Pride Flag Raising Draws Hundreds Of Residents To Easton Town Hall

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Americans.

The Town of Easton kicked off the month-long celebration on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 5:30 PM at Easton Town Hall. Easton First Selectman David Bindelglass, Selectman Robert Lesser and Selectwoman Kristi Sogofsky were among the elected officials on hand for the annual ceremony, now in its fourth year. State Representative Anne Hughes and State Senator Tony Hwang could not attend due to legislative duties in Hartford.

The master of ceremonies for the program was Hillary Desmond. The Rev. Ally Brundige, Priest-in-Charge, at Christ Church Easton led the group in an invocation. Sage, a student at Joel Barlow High School and a member of the school's gay straight alliance, spoke of the challenges queer students face today and the work that has to be done for full acceptance into society. Elliot Leonard, a Pride activist, philanthropist and sponsor of the festival at the Easton Library, spoke of the growth of the annual event and which leads to greater acceptance and tolerance in Easton.

The Progressive Pride flag was raised by Sage, Leonard and others as Dr. Whendi Cook Broderick sang “True Colors.” The festivities continued across the street on the lawn of the library where there was live music, a book display, LGBTQ+ providers and a photo booth.

The Redding Roadhouse food truck served dinner and Jim's Ice Cream truck provided ice cream. Both food trucks were compliments of the Leonard-Litz Foundation, which was started by Easton residents Elliot Leonard and Roger Litz. For more information about the Leonard-Litz Foundation, visit https://leonardlitz.org/