French cafe opens with ‘black-and-white’ images and messages of love and unity
Le culture cafe in central Paris has opened with “black- and-white” images and a message of love, a move that has delighted cafe owners and locals alike.
Le culture cafe, located in a former theatre space on Rue des Gavras, has been a haven for the French gay community since it opened its doors in November.
The cafe’s owner, Pierre Dallam, said that when he started to work in Paris in 2016, “the majority of people would never have seen us”.
He told AFP news agency that when the cafe opened, “they never imagined we would be here, and the majority of the cafe owners, as well as the people of Paris, we’ve had quite a few people say, ‘I didn’t even know you existed’.”
We just wanted to make a point, to show that you can exist without the stigma.
“Dallam said that the cafe was not about to take any customers from France, nor do the images show the gay community’s community in a negative light.”
They [the gay community] are like a family to us.
We don’t judge them.
We understand what they’re going through.
We just want to show them that it’s OK to be who you are and be who they are.
“We want to be open for everybody to come in and feel welcomed.”
The cafe is a space for everyone to enjoy and for people to come together, he added.
Le Culture Cafe, an offshoot of Le Culture, has seen its customers flock from around the world, and has been open since October, according to its website.
The owners, who are French-American, decided to open the cafe to offer an alternative to what is considered a “traditional” gay and lesbian experience in Paris.
The café opened with a rainbow-coloured mural on the walls of the space and in the cafe’s entrance, which depicts a black-and.white photograph of a rainbow and the words “Black and White”.
The mural has been the subject of controversy since its unveiling last week.
In France, the government has said it will impose fines of up to 50,000 euros ($56,000) on those who post gay pride-themed messages on social media.
