St. Pete Lights Sky With 60-Mile Rainbow Laser Display

When Florida ordered the removal of Pride crosswalks across the state, St. Petersburg looked up instead of down and painted the sky with rainbows.

For three nights during Winter Pride St. Pete in February, residents could see rainbow lasers dancing across the sky, visible for 60 miles. The stunning display was both a celebration and a creative act of resistance after the state removed hundreds of colorful street art installations.

The controversy began last August when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the removal of about 400 "non-standard" pieces of street art, most of them rainbow Pride-themed crosswalks and murals. The removal hit especially hard when the state painted over a rainbow crosswalk outside the former Pulse nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting.

Some cities complied with removal orders to protect state funding, but they refused to let their message disappear. St. Petersburg debuted Pride-colored bike racks in December and shared a powerful message: "These murals are more than art. They reflect the soul of our community. That message can't be erased."

The 60-mile rainbow laser installation, called "Global Rainbow," was designed by laser artist Yvette Mattern, who first created it in New York in 2009. She worked with certified technicians and received FAA clearance to broadcast the colorful beams toward the city's beaches.

"I am so proud to be able to do this where that rainbow crosswalk was taken away," Mattern told local news.

The Ripple Effect

The temporary light display created waves of hope that reached far beyond St. Petersburg. Other Florida cities including Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Orlando, Miami Beach, and West Palm Beach voted to defy the ban and are challenging the mandate through legal action.

Rob Hall, executive director of Winter Pride St. Pete, moved to the city after coming out and found safety and acceptance. St. Petersburg earned a perfect score on the 2025 Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index, the only nationwide assessment of LGBTQ+ inclusion in municipal law and policy.

"When I got to St. Pete, seeing that crosswalk, it was life-changing," Hall said. "When it was removed, it had a significant impact on my heart."

Community members in Orlando repainted the Pulse tribute themselves after the state removed it. Cities across Florida are finding creative ways to show that inclusion can't be erased by paint or policy.

"Now we need to find things and ways to show our community, no matter who you are, that this is a safe space," Hall said.

Sometimes the brightest lights shine in the darkest moments.