St. Petersburg residents on Thursday urged City Council to stop the FDOT-mandated erasure of street art—including LGBTQ+ Pride and Black Lives Matter murals.

The Council voted unanimously to refer the issue to its Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Committee, which meets Sept. 11.

About 100 people rallied to “Save Our Street Murals” outside City Hall before the meeting, with many speaking out against FDOT’s mandate. Several of those included children and adults who helped paint the targeted murals.

John Gascot, who helped paint the “Black History Matters” mural outside the Woodson African American Museum, pointed out that one of the first moves the Trump administration made when he returned to the White House in January was to get rid of DC’s Black Lives Matter street mural, and now homeless people on D.C.’s streets are being removed and arrested.

“One erasure leads to the next and the next and the next and when we don’t stand up to tyranny, what happens is the most vulnerable pay the price first,” Gascot said. “But make no mistake, it’s going to affect me and you eventually.”

Eight-year-old Norah Egozcue told Council she helped paint the Pride flag on Central Avenue for her late uncle, who was gay.

“When I painted that stripe, I felt like I was giving a piece of my love to him and to everyone who feels like they don’t belong,” Egozcue said. “I see a promise that we will stand up for each other. …they make kids believe that this city cares about everyone.”

Woodson African American Museum director Terri Lipsey Scott spoke up on behalf of the “Black History Matters” mural outside the museum.

“They (FDOT) say it’s about safety but we know it’s about suppression,” Scott said. “They can paint over our streets, but they can’t erase our faces. They can edit the history books, but we will keep telling the truth.”
 
Rob Hall, executive director of St. Pete’s Winter Pride and owner of Pour Behavior, recalled moving to the city in 2022 to start his life over shortly after coming out and seeing the rainbow flag mural on Central Avenue. Seeing it, he said, empowered him to become involved in the LGBTQ+ community.

“When people ask us if it’s safe here, we tell them, ‘Yes, St. Pete is a bubble. We are the safe space. But it’s not just our words that tell them that,” Hall said. “The world is watching to see what you decide…to see if we live up to the message we’ve been sending for years.”

Council member Richie Floyd chairs the committee that will discuss FDOT’s memo next month. He recalled two instances of Central Avenue’s rainbow mural being defaced last year, to which Mayor Ken Welch responded that the city is “no place for hate.”

“The people in charge of the state and the federal government are literally siding with the people doing hate crimes,” Floyd said. “This is no different to me, this is another one.

Welch released a statement earlier in the day restating the possibility that some public art may qualify for an exemption from FDOT, and that the city is waiting to hear from the state before taking action.

“I want to reassure residents that we have taken a thoughtful approach to this issue,” Welch wrote. ” Regardless of outcome, we will continue to explore ways to reflect our culture and values as a city. Ultimately, we want to be sure we are working through this process strategically, while also supporting our community.”

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Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
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OutCoast CEO and LGBTQ+ activist Rachel Covello takes a selfie. Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
St. Pete City Council member Brandi Gabbord (D2) Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
St. Pete City Council member Lisset Hanewicz (D4) Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
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John Gascot, who helped paint the “Black History Matters” mural outside the Woodson African American Museum. Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Pastor Andy Oliver of Allendale United Methodist Church Credit: Dave Decker
Pastor Andy Oliver of Allendale United Methodist Church Credit: Dave Decker
Sloan McCann telling St. Pete City Council that she helped paint a public art piece in Child’s Park, and she wants to grow up to see her art in the city. Credit: Dave Decker
Sloan McCann telling St. Pete City Council that she helped paint a public art piece in Child’s Park, and she wants to grow up to see her art in the city. Credit: Dave Decker
Sloan McCann telling St. Pete City Council that she helped paint a public art piece in Child’s Park, and she wants to grow up to see her art in the city. Credit: Dave Decker
St. Pete City Council member Mike Harting Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Executive director of St. Pete’s Winter Pride and owner of Pour Behavior Rob Hall Credit: Dave Decker
Executive director of St. Pete’s Winter Pride and owner of Pour Behavior Rob Hall Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker
Credit: Dave Decker

Selene San Felice is managing editor of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Prior to joining CL in 2025, she started the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter and worked for her hometown paper, The Capital in Annapolis,...