HAMBURG, N.Y. — A new pride celebration is coming to Hamburg.
The inaugural Pride in the Park celebration is scheduled for June 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Events that day will be at Memorial Park and the Hamburg Unitarian Universalist Church.
The lineup includes different speakers and performances, a Pride service, a guided meditation, a clothing drive to benefit transgender youth, and more.
The full program for the day will be announced on the event’s Facebook page, which is where you can find most details about the day.
There will also be a Pride Ride on the evening of June 5 hosted by Hamburg Village Bike Rides.
Organizers say that all are welcome to the weekend’s events, and they hope this can launch a new Pride initiative in Hamburg.
“As much as Hamburg is a welcoming community in certain ways, I think we have a long way to go. And I think that we all have friends and all know community members who have suffered based on their gender or sexual orientation. And so all of us are really dedicated to making a community where that won't happen, where, you know, hopefully, the next generation won't have to deal with that,” Hamburg Pride organizer Ella Pascucci said.
Another organizer, Karen Hoak, said: “Inclusion means everybody. You know, it's not just our LGBTQ citizens, it's not all marginalized communities. We want our inclusive efforts to reach everybody who's interested in learning more, and doing better to promote a more welcoming environment."
Added Carly Story, another one of the event’s organizers: “One of my biggest hopes is that people make Hamburg a destination for Pride celebrations in the future, that it becomes such a well-attended, celebrated event, that it can model for other communities who maybe don’t have their own Pride events, that we can really live up to our name of the town, that friendship built here in Hamburg."
Story also says that Hamburg Businesses and organizations can complete a virtual LGBTQIA+ Competency Training. Once completed, businesses will get a Hamburg Pride sticker to recognize them as a safe space in the community.
“This is a will be a really nice visual cue for them to display, and for those in our community, to see that this is a business, this is an establishment that values and celebrates these values that Hamburg Pride is all about diversity, inclusion, pride," Story said.
A form to sign up for this training is also on the event’s Facebook page.
You can also follow Hamburg Pride on Instagram @hamburgpride14075 or contact the group via email at hamburgpride14075@gmail.com.
At this time, there are no scheduled events beyond Pride in the Park. However, the organizers hope that the June weekend will serve as a first step toward future events in and around the Hamburg community.
Organizers also hope anyone who attends the events will take advantage and visit the different local businesses throughout the village of Hamburg.