Borough Hall is getting a big hug in the wake of the Orlando massacre.
Borough President Adams is wrapping the entirety of the People’s House in the colors of the rainbow flag to commemorate the 49 people shot dead at a gay nightclub on Sunday, and is inviting Kings County residents to pen messages on the fabric as a way to express both their grief and solidarity with the borough’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.
“It sends a message to the LGBTQ community that we’re all united at this time,” he said. “What I’ve learned is that when you have a tragedy, people need a way of expressing their pain.”
People can participate in the project by stopping by tables outside Borough Hall draped in the colorful cloth and writing down their own thoughts.
Once the more than 800 feet of material — nearly three football fields in length — is full, Borough Hall staffers will connect the swatches and wrap them around the circumference of the building, creating a rainbow.
On Tuesday, residents stopped by to write the first messages, including “love is love” and demands for gun control.
“May this be an end to senseless gun violence,” wrote one person. “May we never forget the victims of Orlando and every person lost to bullets and bloodshed.”
The gunman killed two Brooklynites during the massacre — social worker Enrique Rios and Brenda McCool, who reportedly died while shielding her son.
One Kings County resident said the memorial warmed his heart.
“It’s about love, we have to support one another,” said Flatbush man Gary Jefferson. “I’m happy that something like this memorial is possible.”
Another woman said the attack left her at a loss for words, but the tribute gave her a way to express her sadness.
“We’re a country that prides itself on including people and it’s just a horrible act of violence against people who are having fun,” said Helene Hovanec, who lives in Brooklyn Heights. “It’s beyond sad, I don’t know how to express it. I don’t have the words to express it.”
The project could take days to complete, according to a Borough Hall spokesman. The Beep is planning to unveil the colorful facade by reading out the flag’s messages at a future event.
