Why We Have Seekonk Pride

It’s easy to have morals until they cost you something. Colleges and universities, law firms, and corporations have pre-emptively surrendered. But Seekonk hasn't succumbed, as evidenced by our town's second-annual Pride.

On Sunday, June 8, more than 600 attendees crowded into the Newman Y's Camp Wamsutta for Seekonk Pride, featuring nearly 50 vendors and an eclectic blend of entertainment that included belly dancers, amateur wrestlers and a tuba player, among other acts. Our town's Pride celebration came about through the combined efforts of Love Lives in Seekonk, a local nonprofit, and the generosity of more than two dozen sponsors in our South Coast communities. Drag personality GiGi Glam hosted and DJ Rawkstah Entertainment spun the soundtrack on an unforgettable afternoon spotlighting Seekonk at its best — a small town with a big heart.

Opponents of equality say they don't believe that transgender people (specifically trans kids) exist, then bellyache about "gender ideology."

They’ll claim they’re for “academic freedom,” then censor any discussion around diversity in the classroom.

They’ll drape themselves in “parental rights,” then deny my child the freedom to read about celebrating Pride.

I devour the news daily. It’s exhausting, it’s exasperating, and I don’t blame people for checking out. But if you unplug altogether, you’re guaranteeing we'll lose.

It’s easy to forget as an elder Millennial how our federal government turned a blind eye to the erasure of an entire generation of gay men during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. No cure, no hope, and yet the world still spun madly on.

Whether it’s a festival, rainbow flags or a lawn sign, these simple gestures of support for the queer community aren't empty virtue signaling. They're a barometer, a beacon in the face of darkness. Every Seekonk resident deserves to be at home in their hometown.

That's why Pride has always been part memorial and celebration. We have it because it makes the sacrifices that so many have made visible. We refuse to be silent, fearful, and hide in our closets. It's how we honor those that have been taken from us.

Joseph Novinson