PRESS RELEASE
Mayor Gavin Buckley
Public Information Office
160 Duke of Gloucester Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Media Contact: Mitchelle Stephenson, 410-972-7724 or mwstephenson@annapolis.gov
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Annapolis
Virtual Event to be Held 4 p.m. on June 27th
ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 11, 2020) – On June 11, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley signed a Proclamation declaring June 2020 “LGBTQ+ Pride Month.” June has become symbolic in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community and among supporters, who come together in celebrations of pride. Buckley proclaimed that the City of Annapolis is committed to supporting “visibility, dignity, and equity for all people in the community.”
“It is my great joy to acknowledge the City’s commitment to recognizing and protecting the rights of every individual and their value in society,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley. “I recognize June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month because it is an important anniversary for the advancement of LGBTQ rights.”
On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City to rid the establishment of LGBTQ+ patrons. In response, an uprising led by trans people of color against police brutality marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Within weeks of the street protests, residents of Greenwich Village established places for queer people to be open and authentic without fear of being arrested. One year later, in 1970, members of the LGBTQ+ community held the first pride marches in Manhattan, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Each year in June we commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall riots with pride parades and celebrations to continue to reflect on progress and the work that remains to reach full equality. In Annapolis, Mayor Buckley first recognized LGBTQ+ Pride Month in 2018 with a pride walk down West Street. The City again recognized Pride Month in 2019 and hosted the Inaugural Annapolis Pride Parade & Festival in the City on June 29, 2019.
The Annapolis Pride 2020 Parade & Festival was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. A virtual event is planned for Saturday, June 27th at 4 p.m. Founder and Chair of Annapolis Pride, Jeremy Browning said, “this June, Annapolis Pride and the LGBTQ+ community stand in solidarity with All Black Lives to end racism, bigotry, and hate in our community.”
Buckley also announced that William Rowel was recently named as the LGBTQ+ liaison for the City of Annapolis. He joins Sgt. Amy Miguez in the Annapolis Police Department as a liaison and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
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