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06/03/2023 06:51 AMThe LGBTQ+ community of North Haven will be seen and celebrated with the inaugural North Haven Pride (NHP) event hosted by the group of the same name on Saturday, June 17 on the North Haven Town Green.
This will be the first Pride event held in North Haven and will signal powerfully to LGBTQ+ youth in town that where they live is an inclusive environment where they are visible and understood for who they are. That is the message for them and every single person in North Haven, regardless of who they are, said Jamie Krzmarzick of NHP.
“We are welcoming of all people regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, economic background, and I think that Pride is a huge step in the right direction for showing our community members that they are valid, they’re real, and that they have a place here,” said Krzmarzick.
Krzmarzick said the NHP has seen “a massive amount of love, support, and engagement” from the community, with over $20,000 raised for the event without the launch of a former fundraising campaign.
“People have come to us asking to sponsor this event. Local businesses have reached out wanting to be a part of this day and all the future events North Haven Pride will put on,” said Krzmarzick. “This has gotten to be much bigger than we ever anticipated.”
NHP members expressed gratitude towards North Haven Recreation and First Selectman Michael Freda for their support in the event’s holding.
Because Pride events are about acknowledging the humanity of another individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, NHP recognizes the inaugural event on the Town Green as apolitical in nature. According to Amanda Gabriele, it contributes to the broader “strong sense of community” in North Haven.
“I think this is just one additional way that we can further bolster that sense of community and especially for young kids,” said Gabriele.
Through activism, Tim Gabriele of NHP said he has personally seen the impact of the North Haven Board of Education’s commitment to fostering a safe place for LGBTQ+ students.
“I’ve been stopped in my tracks by a couple of parents who’ve given me a sense of the growth in North Haven over the last 10 years. [They are] parents who have kids who are out who started their journey in the middle school… and their experience has gotten progressively better,” Gabriele said.
But that commitment “does not stop at the door of North Haven schools,” added Tim Gabriele. “This [event] is a way to continually say...to people who might be looking to move to the town that this is an inclusive town,” he said.
In previous years, members of North Haven’s LGBTQ+ community may have had to go to Pride events in cities like New Haven and Middletown. While those events may have made them feel seen, Krzmarzick said it makes a great difference when that event is held in one’s hometown.
“For some people in North Haven, this will be the only Pride event they have access to. New Haven puts on a huge pride event; Middletown puts on a huge pride event. But for some 12-year-old in North Haven, this may be it, and we want them to have access to that,” said Krzmarzick.
NHP’s Lauren Tagliatela, who grew up in Wallingford, which she described as “fairly similar to North Haven,” said it would have made a tremendous difference if an event celebrating the humanity of LGBTQ+ persons such as herself at the time existed where she was raised.
“I came out to my parents at 16…if we had something like this done, it would have saved years and years and years of pain,” said Tagliatela. “It’s so important to the youth; this would have been life-changing for me as a teenager growing up.”
Freda expressed his support for the event, which he hopes to be an addition to North Haven to being a “community that is harmonious” that combats “any levels of hate [and] discrimination.”
He reflected upon events in the past regarding the acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals, including those involving his extended family, that impacted that mission to create a “harmonious” sense of community.
“I saw at a very young age how divisive how divisiveness can disrupt a very large family. I never got it,” said Freda. “I don’t like divisiveness. I don’t want to see acrimony in the community. I pride myself on being a very compassionate individual.”
The American Civil Liberties Union tallies nearly 500 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation churning their way through state assemblies across the United States, a fact that inspires NHP to hold this event more than ever.
“It’s shocking to me from just a human standpoint that we would ever be so blatant in telling someone they can’t exist as they are, and we want to make sure that North Haven is protective and safe,” said Krzmarzick.
NHP encourages all North Haven residents to embrace anyone they know who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community and remind its youngest person there is place for them in North Haven and that it can promise them their futures.
“Pride celebrations save lives. They tell young people that you are validated, that you are loved, that your point of view matters. We want to see more young LGBTQ people become adults, and Pride celebrations pave the way for that.”
The NHP event, scheduled for Saturday, June 17, will begin with the raising of the Pride flag at 11 a.m., with remarks made by Freda, Krzmarzick, and Mandato. Remarks will also be made by Pattie McKnight and Tony Ferraiolo of Health Care Advocates International, leaders in HIV treatment and the overall health of LGBTQ+ communities.
Vendors selling food, crafts, and jewelry made by LGBTQ+ persons will be present at the event. Health Care Advocates International and other similar organizations will also be present as representatives for “safe and affirming places for the queer community to get healthcare.”
Other activities will include arts and crafts, a dance class, face painting, and up-close interaction with animals from Animal Embassy.
For more information on NHP and the inaugural event, visit. www.northhavenpride.org.