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Lighting up the sky for Winter Pride
Many of you may have seen bright lights shining in the sky, and it's beaming with Pride. It all to support Winter Pride in St. Pete.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Seven beams of laser light lit up the night sky over St. Petersburg on Thursday night. It’s part of Winter Pride St. Pete, where organizers say this colorful installation is a response to the removal of the city’s rainbow crosswalk.
Cheers erupted as the lights illuminated the skyline on Central Avenue. People packed outside the Mari Jean Hotel, looking up as these colors stretched for miles.
Rob Hall, executive director of Winter Pride St. Pete, described this powerful moment.
"It’s a remarkable moment, we have an opportunity to bring this rainbow to the skies of St. Pete," he said. "It can be seen from over 60 miles away."
For Hall, this laser light display carries personal meaning. When he came out as an adult, he knew St. Pete was the place he wanted to be.
"When I got to St. Pete, seeing that crosswalk, it was life-changing," he said. "When it was removed, it had a significant impact on my heart."
The other side:
Hall says the rainbow display is a direct response to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and FDOT’s decision to remove street murals and art.
That statewide directive included painting over the Rainbow Progress Pride intersection mural at 25th Street and Central Avenue.
Antonio Luis, who attended the event, says his community has felt those changes.
What they're saying:
"We spent this past year getting a lot of spaces erased in the LGBT community," he said. "We’re looking at different ways for those spaces to remain."
Laser artist Yvette Mattern created the installation. She worked with certified technicians and received FAA clearance to project the lasers more than 50 blocks toward the beaches.
"I am so proud to be able to do this where that rainbow crosswalk was taken away," Mattern said.
As the bright beams shined over downtown St. Petersburg, Katie Dickieson felt inspired.
"It symbolizes so much joy and being represented in this community," she said.
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Winter Pride St. Pete is in its second year and has expanded across more venues and neighborhoods since its inaugural celebration.
What's next:
The laser installation will be back on Friday and Saturday, beginning at dusk and continuing until 3 a.m.
The Source: Information for this story came from statements from Winter Pride St. Pete, interviews with event attendees and reporting from previous coverage on FOX 13 News.