JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Activists and artists alike unveiled a new mural in Jacksonville’s Five Points Thursday morning, honoring the area’s LGBTQ history.
In August 2025, the rainbow crosswalks, along with the one near the new mural on Park and Lomax Streets in Riverside, was ordered painted over by FDOT and Governor Ron DeSantis. Local community activists put UP the MURAL in response to showcase what they say is the diversity of the community.
“This beautiful mural honors the wide spectrum of community members in the unique colorful diversity,” said Richard Ceriello, Executive Director of AIDS Memorial Project NE Florida.
The mural titled “The Constellation of Us” is 1700 sf ft, costs $130,000 to create, and received its title during its unveiling.
It showcases what the Riverside Avondale Preservation organization calls a “rainbow color spectrum”.
Along with some assistance, the painting is the handiwork of artist Shaun Thurston, who tells Action News Jax he toiled through rain and all-over 8- to 17-hour days spanning three weeks to craft this painting, which portrays actual community members.
“Every single person, 100% of people I interacted with, were supportive and complementary” said Thurston.
Action News Jax told you that a June 2025 FDOT memo said that ‘non-standard’ surface markings “can lead to distractions or misunderstandings,” jeopardizing safety for drivers and pedestrians, leading colored crosswalks of all types to be painted over.
Similarly, in 2024, Governor DeSantis ordered state bridges to be restricted to red, white, and blue LIGHTING DISPLAYS during summer months — which included June, Pride Month.
“I didn’t interpret it as anything other than using law to control traffic flow,” said Thurston.
As for others seeing the situation differently: “I don’t know how others saw it, but sure”
Others like Jacksonville City Councilman Jimmy Peluso spoke passionately about the message behind the mural.
“This governor has made it his mission to go above and beyond and trying to erase certain groups in the state. And he’s using the power of the government to do that” said Peluso. Action News Jax reached out to the governor for comment on Peluso’s remarks.
Thurston, the mural’s creator, ultimately responded to the differing interpretations of the state government crosswalk policy.
“Because if people put in the time to add color to the neighborhood and that color represented a diverse humanity that it represented LGBTQ and they felt seen, to have that covered over, probably did feel personal, so I responded to the scene being erased,” said Thurston.
As for whether the mural was a WAY TO skirt around the governor’s policies, Peluso says he follows the law; the mural is community members representing themselves, in a place that just so happened to be behind the sidewalk.
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