Reported by Natalie Nonken, Boston Spirit contributing writer
(Editor’s note: This article appears in the November/December 2016 print edition of Boston Spirit magazine. Subscribe for free today.)
Hartford’s Second Pride Festival Draws a Crowd of Hundreds
As reported by the Hartford Courant, the city hosted it’s Hartford Capital City Pride Festival this year on September 16th. This was the second annual festival in Connecticut’s capital. Hundreds of attendees enjoyed the festival, which was the last of the PrideFest events that were held throughout the week. The final event of the week even involved a party after the outdoor festival at Bushnell Park. Charlie Ortiz, chair of the PrideFest, told the Hartford Courant that the former mayor, Mayor Pedro Segarra, had a great deal to do with the start of the festival in the city. Mayor Segarra encouraged nonprofits in the area to host an even focused on the LGBT community. According to the Courant, the first festival in 2015 moved Ortiz and his organization CLARO, Connecticut Latinas/os Achieving Rights and Opportunities, to start the site OutInCT.com. The site features information about Connecticut’s LGBT community and the local businesses that support the community.
Community College Hosts LGBT Q&A
According to the Ellington Patch, Asnuntuck Community College hosted a question and answer session in order for their community to gain a stronger understanding of the LGBT community. The event, held on September 27th, was hosted by the Asnuntuck Association of Non-Traditional Students and Asnuntuck College’s Pride. The event at the college, in Enfield, Connecticut, was meant to educate students about LGBT topics.
Gender Equality Forum At SCSU Talks Gun Rights
As reported by Brian Zahn of the New Haven Register, this October a panel discussion on gender and sexual equality was hosted at Southern Connecitut State University. The panel included two Republican congressional candidates—Angel Cadena and Matthew Corey. One of the topics discussed was gun control, as the panel talked about this summer’s massacre at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. According to the New Haven Register, Professor Rosalyn Amenta, who is a SCSU adjunct professor in women’s studies, said that the panel discussion was meant to be an opportunity to examine where CT candidates stood on the role that they play, as well as the role that local government plays, in securing justice for everyone. While the panelists had varying opinions when asked about the topic of gun control, the event brought up the important discussion of concerns for safety in the LGBT community, and in the country in general.
Connecticut LGBT Organizations Show Their Support for Congressional Candidates
According to Rob Ryser of the NewsTimes, this October a couple of different LGBT organizations expressed their support for the different candidates for congress in Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District. The Pride Fund to End Gun Violence PAC endorsed Democrat Elizabeth Esty. Log Cabin Republicans, who represent gay conservatives, endorsed GOP candidate Clay Cope. Cope is an openly gay candidate who fully supports the Second Amendment. Esty advocates for gun reform in ways such as preventing those on the government’s no-fly list from being able to buy firearms.
