FAIRFIELD — As Pride Month approaches, 36 LGBTQ+ Pride Groups in the Tri-State CT/NY/NJ area have banded together to issue an important request to lawmakers, local leaders, community groups and residents: stand with us.
Those groups issued a statement on Tuesday, May 20. It read as follows:
“The LGBTQ+ Pride groups across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, who represent thousands of people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, along with our families, friends, allies and neighbors, call on local leaders, community groups and residents to stand with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ community this June and throughout the year, particularly as members of the community are under heightened threat.
“We have seen 575 bills introduced this legislative season alone across the country that aim to strip us of our rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign; and are nine times more likely to be the target of a hate crime, according to the Williams Institute. The FBI has reported that hate crimes against LGBTQ+ Americans continue to rise, and at least 32 transgender and gender-expansive people have been murdered in 2025 so far.
“Our transgender and gender-expansive friends and neighbors have been disproportionately targeted and dehumanized, including by local, state and federal government and institutions that were meant to uphold the Constitution and the clearly-stated tenet in our Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.
“We call on our leaders to condemn the criminalization of trans people, and link arms with us in the fight for trans people to be able to access basic civil rights and public services, including healthcare, legal documents that reflect who they are, equal access in schools, and in every aspect of civic life.
“LGBTQ+ people contribute meaningfully to society as essential workers, artists, taxpayers, immigrants, parents, caregivers, teachers, and every facet of community life, yet we face disparities across every aspect of our lives, including financially, due to institutionalized discrimination and stigma.
“We believe that our towns, cities, and country are stronger when we embrace the diversity of our communities and when we can live free from fear. We believe our local officials should use their platforms in every capacity to fight hate in all forms.
“We call on our elected officials and communities across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to continue prioritizing LGBTQ+ rights, so that we may exist safely and be met with fairness and dignity and the same rights and protections as everyone else.”
The statement was signed by the following groups:
BeckHook Pride
Bethel CT Pride
Bucks-Mont Pride (Pennsylvania)
Darien Pride
DEI_BedfordNY — Bedford/Katonah Pride
Dutchess County Pride Center
Easton Pride
Greater Bridgeport Pride
Greenburgh-Rivertowns Pride
Greenwich Pride
Guilford Pride
Hastings Rainbow Families
Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation
Lewisboro Pride
Litchfield Pride
Milford Pride
Monroe Pride
New Rochelle Pride
North Haven Pride
OurTransLife.org
Peekskill Pride, Peekskill NY
Pound Ridge Human Rights Advisory Committee
PrideWorks for Youth
The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice Princeton Pride
pRYEde Community Group
Putnam NY Pride
Ridgefield CT Pride
Queer Family Network
Stamford Pride
The Hudson Valley Queer Collective
Triangle Community Center, Fairfield County, CT
Yonkers Pride
Waterbury CT Pride (Greater Waterbury LGBTQIA+ Pride Coalition)
Weston CT Pride
Westport Pride
Wilton Pride
