Latest news with #AcostaBridge
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather to light Acosta Bridge rainbow for Pride Month in protest of the new FDOT rule
Hundreds of LGBTQ+ activists came together for two Pride events to kick off Pride month. People brought their children, dogs, and their loved ones to light the night rainbow in Jacksonville. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< 'The most important thing to us is simply to be treated equal to others,' said Don Tanner, who attended the events. The first event is the annual Acosta Bridge Pride March. The march started in 2021 after the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) threatened to turn off the pride lights on the Acosta bridge for Pride Month. The pride lights were kept on that year, and organizers for the event decided to keep it a tradition. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Amy Glassman is the organizer for the Acosta Bridge Pride March. She said she plans on putting on this event next year. 'Lights or no lights there will always be rainbows on the Acosta bridge in June at this event,' said Glassman. The second event is the Pride in our Freedoms Community Bridge lighting. The event first started in 2024, after FDOT launched its 'Freedom Summer Initiative,' which required all state-owned bridges to be lit in red, white, and blue from Memorial Day through Labor Day. In addition, the FDOT announced a few weeks ago that state-owned bridges will light red, white, and blue only on federal holidays through 2026. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] This was the first time that both of these events were held on the same day. As a result, hundreds of people came together from both events to light up the Acosta Bridge in rainbow colors on top of the red, white, and blue. Matthew McAllister is the organizer for Pride in Our Freedoms. He said the lights shining together are symbolic. 'Without freedom there can be no diversity. And with no diversity, there's really no point in having freedom.' said McAllister. 'You cannot separate one for the other. ' Action News Jax reached out to FDOT, asking if they will allow state-owned bridges to light up in Pride Month colors after 2026. So far, there has been no response. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pride Month kicks off Sunday on Jacksonville's Riverfront
June is Pride Month, and Jacksonville's LGBTQ+ community and its allies plan to celebrate. On Sunday, June 1, two events are planned Downtown. The 5th Annual Acosta Bridge Pride March will begin at 6 p.m. Anyone interested in taking part is asked to wear rainbow colors, bring Pride flags, and meet under the Acosta Bridge by the San Marco Skyway Station. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< After that, at 8:20 p.m., will be the Pride in our Freedoms Community Bridge Lighting. Participants will line the pedestrian walkway of the bridge and shine rainbow-colored lights. At the same time, there will be a watch party at Friendship Fountain. In a news release, organizers said, "Born from resistance to the Florida Department of Transportation's attempt to dim the Acosta Bridge Pride lights in 2021, this year marks the fifth anniversary of the Acosta Bridge Pride March. Five years later, our message remains the same: Lights or no lights, there will always be rainbows on the Acosta Bridge in June." They issued a similar statement about the Main Street Bridge lighting. "The Main Street Bridge faces the Acosta Bridge. The latter, up until 2023, was illuminated in rainbow colors at the start of Pride Month. Today, it is illuminated in red, white and blue. The two color schemes, facing each other, symbolize the interconnection of Pride and Freedom. There can be no freedom without diversity, and there is no diversity without freedom. These ideals are inextricable and inalienable." [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
