FORT LAUDERDALE PRIDE FLAG BECOMES PERMANENT INSTALLATION NEAR BEACH

John Hayden

Fort Lauderdale has made a visible, high-profile addition to its already firm stance on LGBT inclusion. The Progressive Pride Flag is now proudly and permanently on display on Sebastian Street between A1A northbound and A1A southbound. The city dedicated the art installation on Feb. 10.

“Today is a day of thanks and appreciation and to recognize that the LGBT community has been such an important part of what Fort Lauderdale has always been,” Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said during the ceremony.

Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Steve Glassman, who represents the district where the flag is located, echoed those comments.

“One of the things that makes me most proud to represent my district and the entire city is that Fort Lauderdale is a welcoming, inclusive, equitable and incredibly diverse city.”

This same spot hosted a similar installation during Pride in November 2021. But that was just a temporary “sticker” that was taken away after Pride. This version cost about $32,000 and will last three to five years before it needs any major maintenance or touch-ups.

“This is the perfect location. If we had put it on A1A or Seabreeze, it would be destroyed in a week,” Trantalis said. “I’m very happy that the city’s investment in our community is once again recognized.”

Sebastian Beach has long been a gathering place for LGBT residents and tourists alike to gather with friends in the sand and sun.

Besides being in an LGBT gathering spot, the location has practical reasons behind it as well. Unlike A1A, the city has complete control over that stretch of road and doesn’t have to collaborate with or get permissions from state or federal transportation officials. Due to the low amount of traffic the street gets, the Pride Flag art will get less wear and tear.

“This is not small,” Trantalis said. “This is the largest representation of LGBTQA+ community in South Florida. You don’t see this on any street, on any corner, in any municipality that maintains a permanent place in an area that is known in the community.”

Trantalis believes visibility of all the city’s diverse cultures will grow the city in ways big and small.

“Awareness is very much a part of growth. We’re going to grow as a community and understand what it means to maintain the diversity and cosmopolitan aspect of Fort Lauderdale and this is all part of it.”

Other cities in South Florida with pride crosswalks include Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach. The Delray Beach crosswalk made headlines when a vandal defaced it in 2021. Residents have long wanted a crosswalk in Wilton Manors, but due to logistical hurdles, they could not make any progress.

February 16, 2023 • Volume 14 • Issue 7 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

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