ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando officials on Thursday denounced the overnight removal of a rainbow-colored crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub where 49 people were gunned down, saying it was part of an attack on LGBTQ lives by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration.

There was a time when same-sex couples walking in downtown Orlando, Delray Beach, Mount Dora or even Key West would be afraid to hold hands. There was a time when many members of the LGBTQ+ community were careful to evade the spotlight,

St. Petersburg, Miami Beach and Orlando with its Pulse-inspired crosswalk are other Florida cities whose rainbow-colored crosswalks remain.