Last week, the rainbow Pride flag right outside of The Hair Room was stolen. This comes nearly four years after their previous Pride flag was set on fire.

We spoke to Anatalie, owner of The Hair Room, to hear her perspective:

I’m a lover of love, equality and pride. Part of my vision for the Hair Room was to create a safe space for stylists and guests. Last week, our Pride flag was deliberately stolen when someone jumped out of a car, grabbed it (pole and all), and took off. This was a bit of a trigger for me as that flag was a gift from the Hudson Pride Center to replace my original Pride flag that was set on fire almost four years ago. I posted the security footage of
the theft and in true Jersey City fashion, the community was super supportive. Councilman Solomon’s team, specifically Laura Bustamente, directly reached out to provide support and connect us with Officer Lionakis, who took our concern seriously.

I knew the flag had found a new home and I wasn’t going to change the reasoning behind why someone stole it so instead, I decided to respond with more love. I immediately ordered a new flag and pole and the addition of 50+ smaller flags. I decided to place them in my flower bed with a sign that reads, “Take one and spread the love!” Now anyone wanting a flag can have one.

Anatalie put a lovely spin to an otherwise frustrating situation, one she’s had to deal with on multiple occasions. Now, anyone can stop by and grab a smaller flag from the flower bed while the large flag can continue to fly outside of The Hair Room.

You can visit The Hair Room at 213 Montgomery St in Jersey City.