With Roe overturn, Pride will be a celebration but also invite to 'stand up and fight back'

H. Rose Schneider and Maria M. Silva, Observer-Dispatch
·3 min read
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There were many flags flying at Handshake City’s Pride event Saturday afternoon in Utica — hanging from attendees like capes, painted on faces or tucked into the side of backpacks; and not just the rainbow Pride flag, but the transgender flag, nonbinary flag, lesbian flag and asexual flag among them.

“It’s like the first big event Utica has had,” attendee Ravin Wormwood said. “Utica needs this. The queer community in Utica is booming.”

Vendors and nonprofits offered face-painting, tiny flags and stickers, but also information on LGBTQ resources. On a stage set up at the outdoor venue, speakers shared poetry or their own life stories.

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Down the street at the sandwich shop The Compound, people relaxed with food and drinks. Upstairs, vendors sold jewelry, clothing and other items. In one corner was a table of clothes for the clothing exchange Queer Closet.

Sharrone Sofer, co-owner of The Compound, said the co-hosted event stemmed from combining an event planned by the LGBTQ-owned business and one planned by Indivisible Mohawk Valley at Handshake City.

The celebration comes following protests Friday night on Court Street in Utica against the United States Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which shifts abortion legislation to the states and is expected to trigger abortion bans in Republican-led states across the country.

“Pride is part of this because we’re the next group they’re coming after,” Rev. Jill Farnham-Us, a member of Indivisible Mohawk Valley’s steering committee and organizer of the Pride event, said at Friday’s protest. “It will still be a celebration, but it will be a celebration and an invitation to stand up and fight back.”

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While New York has laws in place enshrining Roe v. Wade, the decision has advocates fearing the precedent it could set for LGBTQ rights. Utica Pride organizer Alane Varga said Friday the decision goes beyond a right to an abortion, but can be linked to bodily autonomy, parenting, sexuality and gender identity.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Friday that the court should "reconsider" other landmark decisions that blocked states from banning contraception, sex by same-sex couples and gay marriage.

“All those pieces are tied together,” Varga said. “And they are also intersectional with issues for people of color, for members of our indigenous communities, all of whom are even more directly impacted and more at risk.”

Planned Parenthood and the Q Center, which offers resources for LGBTQ youth and young adults, both had booths at Saturday’s event.

“It’s important to remember the start of Pride was a riot and a fight for equal rights,” Q Center coordinator Michael Kelly said. “Every community is affected by this decision.”

Maria M. Silva covers food, drink and culture in the Mohawk Valley for the Observer-Dispatch. Email her at mariamsilva@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter.

H. Rose Schneider covers public safety, breaking and trending news for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Rose at hschneider@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Utica's LGBTQ community celebrates Pride at The Compound, Handshake City