MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — It's officially Pride Month and some local cities and towns across the state are kicking off June with events for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.
In the City of Middletown, a rainbow crosswalk sits on Main Street as a sign of acceptance.
"We love you, we accept you, it’s a safe space here, so it’s just so important for everyone in the community to do things like this," said Christopher Forte, Assistant General Counsel for the City of Middletown. "We've made big gains in recent decades and in recent years where there's legislation trying to be passed around the country and here in Connecticut that is seeking to marginalize and silence the LGBTQ+ community."
Pride Month is recognized across the nation in June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots in June of 1969. Those riots were a critical point in the LGBTQ movement in the United States.
Local LGBTQ+ advocates and City leaders joined together downtown as pride flags flew on Main Street and outside City Hall to show the City of Middletown is welcoming to everyone.
"I think it’s important for everyone who lives here, works here, and plays here Middletown. I feel like it’s a place that everyone knows. It's good to know that there’s a place we can go. There’s really a wide range of reactions across Connecticut and a wide range of opinions so to know where the pockets are we can be celebrated is good," said Mel Cordener, founder and Executive Director of Q+.
Other cities and towns across the state are also holding ceremonies including West Hartford, Enfield, Hamden and Mansfield, among others. For a full list of all the pride events going on this month, click here.
Lindsey Kane is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at Lkane@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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