Springfield Pride

This year also marked the first Springfield Pride event in nearly 8 years.  We were very involved in the organizing of this event and worked to ensure that it was both a celebration and true to the political roots of Pride.  The week was a great success and we will continue that work all this year, making sure that Springfield Pride centers the voices of youth, people of color, and the political legacy and current struggles of our communities.    The profound meaning of this work was reinforced for us when, this past June, a group of young people aged 12-19 assaulted an openly gay man in our city.  We believe that our anti-violence, community-building, and popular education/outreach work will be informed and affected by this event as we work towards Springfield Pride work next year.