Have you visited Grace’s Place & The Rino Stage yet?

They are an LGBTQ+ owned café and sober bar built for music, experiences, community, and connections. We are thrilled to collaborate with Grace’s Place for our Pride & Thrive Queer Mixer on April 29! Stop in, have some cocoa or a mocktail, and meet new people!

We will be co-hosting more events (queer trivia, queer bingo, and queer-aoke!) with Grace’s Place in the future, so keep reading the newsletters so you don’t miss out. 😉

In community,

-The Meriden Pride Team

This moment in Queerstory 🪶

Nonbinary Parents Day

Nonbinary Parents Day is observed annually on the third Sunday of April, serving as a dedicated time to celebrate parents and caregivers who fall outside the traditional gender binary. While Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are deeply rooted in societal traditions, they can often feel exclusionary or ill-fitting for those who identify as nonbinary, genderqueer, or gender-expansive. This day provides a space for families to honor the roles these individuals play, ensuring their contributions to their children’s lives are recognized with language and celebrations that reflect their identities.

The day highlights diverse ways that modern families are built and nurtured. It encourages a shift toward more inclusive parenting terminology, such as "Zaza," "Baba," or simply "Parent," and fosters a community where gender diversity is seen as a strength rather than a deviation. By celebrating Nonbinary Parents Day, we acknowledge that gender roles don't define the essence of parenting, but the universal values of love, guidance, and unwavering support.

Learning & Community Resources

• Mombian – A blog and resource hub focused on LGBTQ+ parenting. The homepage offers a wealth of information, from political advocacy updates and product reviews to personal essays on navigating nonbinary and queer parenthood.

• PFLAG National – The first and largest organization for LGBTQ+ people, their parents and families, and allies. They offer specific support for "Gender Spectrum" parents and caregivers.

• Gender Wellness of Los Angeles – Provides a robust list of memoirs and workbooks specifically for nonbinary individuals and their families to navigate identity and parenthood.

• Family Equality – An organization dedicated to ensuring legal and social equality for LGBTQ+ families, offering resources on path-to-parenthood and community building.

• Q Plus – Focuses on building queer-affirming spaces across Central Connecticut.

Suggested Reading for Families

• The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenthood by Krys Malcolm Belc

• My Maddy by Gayle E. Pitman (A children’s book celebrating a parent who is "both and neither")

• Being You: A First Conversation About Gender by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli, Anne/Andy Passchier

• Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families by Peggy Gillespie

April Events ☔

Please check our Facebook pages to RSVP to events. If you’re not already a member, join the private group for Meriden Pride. (Main FB page | Private group)

• 4/29, Pride & Thrive Queer Mixer. 6:30-9 p.m. @ Grace’s Place and the Rino Stage

Observances

• (19) Nonbinary Parents Day

• (20-26) Lesbian Visibility Week

• (26) Lesbian Visibility Day

Volunteer Opportunities 🙌

Connect with the local LGBTQ+ community! We’d love to have your help at events. Please fill out a volunteer form if you would like to volunteer with us.

Right now, we need volunteers for:

• Staffing the center with a committee member on Saturdays and Sundays

• Staffing the Health Fair on May 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions. We are stronger together!

About the Community Center 🌈

The Meriden Pride Community Center offers a wide range of free resources and support services to empower and assist the community, including:

• Sexual health supplies such as male and female condoms, dental dams, and lubrication

• Free at-home COVID-19 test kits, Narcan overdose prevention kits, and blood glucose meters for health monitoring

• Assistance with applications for heating and renters’ reimbursement programs

• Personalized help connecting to broader city and state services

• Borrowing books from our LGBTQ+ library

• Complimentary internet and printing access

Committed to holistic support, the center strives to address immediate and long-term needs through its inclusive and accessible offerings.

Donate to the Center 💝

Every donation fuels our mission to uplift the Greater Meriden LGBTQ+ community through free, accessible programming that celebrates identity, fosters belonging, and sparks joy. From inclusive workshops and peer support networks to vibrant Pride events and educational resources, we create safe spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals can thrive. Led entirely by volunteers, our work is powered by your generosity—ensuring queer voices are heard, stories are celebrated, and no one faces barriers to connection. Together, we’re building a world where everyone can live authentically, proudly, and without compromise.

Venmo: @MeridenPride

Cashapp: $MeridenPride