Providence LGBTQ Club Sparks Political Controversy With Mural

Providence LGBTQ Club Sparks Political Controversy With Mural

A LGBTQ+ club in Providence is at the center of controversy involving a new mural on its building

The Dark Lady, located on Snow Street downtown, recently addressed what it says has been backlash for the outdoor painting of slain Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered on a train in Charlotte in 2025 by a man with an extensive criminal history.

The issue of honoring Zarutska’s death has become a political lightning rod - President Donald Trump blasted Democrats for how they reacted to her mother’s appearance during his State of the Union address last month.

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Around the country, murals of Zarutska have been popping up - and reports that they have funded by Elon Musk has divided communities.

A similar mural in Chicago has been vandalized. 

The Chicago Tribune reports, "Splatters of paint now dot the mural of slain Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska after an unknown vandal defaced the building at the corner of Western and Montrose avenues."

That mural, which was completed in January, drew complex reactions from neighbors and Chicago-based Ukrainian artists, though they recognize the tragedy of Zarutska’s story.

In Providence

On the Dark Lady Facebook page, reaction was split - some commenters defended the club; while others said it should have honored the LGBTQ+ community on the space first.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has called for it to be removed.  But he has not spoken to the owners of the club. In his statement, Smiley said: 

The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like this across the country is divisive and does not represent Providence. I continue to encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than further divides us.

 

Club on Record

This week, the club addressed the controversy, saying the owners are "Democrats" - and decried what it called "false narratives" by detractors.

"To all of the people who have reached out to us personally with support, thank you. To everyone who has reached out with concerns and questions, respectfully, thank you. Your voices matter, and we hear you. We are sincerely apologetic for the chaos and division this has brought to our community. Any of you who know us personally—even for just five minutes—realize that the illicit intentions being portrayed here are completely false.

For decades, we have supported, protected, and served this community. That hasn’t changed—and it won’t. Our record speaks for itself.

The mural on our building was created for one reason: remembrance. It honors Iryna—a life taken too soon, as so many others have. It was never intended to be political. The narrative being created about this is wrong, and it is deeply disappointing and concerning to see a memorial misunderstood, judged, and turned into something divisive.

There have been numerous articles circulating regarding the family’s stance surrounding this project. We encourage you to read, understand, check sources and recognize fact over opinion when reading these articles.

We want to be absolutely clear: we are Democrats. We do not support Donald Trump, his administration, or the politics of division, fear, and exclusion. Our values are progressive, rooted in inclusion, equality, and respect for all people.

We are deeply frustrated that after years of working tirelessly—both in our daily lives and through our businesses—to uphold strong ethical values, we are being criticized for what was a genuine act of kindness and remembrance. The mural isn’t even finished yet, and we hope that upon completion, the community will better understand its purpose.

We stand for respect. We stand for equality—for everyone. Always have. Always will.

We understand people have strong opinions. But those opinions should be based on facts—not assumptions or mischaracterizations. We will not allow false narratives to define who we are or what we stand for.

We are here to honor all lives, support our community wholeheartedly, and stand firmly in our values.

If you want to understand our intentions, we’re open to that conversation. We will not accept being defined by rumors that simply are not true.

We remember. We stand. We include."

The club did not respond to questions as to who approached them regarding doing the mural - and if they are getting paid.