JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 'Walk the Acosta with Pride' event is scheduled to take place Saturday to celebrate Pride Month on the Acosta Bridge in Jacksonville.
The bridge returned to rainbow colors Wednesday night after they were initially removed due to a compliance issue, according to the Governor's Office.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) told the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) to change the colors of the bridge lighting because it was "out of compliance" with its existing permit.
A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) says the state has a statewide 'Bridge Lighting Policy' that was last revised in September 2020 that allows the department to "facilitate all bridge lighting requests consistently, fairly, and impartially."
FDOT says the policy was developed under DeSantis' administration to ensure inclusivity and that all local lighting requests, as well as permitting, are handled at a local level.
The event is hosted by Mark Judson, a past contributor to Void Magazine, and will take place at 10 a.m.
"FDOT forced JTA to not display Pride colors on the Acosta," the event page says. "So, we're going to bring Pride colors to the Acosta and walk it with our Pride flags (or drive if the sidewalk isn't available or you aren't able to walk it). Masks encouraged, please."
The walk will also commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
The St. Elmo W. Acosta Bridge, better known today as the Acosta Bridge, is a 1,645-foot bridge that spans the St. Johns River, connecting Downtown Jacksonville’s Southbank and Northbank.
The Acosta Bridge features the JTA’s dynamic LED lighting system, which the Authority uses to highlight different holidays, awareness campaigns, events and other recognitions throughout the year.
Among the holidays and campaigns, the bridge has been lit for are Christmas, Autism Awareness and even orange and purple to celebrate the Jaguars drafting Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
This week, the bridge was scheduled to display rainbow colors the entire month for Pride Month. Here is a list of the scheduled lighting colors for the remainder of the month.
- June 18 Sickle Cell Awareness - Red
- June 19 Juneteenth - Red, Black and Green
- June 20-24 PTSD Awareness Month - Teal
- June 25-27 100th Anniversary of the Acosta Bridge - Yellow and Acosta Blue
- July 1-4 Independence Day Holiday Week - Red, White and Blue