And with that, Meriden Pride’s first-ever Health Fair is a wrap! We want to thank everyone for spending the day with us and learning about the wealth of knowledge, resources, and gender-affirming care we have right here in our community. While we don’t have final numbers from the blood drive yet, we estimate there were about 20 donations. That means up to 60 people’s lives might be saved! That’s pretty amazing.

To give our team a break, the center will be closed today. Thank you for understanding.

CLOSURE REMINDER: As we enter the busy season for Pride festivals and parades, the Pride Center will close so we can attend these events and give our team time to rest. Please check our monthly events section to stay up to date.

In good health,

-The Meriden Pride Team

This moment in Queerstory 🪶

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

Every year on May 17, we join the global community in observing the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT).

This observance marks the day in 1990 when the World Health Assembly (now the World Health Organization) approved the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), officially declassifying homosexuality as a mental disorder. This global milestone followed in the footsteps of the American Psychiatric Association, which removed homosexuality from the DSM in 1973.

In just 2019, ICD-11 was updated to reflect a modern understanding of sexual health and gender identity — notably, by replacing “transsexualism” with a new concept of “gender incongruence,” defined as a condition relating to sexual health rather than a mental and behavioral disorder.

What does changing terminology accomplish? How a condition or disease is classified in the ICD can make a big difference in how health systems and communities comprehend and respond to it. The previous classification of trans-related and gender-diverse identity issues created stigma and potential barriers to care. For example, individuals had to be diagnosed as mentally ill in order to access gender-affirming health care supported by health insurance coverage.

The weight of this history is heavy. While it is sobering to realize how recent these basic recognitions are, there is hope in our progress. We honor the work of the generations before us, and we press forward knowing that our lives are a testament to resilience — not as patients to be treated, but as a community to be honored and celebrated.

Sources

• Moving one step closer to better health and rights for transgender people | World Health Organization

• Out of DSM: Depathologizing homosexuality | National Institute of Health

May Events 🌼

• 5/25, Memorial Day Parade - march with us! 9 a.m. lineup, 10 a.m. start time @ Curtis Street. If you would like to join us, send us an email at [email protected] so we can share more details. Or, you can just show up! (We’re pretty hard to miss.)

• 5/30, Waterbury Pride. Noon-4 p.m. @ St. John’s on the Green, 16 Church St, Waterbury, CT 06702

CENTER CLOSURES: May 17, 30, 31

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)

Observances

• (17) International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

• (19) National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV Awareness Day

• (22) Harvey Milk Day

• (24) Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness Day

June Events 🏳️‍🌈

HAPPY PRIDE! We are so excited to table at Pride events across Connecticut this month! Meriden Pride Center will be closed most of June to allow us to staff these events with all of our joy, then rest and do it again. There will likely be changes/additions to this schedule.

• 6/6, Middletown Pride. Noon-10 p.m. @ Downtown Middletown

• 6/7, “State of the Union” Meriden Pride Presentation. Time range @ Unitarian Universalist Church (328 Paddock Ave., Meriden - above Meriden Pride Center)

• 6/13, New Haven Black Pride. 1-5 p.m. @ APNH (1302 Chapel St., New Haven)

• 6/17, Gayme Night: Flashpoint Fire Rescue. 5-8 p.m. @ Meriden Pride Center

• 6/28, Pride & Thrive: Queer Trivia. 2-4:00 p.m. @ Grace’s Place and the Rino Stage

CENTER CLOSURES: June 6, 7, 13, 14, 27, 28 (we will only be open June 20 and 21)

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)

Observances

• June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month!

• (1) LGBTQ Families Day

• (12) Pulse Remembrance

• (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

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

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

Mark your calendars: We are having a volunteer appreciation gathering at Grace’s Place and the Rino Stage on July 14 from 6-8:30 p.m.!

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