Rabbi Keith Stern, a Newton resident and Chair of the Human Rights Commission, began the Pride Month flag-raising ceremony at City Hall on Thursday, noting, “There is no such thing as discrimination or prejudice ending up affecting one group only; it spreads like a disease. What we have to do is say no to this kind of discrimination and say yes to gatherings like this.”
Mayor Fuller, in her remarks, commented, “It feels like we are in the midst of five decades of struggles, and today it feels like the world is going backward rather than forward,” adding she felt less hopeful than she did 10 years ago.
Both Mayor Fuller and Rabbi Stern agreed that pride month is not something to be taken for granted — that state and local legislatures in the US have already introduced more than 500 laws targeting and going backward on the LGBTQ+ community this year. Mayor Fuller said, “Books about LBGTQ+ people are being pulled from school reading lists and being banned from libraries. Legislation in more than a dozen states is prohibiting transgender young people from receiving medically necessary care.”
Mayor Fuller referred to the demonstration that came to Newton surrounding the drag show at Newton North but expressed pride that “our students stood up, spoke up, and drowned out hate with love.”
As part of Pride Month, there will be a Celebration of Queer Culture event at City Hall on Saturday June 17 from 10 AM to 3 PM, organized by Newton High School students.
The pride flag will fly throughout June as a symbol of inclusivity, pride, unity, and celebration for our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer community.
