Orlando shops designate themselves ‘safe places’ for gays

ORLANDO, Fla. — Officials in a Florida city are launching a program allowing businesses to designate themselves as safe places for gays and lesbians if they feel threatened.

Orlando officials will begin distributing decals Monday to local businesses to post in their windows identifying them as places members of the LGBTQ community can go if they feel they are in jeopardy.

The rainbow-colored decals are in the shape of a police badge and say, “Safe Place.”

The program is starting on the six-month anniversary of the massacre at the Pulse gay nightclub.