I'm Eddie Martr and I'm a member of the city of Miami Beach's LGBTQIA+ advisory committee and I'm also a proud resident of South Beach and Miami Beach and it's an honor for me to be here with all of you this morning. I hope that one day we're not gathering
to push back and fight against hate, but just because we love each other. Um, and because we love each other and hold community so sacred, that's why we stand united and we push back whenever folks try to push us down. And so, let me ask
you this. Whose streets? >> Our streets. >> Our streets. >> Whose streets? >> Our streets. >> Whose state? >> Our state. >> That's right. So, let's kick this off. Let's take a big deep breath, a collective sigh in. Everybody in and
out. I know we've been driving and walking and running and all the things that it took for us to get here. So, I just want to take a moment of personal privilege to ground us in this manifesto by Bnee Brown, which we read when we unveiled the Pride Lifeguard Stand. It's
short and it says, "There's no greater threat to the critics and the cynics and the fear-mongerers than those of us who are not afraid to fall because we have learned how to rise. With skin knees and bruised hearts, we choose owning our
stories of struggle over hiding, over hustling, over pretending. When we deny our stories, they define us. When we run from struggle, we are never free. So we turn to our truth and we look at it in
the eye. We will not be characters in our stories, not villains, not victims, not even heroes. We are the authors of our stories and we write our own daring endings. We craft love from heartbreak,
compassion from shame, grace from disappointment, and courage from failure. Showing up is our power. Story is our way home. Truth is our song. We are the brave and brokenhearted. We are
rising strong. And so now I'd like to take the opportunity to welcome our elected officials, community leaders, and dignitaries. I know we have members of the Mexican consulate here and the Irish consulate as well. Uh please help me in giving a big round of applause uh to
Senator Shervin Jones. Big round of applause. Thank you. We have our We have our Miami Dade County Mayor, Daniela Lavine Cava. The first woman mayor for Miami Dade County.
We have our Miami Dade County District 5 Commissioner, Vicky Lopez. We have our Miami Beach Office of the Mayor and Commission, who I'd like to shout out, if I may. Mayor uh Steven Miner is here. We have our vice mayor Laura Dominguez
right over here. We have commissioner Tanya Vot right over here. >> We have commissioner Alex Fernandez. Commissioner Monica Mateo Selenas is here. We also have Commissioner Joseph
Magazine. And we recognize Commissioner David Suarez as well. Uh, so we have North Miami Councilman Kevin Burns with us today. We have representatives of the Miami Beach Pride. Big shout out to Miami
Beach Pride, Pride Week. We have members of SAVE, safeguarding American values for everyone present here. Equality Florida is here today. We have our Miami Dade County LGBTQ plus and allied Chamber of Commerce. Big round of
applause. And so now it's it's with great pleasure and honor that I introduce Pastor Kip Nelson of St. John's on the Lake United Methodist Church for an inspirational message. Please, big round of applause for Pastor Kip. Greetings people of Miami Beach and
Miami Dade County and beyond. It is a joy to be here with you all today. My name is Reverend Kip Nelson and I have the privilege of serving as the pastor of St. John's on the Lake United Methodist Church here in Miami Beach. But I also am also a proud resident of
the city of Miami Beach and recently a chaplain for the Miami Beach Police Department. It is a joy to be with you all today. As we gather in this place, I have to tell you, looking out at this crowd, I am blown away by the resilience of this
community. It is a true honor to see our leaders from this very community working together, uniting for the common good. Standing for love in the face of hate.
I find it no small coincidence that this moment is happening so close following Passover and Easter because this is a time of year in which we honor and remember the liberating spirit of God to bring people through hardship into
spaces of freedom and justice. And what better way to celebrate God's love and justice than to celebrate the installation of this piece of art. And so today, I invite us to pause and simply recognize the sacredness of this
moment and space. In the face of harm, here healing begins. In the face of dust and brokenness and rubble, new beauty arises.
And in the face of hatred, love wins again. Today we give thanks for the voices that have spoken out, the hands that have rebuilt, and the love that has refused to yield.
All of you, all of us who continue showing up in and for love have made this moment possible. For this we give thanks to God of us
all. So might this space be more than just art. I truly pray that it might be a sign for each of us. A sign that every person bears inherent and sacred worth.
That diversity is never a threat but only a gift. And that love in all its forms reflects something incredibly holy. As we unveil this space today, might it also unveil deeper courage within every
one of us to walk in justice, to practice compassion, and to stand beside one another hand in hand as we work towards a love, equitable, and just community. Friends,
happy Pride. >> Thank you, Pastor Kit. All right. So, now it's my pleasure to introduce the mayor of the city of Miami Beach, Steven Miner. Please, big round of applause. >> Good morning. >> Well, this is a great crowd. A lot of
life today in this crowd. Today we are proving once again why Miami Beach is not only one of the most diverse and welcoming cities in the country, but maybe perhaps the number one diverse
welcoming city in the nation. I've always said and I know my colleagues on the commission share this and even though their names were mentioned, I'm going to mention them again. Commissioner Alex Fernandez, Commissioner Monica Matteo Selenus, Commissioner Joe Magazine, Commissioner
Tanya Bot, Vice Mayor Laura Dominguez, and of course the other dignitaries here. We work together to make sure that everyone in our city feels heard, feels wanted, and feels loved.
And when there's an attack on one of us, then it's an attack on all of us. For example, and I said this on Friday at the flag, the pride flag flag raising when an member of our community was
verbally assaulted, harassed, a member of the LGBTQ community, he called me. I believe he called my colleagues as well immediately, but I was very thankful that he thought to
call me right away. And I told him then, and I feel this in my heart, I told him, I treat this the same way as I was treat an attack against anyone in the Jewish community.
Hate is hate and we will combat it no matter what. And some of that takes forms like we're doing today to show our support, to show art. This really represents Miami Beach, but it
also takes legislation. It takes legislation that a lot of my colleagues have put on. It takes legislation that I've put on that my colleagues have supported. If there's a hate crime in Miami Beach on a municipal ordinance, that means a Miami Beach specific specific crime. Until a
couple of months ago, there was no added penalty for a hate crime. So if somebody committed graffiti and while doing it committed a hat crime against the LGBTQ community or against the Jewish community or against the black community, there would be no
really consequence. But now if you commit a crime in Miami Beach, no matter how small, but it's a crime and there's a hate involved in it, you are going to spend 30 days in jail. And we cannot lose sight in the big picture of where we're standing right
now as well. And what we had faced as a city for multiple years in a row during the month of March where we had chaos, where we had shootings on our street that impacted all of us in a very negative way. not only impacted our
quality of life but also impacted the reputation of this city. And I'm very proud that myself and our commission was able to take strong measures along with the great work of our Miami Beach Police Department and really bring back
law and order to make sure everyone can walk down our streets and feel safe. And there's so much more. There were biker groups that used to come down Ocean Drive. We don't see that anymore. I've had people tell me from the LGBTQ
community that they were targeted by these groups. That is not acceptable. And I will never accept that level of discourse, hate, or actions in the city of Miami Beach. I don't want to take the credit for recording it because
Commissioner Fernandez has brought this up at commission meetings, but the Municipal Equality Index has rated Miami Beach not only with a 100 score, but a plus 100 score to show that we are one of the leaders
in this country in supporting everyone, including our LGBTQ community. So, thank you. So, thank you everyone for being here for the support. Our city will continue to be in full support and may God bless
each and one each and every one of you. >> Thank you, mayor. Once again, this is this is a very special event where we have our rainbow street streetscape unveiling. We have the rainbow benches behind us and of course a historic commemorative plaque which you'll see in a little bit. At this point, please help
me welcome State Senator Shervin Jones. >> Big round of applause for our senator. Good morning, Miami Beach. >> And happy Pride. >> Believe it or not, this is protest whether you believe it or not. And this
is how it starts coming together unified in this manner. And so I'm happy to be here this morning. And I I don't think we did them any justice and I don't want to embarrass them too much, but can the Miami Beach Commission can you all stand up really quick? Can we give them a
round of applause? So, thank you all so much. So today is more than just a ribbon cutting. It's a statement. A statement about who we are, what we value, and what we refuse to erase. Let's be clear.
Just a few months ago, communities across Florida were forced to remove symbols just like this because some leaders chose performative theatrical tactics instead of doing the real work of making people's lives better. And in doing so, they target a community that
shows up every single day in this community, in this state, despite being told in subtle and not so subtle ways that they don't matter. But today, that looks different. This is not just a pavement.
This is visibility. This is belonging. This is a message to every young person who walk these streets that says, "You are seen. You are valued and you belong here. Right here in Miami Beach, right here within the state of Florida.
>> I once again want to commend the city of Miami Beach and its leadership, our mayor, our county commissioner for not backing down. Leadership is not about doing what's easy. It's about doing what's right. And today, Miami Beach, not only have you chose courage, you've
also chose right. And we say thank you this morning. Because here's the truth, y'all. You can try to remove symbols, but you cannot erase people. You can pass policies, but you cannot silence identity.
>> And you cannot legislate away dignity. And now, we can talk about safety. We can talk about standards, but let's not confuse those conversations with exclusion. We are capable of doing both. Keeping our streets safe and making sure our communities feel seen and people are
respected. For so many people, moments like this are not political. They are personal. Like me, like my husband who sits here in the front row, thereby being able to exist in public spaces without feeling invisible. Now, some may say it's just a street. Some may say
it's just a pavement. But symbols have always mattered because symbols are reminders. Reminders of how far we've come. Reminders of what we've had to overcome and reminders of the work that still lies ahead. If celebrating people,
hear me when I say this. If celebrating people makes you uncomfortable, maybe it's not the street. Maybe it's time for you to take an inward look at yourself. So, in my close, let me tell you why this is personal to me, and I will sit
down. As the first openly LGBTQ person to serve in the Florida Senate in the state of Florida, >> I'll say this to all my colleagues who believe that the LGBTQ community will go somewhere. We've been here. We've
actually been here before. We didn't go anywhere then and we're not going to go anywhere now. >> So, thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to come together, to unify, to be together because we love us and we
will always be here. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Senator Jones. Folks, I remember in 2020 with the pandemic and being out sweating it out on Saturdays and Sundays, making sure that this next speaker won and became the first woman mayor of Miami Date
County. She has been a champion for equality as long as I have known. Please welcome the mayor of Miami Date County, Daniela Lavine Cava. >> All right. I'm proud. Who's proud? >> We are so proud. I am so proud to be
here with all of you today. I was here when that crosswalk was being degraded and being destroyed. And now here we are. The from the destruction came the resurrection.
>> Just like our pastor told us, this is the season of resurrection. And it is beautiful. It is just beautiful. So, this is Pride Month and we are all super proud. We're proud to be here. We're proud to be living in the most
inclusive, most loving community in the world. Am I right? >> Yes. Yes, indeed. That's who we are and that's who we'll always be. As has been said, inclusive, loving, proud.
They can move the bricks, but they cannot erase us. They cannot destroy our pride, our love, our inclusivity. And in fact, we're not backing down. Never. We're going ahead.
And actually, they don't know what they did here because what they did is something remarkable and beautiful and is now our history. >> All right. As we celebrate 250 years of this nation, we're going to feature this website. 250. All right. That's what
it's all about. We are proud and I'm so much looking forward to a month of pride, a year of pride, a lifetime of pride. We're going to have a great Sunday. Am I right? >> All right.
So, look, we've come back stronger than ever, more beautiful than ever. This is actually stunning. And uh to commemorate this special event, of course, we've got a proclamation. So, please come up. Commissioner Vicky Lopez.
All right. All right. >> Of course. >> Well, it says it's an unveiling and a ribbon cutting, right? Okay. And it's signed by Commissioner Vicky Lopez, Commissioner Mickey Steinberg, who's with us in spirit of that, I am sure,
our chairman Anthony Rodriguez, and myself as mayor. So, congratulations, Pride. We love you all. We are so proud. Thank you. All right. All right, we have a little bit more program to go and then there's a celebration happening afterwards uh
which we'll tell you about in just a moment. But uh please help me welcome up our Miami Dade County Commissioner for District 5 Rep Commissioner Vicky Lopez. Please welcome Commissioner Vicky Lopez. >> Good morning everyone. I'm so excited to
be here with all of you for such a meaningful and joyful moment for Miami Beach. Before being appointed to this role, I served in the state legislature and did not represent Miami Beach. And that having said, I'm now able to serve this community. And it's such an honor.
I must tell you, over the past few months, getting to know the residents, the energy, and the spirit of Miami Beach has been both moving and inspiring for me. This is a community that doesn't just celebrate diversity, it lives it openly and unapologetically.
And that's exactly what today represents. Public art like this rainbow streetscape does more than just beautify this beautiful park. It tells a deep story. It sends a message that everyone belongs here, that everyone is seen, and
that love and acceptance are part of the foundation of this community. I also want to take a moment to thank my good friend Alex Fernandez for his leadership in advancing this initiative, for standing up against the removal of the crosswalk, and for embracing the
leadership of allies on the city commission along with all of the sponsors and partners who have made this vision a reality. Pride is close to my heart. For those of you who may not know, my sister is gay. And when she
married her wife, our family grew and we embraced her with love, just as any family should. Moments like this matter, especially to me. And they show that inclusion isn't just what we talk about. It's something we actively build into
our communities. I want to thank everyone who helped bring this project to life. From the city of Miami Beach to the sponsors, the advocates and organizations who continue to lead with courage and compassion. I see Miami Beach already as some place that is so
much fun, so vibrant, and so full of heart. I'm looking forward to celebrating with all of you tonight, tomorrow, and at the parade on Sunday. Thank you for welcoming me into this community and thank you for continuing to make Miami Beach a place where everyone can be proud of who they are.
Happy Pride. >> Thank you, Commissioner Lopez. All right, so before I call up our next speakers, I just want to tell you a little bit about the work they've done. Thanks to Commissioner Tanya Bot and Joseph Magazine. They were the the prime sponsors of the legislation that made this possible before you. the rainbow
crosswalk and the benches. I also want to tell you that our commissioner Alex Fernandez and was a prime sponsor of the historic commemorative plaque. So, a big round of applause to our elected leadership, please. And of course, uh I'd like to w also
mention our vice mayor Laura Dominguez and Commissioner Monica Mateo Selenas who have been supporters and co-sponsors of these initiatives as well. So, big round of applause. And now, please help me welcome up Commissioner Tanya Bot.
>> Oh, we can do better. Miami Beach, give it up for Commissioner Tanya Bot. >> Look, if you don't like me, that's fine. But how can you not applaud this dress? Listen, the last few years, for some of us longer than that, have been very
heavy in this country and in this state. And joy is an act of resistance. Can I hear you say it? Joy is an act of resistance. So, you know, you've heard you've heard
it spoken about already, but when the bulldozers came in to rip up destroy a crosswalk that our residents back in 2008 or nine voted on to spend their tax dollars to have a rainbow crosswalk
painted here and then doubled down in 2018 to replace the painted version with a PA version recognizing Leonard Horowitz, a gay man who instrumental in creating the color palette that you see behind us in the art deco neighborhood.
That is our choice. It's our city. It's our elected officials representing our residents and broadcasting to the world to the visitors and the businesses who we want to attract. And how dare somebody who doesn't even live here
pretend under the guise of it's not safe when actually this crosswalk has been the safest crosswalk anywhere on Ocean Drive. How dare they come in with that BS and rip up with violence
with violence. I tell you these beautiful papers. Do that in your own backyard if you got an issue with free speech. But don't bring that here. >> Sorry, FCC. So, somebody asked me how I knew what I
was going to do when I was watching these papavers be ripped up. And, you know, it started during the day. All of my colleagues on the commission, I I I think all, almost all at least, were here at some point bearing witness to this insult, to this violence being
perpetrated onto our community. I got here in the evening, it was getting dark and I stayed for a long time. So, by the time I left, it was full dark and they were still ripping up the pavers. And I give credit to the crew who was here because they did it with respect. They
didn't destroy. They lifted up. They palletized. They stored. And our team at the the staff at Miami Beach City Hall carefully took those pallets and secured them and preserved them until we figured
out what was next. And shortly thereafter, I was contacted by a friend of mine, Adriana Savino, who was the original architect and designer of the original crosswalk. And she said, "I don't know what you're going to do, but if you want help, I'm here to donate my
time." And so we brainstormed. And Laura Pesky Gold was part of that conversation. She's here someplace. Hi, Laura. And I think folks from Savino Miller are here. Anybody from Savino? There they are over there. And um and Rebecca Schulman was part of the conversation and we brainstormed on what
we could do. And I had an idea about a 3D bus that might attract um um seagulls and pigeons to poop on it. But I was dissuaded from from that. I thought that was probably not so dignified. But what is very dignified and what is really
beautiful is this replacement of those pavers from the crosswalk where it was really utilitarian to this beautiful rainbowshaped plaza with the benches that Commissioner Magazine sponsored right here and the plaque that
Commissioner Fernandez sponsored where people can come and learn about the history and co-sponsored by Vice Mayor Laura Dominguez. and Monica, Commissioner Monica Matteo Selenus and voted on unanimously by our entire
commission. Thank you, Mayor. And so this is a community taking back our power because all of our residents deserve to feel safe, seen, respected, protected, and valued. And if you don't
think that this is exactly why people choose to move to Miami Beach, to spend their precious, hard-earned dollars to vacation on Miami Beach, to build businesses here on Miami Beach, you don't understand the first thing about
Miami Beach. Not the first thing. If you want to change the discourse, vote. I wear this necklace around my my neck. I have for the last three years. It's never coming off. Vote in your district. Vote in your city. Vote in your state. Vote nationally. And get involved in
races where you can't vote. Donate your time to phone bank and text bank. Send postcards. Send money. Make phone calls. Do whatever you can. But if you don't like what's going on, we the people can do something about it. And it is imperative that we the people do
something about it. If you're not comfortable with what's happening, okay, got a little amped up there. Um, this is so exciting. This is such a a a true testament to who we are. And when I
was watching um the pavers being lifted up and listening to the the visitors saying it in tears, I'll never be able to come back here. My husband and I don't feel safe here. And residents saying, "I'm going to put my house up, my apartment up next week because I
can't live in a city like this." I said, "Don't. You can you can stay here. You can come back here. You will always be welcome here. And as a promise to myself, I asked the site the people on the site for permission to take
something with me that I would hold until I knew that we had recreated, reinstalled, replaced, and built back better. And actually, Commissioner Fernandez, could you grab that white bag on my chair and
join me at the podium? You know, um Eddie did a great job with quotes and I was going to talk about my still I rise tattoo, which I have on my arm, which is a Maya Angelou poem, which is amazing. If you don't know it, I encourage you to look it up. It's a little saucy, so I'm not going to quote
more than what I just did, but I am going to make reference to something else that's a little bit saucy. For those of you who have watched Heated Rivalry, Don't worry, not those parts. At the end, it's it's this incredible
story about um people falling in love in very difficult circumstances and finding their way from uh obstacles to a happy ever after ending. Sorry, spoiler alerts abound. That's not surprising. But at the end of the last uh episode of the
the first season, the one partner says to the other who is having kind of a nervous breakdown. And this is not to say that we're not going to continue the fight, that we don't still have more work to do. But for the moment, as we go into Pride Weekend and come to the end
of this amazing Pride week, if you look in the bag, to quote the great Ilia Rosenoff to his husband, soon to be husband Shane Hollander, I think we're good here. No. So, please, if you would open the bag,
>> this is heavy. >> Alex, it's all yours, baby. A >> would you like to say a few words? >> I'd love to. >> I love Oh, here. >> And she knows my favorite color is blue, too. It matches my shirt. It can't get
any gayer than that. It matches your shirt. You know what is the beauty of this day? It's not the gay member of the Miami Beach City Commission that made this happen. The powerful moment on this day is that when Tallahassee came with all
their force and the heaviest of equipment they could find and an army of workers to rip apart these beautiful bricks, it was the straight members of the Miami Beach City Commission that said, "We're going to collect these bricks piece by piece and make out of them a mosaic of love that today stands
more visible for everyone to know that Miami Beach continues being the most inclusive and beautiful destination in the state of Florida. And when Tallahassee was threatening to bring to to take away these bricks, it was our straight allies who came
together and protested with us and came down this entertainment district saying, "Miami Beach will forever be proud. Forever proud." And there was our mayor and there were our commissioners standing with us protesting for our visibility, protesting for our rights,
but most importantly protesting for basic American values to pursuit liberty, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. That's all that we want because gay rights are American rights. And what these colors represent is a
building upon that history, that American history of our rights, but recognizing that we have had so many people that haven't enjoyed the same rights as everyone else. people who have had to deal with the stigma of HIV and AIDS.
People who have to deal with workplace and housing discrimination. People who didn't have the right to marry or to form a family. Rights that every other American covered by that American flag had, but that is documented in the beauty of the colors of this flag. And
we've overcome those moments. And we stand together. We stand strong. And we stand forever proud in Miami Beach because we have straight allies of the Miami Beach City Commission. I am forever grateful to you guys.
>> And Tanya is reminding me I need to wrap up. >> I got >> That's not what I said. I said you shouldn't write them up. >> Oh, yes. Yes. >> It's a common place on the commission for me to be told to wrap up, by the way, >> because I can go on for a while. That's
the mayor's job. Yes, exactly. >> But these guys over here, these guys and gals, they're the ones that have stood up for our community. >> These are our allies on the Miami Beach
City Commission. In other in other communities might be debate debated. It might be divided. And Miami Beach is just common sense. It is who we are. It's the values that we hold strong. And in fact, at night they rip apart these
bricks and by morning our city administration, our city manager, our parks teams had rainbow flags all throughout this entire South Beach district reminding people that the state may have taken these breaks away, but
Miami Beach kept on waving the flag up and high and making sure that there is always a rainbow of unity shining over this beautiful city. So, thank you Tanya for this beautiful brick and thank you to all my colleagues. You guys have made this possible
team. >> I think it's >> And now it's my honor to introduce our dear colleague, Commissioner Joseph Magazine, who has donated for us this incredible and beautiful and iconic rainbow bench.
It uh it adds some pressure having my colleagues right next to me up here. I wasn't expecting that. Uh but is that No, it's an absolute honor. Uh no, I'm just kidding. Please, please, I'm honored that you stay. Uh when I was elected two two and a half years ago, it was the honor of a lifetime. And the
mission is simple. Very simple. Represent every single member of our community. Every single one. I'm not a politician. I'm not going to sit up here one day and say I'm the first state senator with a neck tattoo or a county
mayor or a governor. I'm just a normal guy. And there's some things in politics that are really really hard. We take on some really hard tasks. This this is not one of them. This is really easy. This isn't about politics.
This is about just being a good person, right? And that answer will always be easy. When I saw members of my community feel under attack, I wanted to do something not to fight, but to help them, to celebrate. As I
thought about how we'll set our tone around this week, it's really not my lane. I'm not the fighter. I'm the celebrator. And that's what I wanted to honor with. So, it was important for me. And I want to thank the team at Miami Beach and my aid. We were actually planning on spray painting this together
as a community. the wind changed that. So, at 5:00 a.m., the city staff and our aid remobilized and actually came up with this beautiful design. Madame Mayor, I'm sorry you sat down when it was halfway painted. I I'm not sure if you're walking from behind if you
already have a rainbow. Um, but again, this wasn't a hard thing to do. Going to have to talk to our city manager because the hardest part was actually going through the public procurement process, buying a bench. Okay. But from a humanity standpoint,
that wasn't hard. So again, I thank my colleagues, whether it be for my next two years, time after that, we're going to have some really hard challenges ahead of us. Being good people and standing up for every member of our community is never going to be one of them. So with that,
thank you all for our celebration pride. >> Wow, this is fantastic. Once again, who street? Whose city? >> Our city. >> Whose state? >> Our state. >> Whose nation? >> Our nation. >> That's right. And now we're going to unveil our historic plaque. Is that
right, Commissioner? Okay. Let me hold on to this for you. >> It's heavy. >> It's heavy. Here we go. Ready? One, two, three. documenting our history so that no one forgets the rights and the fights of
those who came before us. >> And we ask our mayor and our commissioner, our county mayor, please come up to the ribbon >> and five 4 3 2 1.
>> Happy >> birthday.