Articles from the Constitution State
Permanent Pride
Norwalk, Connecticut, has a new, rainbow crosswalk outside Norwalk’s Mathews Park, and unlike many other LGBTQ-affirming Pride-season installations, this one’s intended to be a permanent fixture on the city street.
“This is a year-long symbol, taking Pride from the month of June to 365 days a year,” State Rep. Lucy Dathan of Norwalk and New Canaan said at the rainbow crosswalk’s unveiling ceremony, as reported by Patch Media–Norwalk.
“It’s really important because it shows we are a unified community,” the city’s Mayor Harry Rilling said. “In the word ‘community,’ there’s the word ‘unity,’ and there is no community without unity, people working together and respecting each other.”
Said the state’s senate majority leader, Bob Duff, “We’re a place that values equity and equality, and [the crosswalk] will be a symbol not only during Pride Month, but it will be a symbol 12 months out of the year.”
“Connecticut’s always been a welcoming place, and this will be a constant reminder that as people come into Connecticut, they’ll know that Norwalk and the state is a place where they feel welcome, they feel warm and they feel loved,” Duff said.
Wedding foibles
Greenwich native Liz Parker’s debut novel, “All Are Welcome,” celebrates the foibles of a lesbian couple, both raised in Greenwich like Parker and her real-life wife, as they travel to Bermuda with their family for their wedding ceremony.
“There is inevitable humor in challenging the status quo,” Parker told Greenwich Time. “I wanted to write a book that featured gay characters who weren’t coming out—it was the characters around them who were still struggling. But I also think there is a spectrum of acceptance and growth that comes with a family’s first gay child, and I wanted to shine a light on that process—a process that is challenging, at times frustrating, and often very funny.“
Entertainment Tonight named it to its “Most Anticipated LGBTQ” A&E list of 2021. The novel was released in July.
Historic wedding venue
Drew M. Angelo, director of operations and co-owner of Historic Events & Banquets, told the Hartford Courant his wedding and events business aims to set LGBTQA couples looking to tie the knot at ease.
“A lot of companies … put out the Pride flag because it’s good for business, but we are LGBT-owned,” Angelo told the Courant. “A lot of it is how we talk to guests, how we talk to the couples. We don’t have a bridal suite. It’s a VIP suite. Our whole business model is gender-neutral.”
And they’re doing it all, starting this September, from a centuries-old historic mill, dating back to 1672, where, reports the Courant, the wool was spun that George Washington wore in his inaugural suit.
Reports the Courant, “Historic Events will operate out of the 6,000-square-foot “clerestory” building as well as the lawn behind it, which abuts Bigelow Brook. The brook is hidden from view now by dense foliage, but Bonzani plans to cut down the shrubbery to make the running water visible, enhancing the site’s visual appeal.
“The clerestory was built in several stages: in the 1870s, in 1902 and in 1923. Bonzani estimated the ongoing renovations to that building alone cost about $1 million.
“The venue will be big enough for up to 250 sit-down guests or 550 cocktail-party guests, Angelo said. Events could include weddings, private and corporate functions, even car shows, as the clerestory doors open wide enough for cars to drive in.
More: historicevents.co
Moving on
West Hartford Town Councilor Beth Kerrigan, the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the council, announced she’ll retire at the end of her term, according to the Hartford Courant. Previously, she’d served as the town’s deputy mayor from 2017 to 2019.
“I am so grateful to the West Hartford voters for giving me the opportunity to serve our community — a town my wife and I chose to raise our family,” Kerrigan said in a press release.
“I also thank my colleagues on the council and our dedicated town staff for their time and energy on behalf of West Hartford.”
