The (Bi)weekly Kiki | June 1

Meriden Pride Community Center

June 01, 2025

We did it.

On May 19, Meriden didn’t just make history—we breathed it. By passing this resolution, we’ve etched into our legacy a promise that every June, the Pride flag will soar above us. 

This flag carries the fingerprints of LGBTQ+ elders who marched when silence was safer, who loved when the world called it a crime. People like Bayard Rustin, whose activism shaped civil rights but whose queerness was erased. Leaders like Marsha P. Johnson, who threw bricks at injustice and built shelters for the forgotten. They are here with us today—not as ghosts, but as guides. Their courage lives in every stitch of this flag. 

We are not merely raising a flag—we are planting a seed. A seed that says to every neighbor, old or new: You are valued, exactly as you are. But seeds need more than sunlight to grow, they need hands to tend them. Pride is not a parade permit or a proclamation; it’s a promise to act. A promise to ask the uncomfortable questions: When a queer elder can’t find affirming healthcare, will we fight for them? When a nonbinary student is bullied, will we stand beside them? When laws try to erase our history, will we teach it louder?

We are not a town of hollow gestures. We are gardeners of justice, and this flag is our pledge to keep pulling weeds of prejudice wherever they take root. Together, we declare: Hate has no home here. Fear has no future here. Only love—fierce, unapologetic, and alive—will write our story. You belong.

-The Meriden Pride Team

June Events 🏳️‍🌈

Observances

  • PRIDE MONTH!

  • (1) LGBTQ+ Families Day

  • (12) Pulse Remembrance Day

  • (19) Juneteenth

  • (26) Marriage Equality

  • (27) HIV Testing Day

  • (28) Stonewall Day

  • (30) Queer Day of Faith

This Moment in Queerstory🪶 

Stonewall

Leonard Fink/The LGBT Community Center National History Archive

Just after midnight on June 28, 1969, New York City police officers raided the Stonewall Inn, a well-known gathering place for LGBTQ+ people—especially those who were young, homeless, poor, or otherwise marginalized. Police raids on gay bars were common at the time, usually resulting in arrests, harassment, and sometimes public shaming. But on that night, something was different. As police began arresting patrons and forcing people outside, the crowd grew tense and angry. When a lesbian woman, believed to be Stormé DeLarverie, resisted being manhandled by police and called out to the crowd, it sparked a wave of outrage.

What followed was an eruption of resistance. The crowd pushed back—shouting, throwing coins and bottles, and refusing to disperse. The police, unprepared for such a response, were forced to retreat and barricade themselves inside the bar. Protesters broke windows and set small fires, while reinforcements arrived to try to control the unrest. The uprising lasted for six nights, with waves of protest, confrontation, and solidarity growing each day. It wasn't just about the raid—it was about years of discrimination, brutality, and being forced to live in the shadows.

Stonewall became the spark that helped transform frustration into organized activism, leading to the rise of LGBTQ+ liberation movements across the United States and beyond.

Volunteer Opportunities 🙌

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

  • Parade marchers at Middletown Pride on June 7

  • All hands on deck for Meriden Pride Fest on August 16

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

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.

Community Center Hours

Saturdays, 12-3 p.m.

Sundays, 1-4 p.m.

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