“The LGBTQ+ community isn’t going anywhere,” according to MassLive.com. “That was the message attendees and organizers at Small Town Pride in North Brookfield had for opponents Saturday.”
Reports MassLive.com:
Neither the continued community opposition, including a group of protestors at the event, nor a day of rain showers could throw a wet blanket on the spirits of the celebration.
For Samson Michael Melendez, LGBTQ+ people maintaining visibility is the key to dispelling bigotry.
“I thought it was very empowering for the community as a whole to gather and make inclusive spaces for an intergenerational focus on the LGBTQ+ community,” Melendez said.
Recent weeks have featured continued opposition both from North Brookfield’s selectmen and in failed petitions from community members, much of which centered on the event’s drag performance.
The town initially approved the event, rescinded its approval then approved the event without a drag show, before the ACLU stepped in threatening legal action. The town then said there was no permit needed for the event.
“This opposition really came out of a political platform trying to gain movement and momentum under fear, under bigotry, under misunderstanding,” Melendez said.
Gav D., another attendee at the event, said they tend to see hatred come in waves, often as backlash to significant gains for LGBTQ+ people.
“When I was younger the events were a lot harder to put on and you would have never seen it in a town like this,” they said.
“I really think it’s important that we showed up today. People that are growing up in small towns that are queer, trans, anything like that, can see that they have some future.”
Read the complete MassLive.com story here.
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