New Britain Pride is hosting events in New Britain in celebration of the 2018 Pride Month and is working with City Council President Pro-Tempore Eva Magnuszewski (D-AL) for a regional Pride parade next year.
A City Council resolution declaring June as “Pride in the City” Month, encouraged, “all residents to come out and attend the various events which have been organized by ‘New Britain Pride’.”
The organization will be hosting a “LGBeeT Night” at the New Britain Bees game on June 22nd. The game in which the New Britain Bees host the Pennsylvania Road Warriors, will begin at 6:35pm.
On June 26th, New Britain Pride and True Colors, Inc. will join Community Mental Health Affiliates for, “an awareness raising and personal sharing event for Community Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA) staff, friends and family.” New Britain Pride CEO John Board, True Colors, Inc. Director Robin McHaelen and Deanna H. of CMHA will be presenters at the event. Deanna H. will speak to share her own personal story of transition. The “Lunch & Learn” event will be from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Lincoln Room at 240 Newington Avenue.
Looking ahead to 2019, Magnuszewski joined New Britain Pride in sending a letter to the chief elected officials of neighboring cities and towns asking them to participate in starting a regional Pride parade. The letter asks leaders of Avon, Berlin, Bristol, Farmington, Hartford, Meriden, Newington, Plainville, Southington and West Hartford to contribute $700 toward the 2019 parade.
The first parade would be held in New Britain on June 28, 2018, the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City, which GLAAD says is what,
most historians consider to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement. At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBT patrons were common, but that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. While historical accounts of the night vary, the violent response ignited a national firestorm of activism that brought new visibility to the struggle for LGBT equality.
The letter also invites the participating cities and towns to rotate as hosts for the parade, and invites other municipalities than those initially invited to join, as well.
