June 12, 2026 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub tragedy, where 49 LGBTQ+ people were murdered, and 58 others were wounded—simply for existing as their authentic selves. At the time, Pulse was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, and it changed the lives of LGBTQ+ people and allies across the country. Over the past 10 years, Floridians have honored the lives of the victims of the Pulse tragedy through vigils, advocacy, and moments of queer joy in their memory. 

This Pride Month, Keshet’s theme is DEFY / DANCE / REPEAT. To me, this theme emphasizes the importance of being together in queer community and solidarity with one another. It reminds me of how members of our community recount how, during the height of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, fought for our rights in the afternoon, and danced all night—the dance was our fuel and kept us in the fight. As the current LGBTQ+ landscape continues to be filled with hostile anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in all areas of our existence, it is now more important than ever to DEFY / DANCE / REPEAT. 

In August 2025, prompted by the governor, the Florida Department of Transportation removed the rainbow crosswalk outside of Pulse nightclub. This crosswalk was a memorial site to honor the victims of the tragedy. The cruel removal of this crosswalk led to the removal of rainbow crosswalks in cities across Florida. While this was an attempt to erase LGBTQ+ visibility in Florida, our local communities have found new ways to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, including murals and sidewalks. For instance, the Orlando community showed up to repaint the crosswalk in front of Pulse.

And in response to the crosswalk erasures in Florida (and Texas), we at Keshet started the rainbow crosswalk initiative, where we call on our synagogues, Jewish organizations, and Jewish community members to joyfully join together in chalking (or painting) their driveways, sidewalks, or other walkways with colorful messages of love, unity, and support of LGBTQ+ community. If you’re in Florida or Texas: We invite you to order a free rainbow chalk kit.

Then there is Keshet’s advocacy in the halls of power. This year during the Florida legislative session, we helped to defeat 3 out of the 4 anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Thanks to the efforts of our Jewish community and partnerships with organizations such as Equality Florida, we defeated a Pride flag ban, expansion of the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” laws, and a bill that would have created more lawsuits and restrictions for teachers and doctors who support transgender youth. Additionally, in a unanimous, bipartisan vote, the Florida legislature passed emergency funding to restore access to HIV care for more than 10,000 people through the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). 

The Florida legislature did pass a bill attacking Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, the initial version of which aimed to ban celebrations such as Pride and Black History Month. But we fought back! Thanks to advocacy efforts from Floridians across the state, we successfully secured significant carve-outs and amendments, including protections for the Pulse Memorial in Orlando and the ability for local governments to permit Pride festivals. 

Winning Protection for the Pulse Memorial ensured that, as a community, we can continue to honor the memories of the victims and ensure the safety and dignity of our LGBTQ+ community. As we celebrate Pride Month and mark these ten years, may their memories be a blessing and motivation for building a world of LGBTQ+ safety and equality.