Articles from the Constitution State
Chocolate & cheesecake
On Nov. 4, Connecticut’s New Haven Pride Center is hosting their Chocolate & Cheesecake fundraiser at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven.
This foodie-fun fundraiser supports the Center’s LGBTQ+ Youth Conference (formerly True Colors Conference) so students may attend the conference for free. The conference, to be held at Central Connecticut State University in 2023, is an opportunity for students, teachers and families from all over the state to gather and connect.
The Chocolate & Cheesecake fundraiser includes a buffet meal, open bar, desserts, dancing, performances and a silent auction. Anyone unable to attend can still participate in the auction virtually.
More: newhavenpridecenter.org
‘One Big Event’
The Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective is holding their 20th One Big Event fundraiser on Saturday, Nov., 12, at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.
The fundraising shindig includes dancing, dinner, drinks and a silent auction, all in support of the oldest agency in Connecticut dedicated to the LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS communities.”
More: hglhc.org
Holiday cheer
In December, the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus is bringing their new holiday show, “We Need A Little…,” to Fairfield on 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 4, at the SHU Community Theatre, and at 2 and 6 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11, at “The Kate,” in Old Saybrook.
Here’s their (perfect) pitch: “Music. Laughter. Singing, ringing through the rafter. The men of the CTGMC will bring you all that and more just in time to get your holidays started off right. Don’t we all need a little Christmas now?”
More: ctgmc.org
Bullying allegations
Federal investigators are looking into a complaint filed by parents of LGBTQ students in the Farmington, Connecticut school district who say school officials are not protecting their children against “chronic bullying that included homophobic slurs and a group stomping of a Pride flag,” according to the CT Insider.
Reports the Insider, “The US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on Aug. 10 notified the parent who wrote the complaint that investigators will examine whether the school district failed to respond appropriately to gender identity/sexual orientation harassment that included reports of a middle school student telling an LGBTQ student to “go die” multiple times.
“OCR enforces Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any organization that receives federal funding. Parents who reported bullying of their children contend that school officials either mishandled or did not complete investigations into parents’ and students’ reports of bullying and harassment.”
School officials told the Insider they are working with the federal investigators to assist in their review.
flag dispute tabled
Darien, Connecticut’s select board tabled their decision whether or not to ban all flags except their own town’s, the state’s and the Stars and Stripes from all municipal properties, except schools. The reasoning behind such a move, say local leaders, appears to homo/transphobia.
“We all know that this is about the Pride flag,” State Sen. Bob Duff, whose district includes part of Darien, told the New Haven Register. “The governing majority in Darien … is bear-hugging these ultra-conservative decisions that we’re seeing in Washington.”
Reports the Register, “Under the measure, only the flags of the United States, the state of Connecticut and the town of Darien could hoist for display on or over town-owned buildings and property, such as town hall and the beaches. That would exclude flags of other nations such as Ukraine, the POW-MIA flag honoring veterans, the Black Lives Matter flag, the Juneteenth flag and the rainbow flag for LGBT pride.”
“I feel like being able to see a pride flag flying from town hall and the beach tells our queer youth that the leadership of their hometown supports them,” said Dan Guller, the town’s Pride committee chair, “and I would hate to see that taken away.”
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