Pittsfield Leader Receives Commonwealth Pride Award
BOSTON — Berkshire Pride's president and Pittsfield's HR director received an inaugural Commonwealth Pride Award on Wednesday at the State House.
Michael Taylor was one of 105 LGBTQ-plus individuals celebrated for outstanding accomplishments in Massachusetts, which continues to rank No.1 in the United States LGBTQ-plus Equality Index. Taylor is the president of the Berkshire Pride board and is the director of human resources for the city of Pittsfield.
State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier announced the news in a video on social media of herself and Taylor at the awards.
"You've just brought the community together so well. Pride has grown and grown and grown," she said. "It's such a celebration, and there's so much inclusivity, and importantly, joy."
Berkshire Pride is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a month of events and activities in Berkshire County, with the flagship parade and festival at The Common on Saturday.
Taylor, in the video, said this event has "a lot of joy" and wonderful families coming out to celebrate themselves and their community.
"And it's just really just an overall vibrant event that really just brings everybody together for a really happy day," he said.
The Commonwealth Pride Awards were hosted by the LGBTQ-plus Legislative Caucus, which promised that this was only the beginning of the annual awards. Honored community leaders include public servants, advocates, doctors, authors, filmmakers, educators, historians, entrepreneurs, and religious leaders.
The Wednesday ceremony in the Senate Chamber, which was streamed on malegislature.gov, included remarks, musical performances, and the reading of the names of more than 100 individuals being honored.
Jack Patrick Lewis, of the 7th Middlesex District, explained that he and a couple of colleagues in the caucus hatched an idea for the awards a few years ago. They thought they would get as many as 35 nominations, but 105 people were awarded.
"The large number of my colleagues who nominated folks, the large number of folks who came today, it tells a story. It tells us that even at these difficult times, our community continues to come together," Lewis said.
"When there are those who would rather debate our existence than celebrate our contributions, LGBTQ-plus people continue to serve, create, teach, heal, organize, lead, and love. While there are those who try to narrow the definition of who belongs, we in Massachusetts continue to widen that circle."
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll looked around the room and recognized people she knows from countless professions and backgrounds who are all sharing the commitment of making your communities more welcoming, more inclusive, and more vibrant.
Together, she said, they are the epitome of excellence, courage, and inspiration.
"We're the state that led on abolition, on women's rights, on civil rights, and LGBTQ rights. We're the state where marriage equality began. We're the state that still ranks No. 1 in the United States LGBTQ equality index," Driscoll said.
"That means we are the state that best protects your rights and freedoms, and we're the state where public opinion supports that. It's ingrained in our culture."
She explained that this day is also about looking forward and recognizing the people who carry that legacy every day; creating opportunities, opening doors, and helping ensure that every person feels seen, valued, supported, and loved.
"While we celebrate how far we've come, we also recognize that the work is far from finished. Across the country, we continue to see the challenges to rights and freedoms that so many have fought to secure, and we believe here in Massachusetts, we're the antidote to it. The worst of what Washington and Trump are delivering. It's Massachusetts that will show the way forward," Driscoll asserted.
"It's an honor. It's a responsibility, and that's why leadership really matters at these moments. It's why your work matters. It's why events like this, and you being here, matter, because we are going to continue to fight to ensure that every young person can feel safe and supported and empowered to be exactly who they are, because at the core, I think that's what our state is all about."
Lewis pointed to actions the caucus has taken in recent years around expanding access to HIV prevention services, an LGBTQ-plus senior bill of rights, and gender-affirming care.
He said they hear a lot about what goes on in Washington, D.C., "and it's unfortunate," but in Massachusetts, that isn't the case.
"The truth is, our LGBTQ-plus community is not separate from the Massachusetts community," he added.
"We are your neighbors, we're your teachers, we're your veterans, we're your clergy, we're your healthcare workers, we're your elected representatives, we're your family, and we all are the commonwealth."
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