For the past three years, Tampa Bay’s iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge has dedicated a week in June to LGBTQ+ activism, and in honor of Pride Month, has been decorated with rainbow-colored as well as blue and pink “transgender” lights. was exhibited. But this year, no Pride-themed lights will be installed on any of the state’s bridges, not even the Skyway, and some Florida media outlets are very upset.
Recent headlines in the Sunshine State reveal just how committed some media outlets are to the LGBTQ+ agenda. “Skyway Bridge lights don’t display rainbow colors during Pride Month. Why?” tampa bay times he asked sternly. “Rainbow light is gone: Sunshine Skyway Bridge will go dark at Pride 2024,” she laments. W.F.L.A.. fox 13 Similarly, he lamented the loss of Pride’s “bright lights” this year.
“Pride is a classic example of what patriotism is: freedom from the tyranny of government.”
Only the bridge remains “brightly lit”. Officials in Florida have decided to dedicate the summer of 2024 to America by naming it “Freedom Summer” and to celebrate, they will light up all the state’s bridges with red, white and blue lights.
“As Floridians prepare for Freedom Summer, Florida’s bridges will follow suit and be lit up in red, white and blue from Memorial Day to Labor Day!” Florida Secretary of Transportation Jared Perdue posted on X last week.
The Tampa Bay Times and other news outlets blamed the change in skyway lighting policy on a man named Mike Rahn, chairman of the Manatee County Commission. Rahn opposed “lighting up the skyway during Pride Month and National Gun Violence Awareness Day,” according to a Feb. 13 email from Manatee County Administrator Charlie Bishop.
Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties must approve all skyway lighting applications, so Rahn’s vote against Pride lighting has been seen as a deciding factor, although he denied that was the case. ing. “I do not have the authority to override the Governor of Florida,” Rahn said in a statement to the Times this week. “However, in my opinion, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge lighting is an FDOT issue and should be prohibited.” It shouldn’t be done.” He left it up to individual counties. ”
St. Pete Pride President Byron Green Kalish said he was “disappointed” that the Pride light went out this year. “Pride is a classic example of what patriotism is: freedom from government tyranny,” Greenkalish said.
“To have a place to live freely, where all men and women are created equal and imbued with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When I say patriotic, that’s what I mean. .”
As Freedom Summer continues throughout the summer, Florida Bridges will celebrate other days previously dedicated to Juneteenth, Mental Health Awareness, Autism Awareness, Sickle Cell Awareness, Ovarian Cancer Awareness, and There will be no light show to mark the week.
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
