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- The (Bi)weekly Kiki | June 14
The (Bi)weekly Kiki | June 14
Meriden Pride Community Center
šāØ HAPPY PRIDE!!! šāØ
We hope youāre having a great Pride Month so far. Meriden Pride will be tabling at more prides this month, so stop by and say hi if you see us. Shoutout to our new friends we met at Middletown Pride!
š¹ļøGayme Night is this Wednesday, June 17. If you want to try a new game (or bring your own game to play), this is a great chance to meet new people. The featured game this month is Flashpoint: Fire Rescue.
Gayme Night runs from 5-8 p.m. at the Meriden Pride Community Center at 328 Paddock Avenue in Meriden. Feel free to bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.
CLOSURE REMINDER: As we enter the busy season for Pride festivals and parades, the Pride Center will close to allow our team to attend these events and rest. Please check our monthly events section to stay up to date.
With Pride,
-The Meriden Pride Team
Table of Contents
This moment in Queerstory šŖ¶
Pulse Remembrance
June 12 marked the 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
As we know, Pride is about so much more than celebrating queer joy.
June 12 marked the solemn 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, a tragedy that forever altered the LGBTQ+ landscape. On this day in 2016, 49 beautiful livesāpredominantly Latinx, Black, and queer individualsāwere taken, and dozens were injured in a senseless act of hatred at an Orlando sanctuary meant for joy, dance, and authentic self-expression.
A decade later, the depth of that grief remains palpable across the nation, reminding us that time does not erase the trauma carried by survivors, family members, and first responders. As we honor the memories of the 49 angels, we reflect on a milestone that resurfaces deep communal pain while reinforcing our promise to never let their names or stories fade into silence.
Yet, as we look back on ten years of remembrance, the enduring legacy of Pulse is also one of fierce, localized resilience and unconditional love. Together, we continue to choose community over cruelty, ensuring that the light of those we lost always guides our collective path forward.
Read More: Pulse Orlando
June Events š³ļøāš
Queer Trivia is our featured event this month! Join us for an afternoon of family-friendly queer trivia at Graceās Place & The Rino Stage. Fun fact: Graceās Place is queer-owned! Itās a really cozy place to enjoy coffee, a mocktail, or a sweet treat. Test your knowledge and win prizes!
6/12-6/20, Out Film CTās Queer Film Festival.
6/14, āState of the Unionā Meriden Pride Presentation. 10:30 a.m. @ Unitarian Universalist Church (328 Paddock Ave., Meriden - above Meriden Pride Center)
6/17, Gayme Night: Flashpoint Fire Rescue. 5-8 p.m. @ Meriden Pride Center
6/20, Bridgeport Pride. 2-7 p.m. @ Wheeler Park
6/28, Pride & Thrive: Queer Trivia. 2-4:00 p.m. @ Graceās Place and the Rino Stage
CENTER CLOSURES: June 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 (for now, we will only be open June 27)
Please check our Facebook pages to RSVP to events. If youāre not already a member, join the private group for Meriden Pride. (Main FB page | Private group)
Observances
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month!
(15) Anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court Bostock decision expanding protections to LGBTQ employees (2020)
(26) Anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court legalizing marriage equality (2015)
(27) National HIV Testing Day
(28) Stonewall Day
(30) Queer Youth of Faith Day
July Events
Meriden Pride is 100% ran by volunteers. We canāt begin to thank everyone enough who shows up for our community, whether it be at a parade, a fest, or our center. You are the heart of Meriden Pride, and we could not have the impact we have without you. Thank you for being you.
We hope you can stop in for our volunteer appreciation party at Graceās Place! Mix and mingle with other volunteers and have some food, on us. (Email us if you have any dietary restrictions.)
7/14, Meriden Pride Volunteer Appreciation Party! 6-8:30 p.m. @ Graceās Place & The Rino Stage
7/15, Gayme Night: Dragonlings. 5-8 p.m. @ Meriden Pride Center
7/26, Community Conversations with Q+. 1-2:30 p.m. @ Meriden Pride Center (328 Paddock Avenue)
CENTER CLOSURES: July 4-5
Please check our Facebook pages to RSVP to events. If youāre not already a member, join the private group for Meriden Pride. (Main FB page | Private group)
Observances
(13) Lesbian Aunts Day
(13-19) Nonbinary Awareness Week
(14) International Nonbinary Peopleās Day
(16) International Drag Day
Volunteer Opportunities š
Connect with the local LGBTQ+ community! Weād 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
Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions. We are stronger together!
SAVE THE DATE: We are having a volunteer appreciation gathering at Graceās Place and the Rino Stage on July 14 from 6-8:30 p.m.! Weāll have food. š
About the Community Center š
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 rentersā 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, 12-4 p.m.
Sundays, 12-4 p.m.
Donate to the Center š
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 generosityāensuring queer voices are heard, stories are celebrated, and no one faces barriers to connection. Together, weāre building a world where everyone can live authentically, proudly, and without compromise.