying that not doing so would result in losing transportation funding. This targeted many rainbow painted crosswalks across the state and three in downtown Gainesville.
In response, Generation Action, a student affiliate with Planned Parenthood Gainesville organized an event to paint a rainbow crosswalk under Norman Tunnel, according to Amanda Hiatt, president of the student organization
“We’re painting rainbows across the Norman Tunnel in an act of visibility after the Florida Department of Transportation applied pressure to cities across the state, saying that it is a distraction," Hiatt said. "We just want to do it in a place where they can’t get rid of it. It’s not going to be that alleged distraction, but we could still show that gay people are still here and it’s so important to have this visibility.”