RICHMOND, Va. – Central Virginia LGBTQ+ organizations teamed up with the Reclaiming the Monuments group to illuminate the Byrd Theatre in Carytown with a message of love to a part of the community that may not always feel it.
James Millner with Diversity Richmond said LGBTQ people "have been under attack through acts of violence and hateful messaging" across the country and in RVA.
Millner said called the projection a "Love Letter" to RVA’s LGBTQ+ community and said it is the first step in showing that everyone in Richmond is loved.
“The message is really clear that LGBTQ people are welcome in restaurants, that they are safe in Richmond, that they are celebrated in Richmond and that they belong in Richmond,” Millner said. “We've done years and years of work to make Richmond a more welcoming and inclusive city for everyone, no matter who you love or how you identify. And that's the message that we want to send. We want to define Richmond in that way. We want people everywhere to know that those are the values of the City of Richmond.”
Before the illumination, there was a community gathering on New York Deli's roof that featured remarks from a number of community advocates.
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FULL INTERVIEW: The story behind message of love projected onto Byrd Theatre
