Latest news with #LGBTQIA2S
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Everything you need to know about Seattle Pride Parade 2025
The Brief The Seattle Pride Parade will occur on June 29 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in downtown Seattle. Congresswoman Emily Randall and Cheer Seattle will be grand marshals for the 51st annual parade. Boeing, Expedia Group, and Amazon's LGBTQ+ Resource Group are not sponsoring this year's event. SEATTLE - More than 300,000 people will gather in June to take part in Seattle's annual pride parade. Here is everything you need to know about this year's event. The Seattle Pride Parade will take place on Sunday, June 29 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with preshow entertainment beginning at 10 a.m. The parade will run through downtown Seattle along 4th avenue. Preshow entertainment will be held at the Westlake Park stage. There will be several stages along the parade route with ADA seating. Note: several downtown roads will be closed starting as early as 7 a.m. Boeing, the Expedia Group, and Amazon's LGBTQ+ Resource Group are not returning as sponsors for the 2025 Seattle Pride Parade. The Seattle Pride Parade is a community-led event, focused on LGBTQIA2S+ visibility. Every year, over 300,000 people march for joy, justice, and belonging. "This is not a time to be quiet. This is not a time to acquiesce to extracting a list of words from our vocabulary, said Seattle Pride Executive Director Patti Hearn. "It is not a time to be a bystander or to allow others to stand by while bullies — those who were elected and those who were not — try to harm us. Try to erase us. Try to silence us. We're not going to let that happen, said Hearn. "We will stand up. We will speak up. We will get loud." Seattle Pride announced in May that Congresswoman Emily Randall, the first queer Latina in Congress, and Cheer Seattle, a non-profit cheerleading organization raising funds for the LGBTQ+ community through their performances, will serve as grand marshals for the 51st annual parade. Joining Randall and Cheer Seattle will be a host of Seattle Pride Parade announcers, including Lemon Boy, Versace Doll, Ceasar Hart, Deejay Hershe, DonnaTella Howe, Sable Jones St. James, Kimere, Justice Manslayer and Rowan Ruthless. Visit the Seattle Pride Parade website to learn more and to register to march or perform on the parade route. The Source Information in this story came from Seattle Pride and FOX 13 Seattle reporting. Anti-ICE protesters clash with police at Seattle Federal Building Home of Seattle rapper Macklemore invaded, nanny maced: police 2 dead after 'tragic' bus accident at Seattle retirement home WA deputies arrest teens for pistol-whipping boy, armed robberies Cyberattack hits supplier to Whole Foods and PCC; could impact store supplies To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Niagara Pride events create opportunities for inclusion
When it comes to the LGBTQIA2S+ community, even having parades and festivals this month is a test of equal rights, said Ron Piaseczny president of Niagara Pride. A Pride Month spiritual gathering Thursday at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Niagara Falls was well attended, Piaseczny said, with a lot of new faces. Today, another event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Newfane, creates an opportunity for inclusion. Pride N.O.W. will hold a 'fun and family-friendly event' with vendors and non-profit exhibitors at the Gazebo Business Plaza at 2720-2729 Main St. The expanded event welcomes residents of Wilson and Olcott, who have been incorporated into the event's initials. The event includes a drop-by craft project provided by Newfane High School students. Lockport's Pride celebration will be held June 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kenan Center. The event will feature LGBTQIA2S+ and allied merchants, informational vendors, and family-friendly entertainment. An adult-themed drag performance will be held at the Kenan Center's Taylor Theater immediately after the festival, hosted by Sober One Six. While he sees increased attendance as a good indicator of community building, Piaseczny said he spoke to a person at the spiritual gathering who told him that when she wore a rainbow shirt to a sub shop this week, she received noticeable stares and was left waiting longer than other customers. The reality of working to assure equal rights for LGBTQIA2S+ people, Piaseczny said, is that change takes time. New York state passed Proposition 1 in 2024 which added new categories to be protected from discrimination, including sexual orientation and pregnancy, to the state constitution. But it doesn't offer instant transformation. 'It does not mean that all of the sudden, every employer, every business in Niagara County, is going to welcome the LGBT community with open arms,' he said. Pride events are meant to bring out people to mix, mingle, be entertained, inspired, and included. These festivals are gaining a wider reach, but historically, there has been pushback for what some might call 'extreme openness.' Piaseczny makes no apologies. 'For one festival, to let our hair down, to be colorful, to be creative, to have that sense of expression, is no different than having it for heterosexuals 365 days of the year.' Piaseczny challenges people to think about whether Mardi Gras in New Orleans is any different than a pride event. It's also not 'just easier' to blend in with the straight community, he said. 'We have seen cultures and societies move in the direction that if you can not be assimilated into what is perceived as normal, ... to ask the individual to completely remove those pieces of themselves,' Piaseczny said. 'For LGBTQIA2S+ people, it's not something that people choose. You are causing severe psychological trauma and damage.' The Trevor Project website states that at least one youth ages 13-24 attempts suicide every 45 seconds. According to the Trevor Project, 'LGBTQ+ young people are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but rather are placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society.' Piaseczny said more kids are living 'out' while in school than in decades past, and that school organizations for gay students make a positive difference. 'With those being in the school, you have a deeper sense of community and peers that are being supported,' he said. 'So if there's a bully, you have others who are supportive.'
Boston Globe
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Boston rally, vote calls for codifying LGBTQIA2S+ Office amid national rights rollbacks
The office, created by a Wu executive order, existed, until Wednesday's council vote, solely at the discretion of future mayors. 'In order for us to be a sanctuary city, we need protections in place,' Santana told the Globe. 'Codifying the LGBTQIA2S+ office ensures it stays here — no matter who the mayor is.' Speakers invoked the threats facing queer and trans people nationwide. The Trump administration has moved swiftly to Advertisement 'This year, we want to make a statement,' Santana said. 'People are living in fear. People don't feel safe.' City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana (right) listened to Sister Brother Freddie Anne Willing (both cq) of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence during a speech in the City Council chamber at the Pride celebration at Boston City Hall Wednesday. Lane Turner/Globe Staff For many in attendance, the stakes are deeply personal. Lauretta Hearn, a member of the Transgender Veterans Support Group, said recent federal policy changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which halted gender-affirming surgeries for transgender veterans, have already taken a toll on their family. Advertisement 'I'm worried about my stepmom — she's 72. She's been transitioning for almost 30 years,' Hearn said. 'She feels not seen, and she gets upset because medically she can't do the surgeries, but the hormones make her still feel like she can be a woman.' Thepeer-led group offers virtual support spaces for trans veterans and their families across the country. Hearn, who co-hosts a weekly family and allies group, said they've seen the direct effects of recent care restrictions in Massachusetts and beyond. Boston, MA. 05/29/2025 - Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence members Sister Stella Tension-Hor (left) and Sister Brother Freddie Anne Willing (both cq) mingle at the Pride celebration at Boston City Hall on June 4, 2025. Boston City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana and over 45 LGBTQ+ organizations hosted a Pride rally, reception, and celebration in and outside of Boston City Hall. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff) Lane Turner/Globe Staff Phoenix Lee, a transmasculine Boston resident, said he's also bracing for ripple effects. 'I'm worried that my legal documents won't match up and I'll be penalized. I'm on MassHealth, and I'm scared that my hormones or gender-affirming care will be taken away,' he said. Still, Lee said he felt fortunate to live in a state with stronger protections than most. 'I call it the Massachusetts bubble. I'm so grateful to be able to be visible without fear,' he said. Many who attended demanded lasting change. Kimberly Rhoten, director of policy and strategic initiatives in the Mayor's LGBTQIA2S+ office, said the council's vote is about more than symbolism. 'Right now, our office exists only by executive order. Codifying it into law makes it one step harder to remove us,' Rhoten said. 'Most other offices in our cabinet are already codified. We're one of the last.' They added that the office is already on the front lines of a public health crisis affecting LGBTQIA2S+ residents, particularly youth. Advertisement 'Youth who identify as queer are far more likely to contemplate suicide, to experience housing instability, and to engage in substance use,' Rhoten said. 'These issues existed before the election. But now we're seeing ripple effects that are going to make it worse.' In response, the office has expanded its grantmaking and policy advocacy. Each year, it distributes $150,000 in 'Beyond Pride' grants to dozens of local organizations working on everything from emergency housing to gender-affirming sports leagues. A recent initiative provided $50,000 to the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition to support name and gender marker changes on legal documents, Rhoten said. 'We're focused on helping our residents, not just survive, but thrive,' Rhoten said. LaNiesha Bowles listened to speakers at the Pride celebration at Boston City Hall Plaza. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Joy, too, played a central role in the rally. Coley Kelly, an 82-year-old member of Boston Prime Timers, a social group for older gay, bisexual, and transgender men, said the event was a sign of progress. 'I think that the LGBTQ movement has been transformed over the years to be more socially acceptable — to be who you are, whenever and wherever you want to be.' He added, 'I'm confident that the movement and the acceptance of gay life is going to continue, because just about every family now either has or knows someone who's gay.' Freddie Anne Willing, abbess of the Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a queer activist and performance group known for using satire and spectacle to fight bigotry and support marginalized communities, urged the crowd to stay loud, visible, and unapologetically joyful. 'Just because we are joyful doesn't mean we are complacent,' she said. 'Just because we are joyful doesn't mean we're not angry. If it takes a little spite for you to be joyful — well, maybe that's Boston in 2025.' Advertisement Flags are held aloft at the Pride celebration at Boston City Hall on Wednesday. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Nathan Metcalf can be reached at
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mansfield to kick off Pride with flag-raising ceremony
MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Town Council recently passed a resolution to recognize that June 2025 will be designated LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Month. To celebrate the start of Pride Month, the town will hold a flag-raising ceremony for the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Flag in the courtyard facing South Eagleville Road at the Audrey P. Beck Municipal Offices. Mayor Toni Moran will lead the ceremony and read the proclamation on behalf of the Town Council. Members of the Human Rights Commission and Town Council will also join her. 'Mansfield is a welcoming community,' Moran said. 'We value all our residents and want to make it clear that people who have suffered discrimination and abuse will not find that here.' Superintendent of Schools Peter Dart will offer special remarks. Public members are invited to attend, and free Pride flags will be distributed. In case of rain, the celebration will be held inside the Town Council Chambers. The Progress Pride flag will be displayed every day in June at Town Hall and other public buildings, including the Mansfield Public Library and the Mansfield Senior Center. Mansfield Youth Services, Mansfield Public Library and the Mansfield Senior Center will also give out free flags to the public while supplies last. 'Sometimes it's necessary to make positive statements to reassure people who have legitimate fears for their safety,' Moran said. 'Our community has benefited greatly from the many members of the LGBT+ community who have chosen to live and work in Mansfield, and it is appropriate that we acknowledge their presence and offer reassurance to the young people who may need it.' Other Pride events in Mansfield include the Celebrate Pride festival, which will take place Friday at 5 p.m. at the Betsy Paterson Square in Downtown Storrs. Celebrate Pride is free and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held indoors at the Mansfield Community Center.
CTV News
02-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Flag raising at GECDSB celebrates Pride month
Pride flag raising ceremony at the headquarters of the GECDSB in Windsor on June 2. (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor) The Pride flag was raised Monday morning at the office of the Greater Essex County District School Board's (GECDSB) headquarters in Windsor. The message is clear – the school board is on the side of inclusion for residents in the community who identify as LGBTQIA2S+. Monday's ceremony and flag raising recognizes June as Pride month on the calendar. The Pride flag will fly throughout the month in recognition and support - and to draw attention to other marginalized groups in our society. For young people in schools who do identify as LGBTQIA2S+, the flag represents acknowledgement of the struggle for equality and acceptance. Wendy Nicholson is president of Windsor Essex Pride Fest and has been at the forefront of the Pride movement in the community for over 30 years. Nicholson champions efforts to make schools in the community a safe place for all, without exception. 'It's very significant just to show that the school board has everybody's back,' said Nicholson. 'They [GECDSB] are here to support not just the LGBTQIA2S+ community, but for all the marginalized kids that are in the school board. It's something very important that needs to be recognized throughout the county – Windsor-Essex.'
