Submitted by Allison Hope
Pride is more than color and celebration; it is a promise — to ourselves, to our neighbors, and to the young people growing up here — that everyone has a right to live openly and without fear. That promise is why towns gather each June, and why Greenwich will come together on Saturday, June 6 at 4:00pm on the front steps of Town Hall to raise the Pride flag and mark the 10th annual Greenwich Pride with a proclamation declaring June Pride Month.
We gather because visibility matters. Surveys show that large numbers of young people now identify as LGBTQ: major national polls put Gen Z’s LGBTQ identification in the low-to-high twenties — roughly 22–28% depending on the study — a transformative share of our next generation. Emerging research about Gen Alpha (the oldest of whom are now teenagers) likewise shows early signs that younger teens are more open about gender and sexual identity, and that among young people surveyed across teen and young-adult ages about 22% identify as LGBTQ. That growth is not merely statistical; it represents kids in our schools, on our teams and at our kitchen tables. Showing up for Pride affirms them and helps create the kind of community where they can safely exist and participate in society like their non-LGBTQ counterparts.
That need for affirmation is urgent. Across the country, recorded hate incidents motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity have climbed in recent years, even as overall crime trends shifted — a pattern documented in federal hate-crime reporting, including the FBI, and highlighted by advocacy organizations. Locally, Connecticut has seen sharp increases in bias-motivated incidents in recent years — a worrying jump that underscores we are not immune to the same hatred that has exploded elsewhere. For many trans people, the assault is not only physical: in dozens of states their access to evidence-based, life‑saving gender‑affirming care and to ordinary civic participation has been restricted or criminalized, underscoring why visible community support matters now more than ever.
Even in Greenwich — with our tree‑lined streets and engaged neighbors — there are residents today who do not feel safe coming out, and there are those who, once out, have experienced assaults or hate incidents in places that ought to feel secure. Pride is our collective answer to that fear: a public refusal to let silence and intimidation define who belongs here.
The 10th annual Greenwich Pride is broad and inclusive. Nearly all of our leaders from both sides of the aisle have voiced support and will join us for the flag‑raising and proclamation, alongside clergy from multiple faith traditions, local businesses and nonprofits, neighbors and allies. Their presence matters because true belonging is built by institutions and individuals alike.
If you want to show up as an ally, here are two simple, concrete things to do:
- Be visible and consistent: attend the flag raising on Saturday, June 6 at 4:00pm, bring friends, and wear a symbol of solidarity (we’ll have t-shirts, signs and cups available for purchase). Enjoy the moment (and free ice cream!) and make a community feel safer. Public presence reduces isolation and signals protection.
- Listen and act: learn from local LGBTQ organizations, amplify queer voices, intervene safely if you witness harassment and support policies that protect healthcare, education and civil participation for trans and LGBTQ people (and indeed that support us all).
Pride is celebration and it is a call to action. It asks us not just to cheer but to keep showing up — at town halls and school board meetings, in our businesses and places of worship, on our block and online. When we gather on June 6, we celebrate how far we’ve come and insist, together, on a future where our children and neighbors can be themselves without fear. Join us — because community is the strongest protection we have.