(Photo by Bellanee Plaza)
ORLANDO | SAVOY Orlando installed new Pride window art Sept. 3 to “make a statement for the community.”
Joshua Cooper, co-owner of SAVOY, says the bar is not just in the community, but actually a part of the community.
“Right now, the current administration, both federal and state level, are trying to effectively erase the LGBT community to push us back into the shadows and we really wanted to make a statement to our community that we are here to back you up 100%, and this is the spot where you can come and you’ll always be safe,” Cooper shares.
With the new artwork, the community feedback has been “beyond belief,” Cooper says.
“People are so excited,” he explains. “I’m so glad that we decided to make the investment to do it because it really has affected people more than I thought it would.”
It cost around $5,000 to install and there will be two more panels going in to represent other flags from the LGBTQ+ community like the lesbian, bisexual and transgender flags. Cooper says he reached out to Warehouse Wraps to install the panels.
“They did a great job … really reasonable to work with,” Cooper explains. “It’s been a fantastic experience. I’m really glad we did it. I wish we would have done it sooner now.”
Cooper says the art mockups were a pet project that he did in secret because he wanted to get everything in place before announcing anything.
“It’s to make a statement for a community, which we’ve always done for the last 20 years. but it’s also to make a statement to those outside of our community that we’re not going to disappear into the shadows quietly,” Cooper shares. View photos below.
Photos by Bellanee Plaza.
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