Pittsfield Raises Flag at City Hall for Pride Month
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pride flag was raised at City Hall on Saturday in celebration of community members living as their authentic selves.
This is Berkshire Pride's 10th anniversary, something that feels "a little bit surreal" for Michael Taylor, president of the Berkshire Pride board.
"Because 10 years ago Berkshire Pride was really just an idea and a belief that our community deserved to be seen, to be celebrated, to be supported," he explained to dozens of people attending the flag-raising ceremony.
"Right here in the Berkshires, there was no festival, there was no parade, there weren't thousands of people in The Common like there is now. There weren't people lining North Street waving rainbow flags. There was just a group of people who believed that visibility matters, and somehow that small grassroots energy became what we have today."
He said this is also about celebrating a decade of building community trust, showing up for one another, and first showing up for ourselves, because "we're busy creating spaces where people can be exactly who they are."
At the first Berkshire Pride event, participants took a walk around The Common and at one point, had a small dance break. Taylor remembers how excited former Mayor Linda Tyer was, and how she said they needed a parade, which became a reality some years ago.
Pride Month, which celebrates the LGBTQ-plus community, began on Monday. Berkshire Pride is hosting a whole month of events and activities, with the flagship parade and festival at The Common on June 20.
Mayor Peter Marchetti delivered a proclamation affirming Pittsfield's "longstanding commitment to upholding the human rights of all people, and remains dedicated to supporting the visibility, dignity, and equality of the LGBTQ-plus residents and all the diverse individuals who strengthen our community."
Marchetti, joined by Councilor at Large Peter White, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham, and Ward 7 Councilor Katherine Moody, thanked Tyer for being there as a straight ally to allow this to begin.
"The reason I asked the members of the City Council to join me is that this is a united front, and one in particular had to stand by me as I was being attacked just recently by an ignorant person that lives in the City of Pittsfield," the mayor said.
"And so I think it's important when they stick by me, and they stick by all of you. Whether they're an ally or one of us, I think that we need to make sure that they are recognized and know that their support is appreciated."
Taylor has watched Berkshire Pride over the last decade grow from a single event into its own nonprofit, with expanded programming, new communities, and opportunities for education and connection, while building real local partnerships.
Most importantly, he said, they have watched people find community, young people realize that they are not alone, families learn, grow, and become stronger, and allies become advocates.
"We've watched people who once felt invisible discover that they belong, and that's really what Pride is about," Taylor said.
While Pride is a celebration, he reminded attendees that modern-day freedoms came from the courage of people who spoke up when it was really difficult, stood up when it was unpopular, and refused to disappear when others wanted them to.
Taylor also reminded them that Pride is a protest.
"Particularly, it feels like a really important reminder this year, because while we have so much to celebrate, I think we would be naive to ignore the challenges our community is facing across the country today, where we continue to see members of our community, particularly transgender folks and non-binary folks, targeted for simply existing," he said.
"But despite all of that, we are still here. We are still gathering, we are still celebrating, we are still raising this flag, we're still going to The Common, we're still marching. Every time we raise that flag here in City Hall, it's sending a message, and it's sending a message that LGBTQ-plus people belong."
The Community Partner of the Year Award was given to the Elizabeth Freeman Center for making a meaningful and lasting impact on the Berkshire Pride community through the Educating Equity Program, GSA Unification Project, and after-school programming.
"In addition to direct program and collaboration, the Elizabeth Freeman Center has provided consistent financial support, staffing resources, and professional development opportunities that have strengthened Berkshire Pride's capacity to serve this community," Taylor said.
"And as a longstanding organization addressing domestic and sexual violence, they have intentionally expanded their work to ensure that LGBTQ-plus individuals who are disproportionately impacted by violence and systematic barriers receive specialized support."
Freeman Center Director Divya Chaturvedi said this recognition is especially meaningful coming from a partner they deeply admire. She said Berkshire Pride has been a powerful force of visibility, inclusion, advocacy, and community in the county.
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