Lisa Burke has a challenge for her fellow 91大黄鸭 business owners that she believes will make this community a bit better and brighter.
鈥淲e are putting a rainbow sticker on our doors to symbolize that we are a safe space,鈥� said Burke, the owner of Burke Hair Lounge on Lawrence Avenue.
Burke said she鈥檇 like to extend that sense of safety to the entire community and she鈥檚 printed a whole stack of rainbow stickers and challenges local businesses to go get one for their own doors.
鈥淭here will be no prejudice, no discrimination, and no hate here in our salon鈥 built this salon for a reason and that reason is love,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his salon makes me feel safe to be myself, the other stylists to be their own quirky selves, and our clients to feel safe to be who they are.鈥�
Burke said she realizes that the feeling of safety she values isn鈥檛 extended to all.
Two Saturday鈥檚 ago she was in her salon when she witnessed an exchange between two men who were walking by and a third party. She knew something had happened, but wasn鈥檛 sure what until a couple hours later when the men came back.
鈥淲ithout going into too much detail, nobody should feel like they can鈥檛 walk in downtown 91大黄鸭 holding hands without being verbally or even physically assaulted,鈥� she said. 鈥淟uckily they treated the situation with love, but if they hadn鈥檛 who knows what could have happened.鈥�
That鈥檚 when she realized she wanted to be part of an effort to counter the negativity in the world.
鈥淚 decided I鈥檓 going to copy Portland,鈥� she said. 鈥淏usinesses there have stickers for everything 鈥� anxiety free and breast feeding safe spaces and the rainbow sticker campaign.鈥�
At neighbouring business Rayacom Printers she ordered a load of rainbow stickers and started distributing stickers to anyone who expressed interest. Thus far there have been five businesses to follow her lead and she expects more to follow with an increasing number of messages of interest being left at her business.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 about spreading love and awareness and education,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f we can work together we can make a difference.鈥�
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