HARTFORD, Conn. — Amid an increase of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being proposed and passed at a record rate in states across the country causing the Human Rights Campaign to issue an emergency declaration to LGBTQ+ people living in the United States.
Connecticut’s LGBTQ+ community members said despite the headlines they have hope for the future.
“I don’t have hope for the present, but I do have hope for the future,” said Tarin Degnan of Killingworth. “We’ve prevailed in the past and we shall prevail in the future."
Some said the hope they have for the future is living in a society where homophobia and transphobia are things of the past.
“We’re literally out here trying to be ourselves,” said Mel Cordner, Executive Director of Q Plus a community group for LGBTQ+ youth.
Some said the hope that the LGBTQ+ community is addressing disparities.
“Having more advocacy for different disparities that we have when navigating inclusion and diversity within schools and workspaces,” said Ace Ricker of New Britain.
Barry Walters one of the Co-chairs of West Hartford Pride reminded the community members at the recent raising of the Pride Flag on Union Green that hope is up to all of us by quoting an excerpt of a 1978 speech by Harvey Milk:
“There is hope for a better tomorrow without hope not only gays, but the Blacks, and the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us’s, the us’s. Without hope, the us’s give up. I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living, and you, and you, and you have got to give them hope,:" said Walters. “It is up to us to give each other hope, it's up to us to live our joy, our truths."
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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