June 1st, 2023
For Immediate Release

Contact: Mayor Benjamin D. Florsheim, 860-638-4801

Proclamation Declaring that June 2023 Is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit Pride Month

WHEREAS, the month of June is recognized internationally as Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, when people courageously fought back against increasing hostility and discrimination they faced from police at the Stonewall Inn, which had served as a refuge for queer people—especially queer people of color, members of the transgender community, homeless young people, and drag queens, and community members at the intersection of more than one of those identities; and

WHEREAS, on June 15, 2019, under the leadership of Mayor Daniel T. Drew and Christopher Forte, Assistant General Counsel for the City of Middletown, Middletown Pride held its first-ever Pride event, drawing in over 15,000 people; in the years since, Middletown Pride has continued to grow and serve the community, now with year-round support and leadership from the Middletown LGBTQIA2S+ Commission, created in 2021; and  

WHEREAS, in 2023, Middletown Pride created its monthly community event initiative, whereby members of the Middletown LGBTQIA+ Commission host monthly Pride events; as a result, Middletown Pride had its biggest year of programming ever, holding over 15 events, with 8 events during Pride Month alone; and 

WHEREAS, also in 2023, over 541 anti-trans and anti-gay bills have been proposed in 49 states, including five such bills in the Connecticut General Assembly, and 69 of these harmful bills have passed and become law, representing a coordinated legislative assault on the LGBTQIA2S+ community’s civil rights, bodily autonomy, and free speech, and on the U.S. Constitution;  

WHEREAS, the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health affects the LGBTQIA2S+ community, who are already at increased risk for sexual and physical intimate partner violence, and from pregnancies resulting from non-consensual encounters; and  

WHEREAS, nationwide and here in Connecticut, the number of banned and challenged books is at a record high, with over 80% of such bans targeting LGBTQIA2S+ books and books that center BIPOC stories, authors, and voices; and  

WHEREAS, at PrideFEST on June 3, 2023, Middletown Pride will feature and celebrate local drag artists and transgender performers during our Pride Showcase Concerts; that Middletown Pride, on behalf of Grand Marshals Hella Swagg and Karleigh C. Webb, has donated $1,000 to both PeerPride and the Ujima Alliance; and that Middletown Pride and will raffle off free copies of banned or challenged LGBTQIA2S+ books; and  

WHEREAS, on June 1, 2023, the City of Middletown held its sixth annual raising of the Pride flag at City Hall to demonstrate the City’s unwavering support of the LGBTQIA2S+ community in Middletown. 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Benjamin D. Florsheim, Mayor of the City of Middletown, hereby proclaim June 2023 as: 

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit Pride Month

in the City of Middletown and, on behalf of the residents, it is my pleasure to recognize and honor Middletown Pride, the City of Middletown, the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, Wesleyan University, the Russell Library, the City’s LGBTQIA+ Commission, Christopher Forte, and the Triangle Community Center, to thank them for their vision, planning, and execution of Middletown Pride, which has done so much to enrich the entire Middletown community, and to promote equality for our LGBTQIA2S+ residents.  

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the seal of the City of Middletown to be affixed this 1^st day of June 2023.  

MAYOR BENJAMIN D. FLORSHEIM