To the editor:
As many of you know, Lynnfield’s second annual Pride Celebration will take place on Sunday, May 21, from 3-6 p.m. on the Town Common. I am writing this letter to urge my friends and neighbors to come out to support this event in droves.
For many, “Pride” evokes images of celebration, and it should be that. Pride is conceived of as many things:
- A response to the dehumanization of members of the LQBTQIA+ community for centuries.
- A celebration of the bravery of champions of the equal rights movement for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
- A counterpoint to the centuries-long suppression of members of the LGBTQIA+ community through an emphasis on the celebration of dignity and self-respect over disgrace.
Over the decades since Pride’s inception, much progress has been made. And yet… at present, members of the LGBTQIA+ community are continuously absorbing the news of efforts nationwide to restrict their rights — and most of these efforts are targeting youth. Most troublingly, the National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health (2022) found staggering statistics on the mental health of LGBTQIA+ youth:
- 45 percent of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. LGBTQ youth who live in a community that is accepting of LGBTQ people reported significantly lower rates of attempting suicide than those who do not.
- 73 percent of LGBTQ youth report symptoms of anxiety.
- 90 percent of LGBTQ youth report being harassed or bullied in the past year.
Pride is an opportunity to celebrate and show support for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but if you pick one reason to attend Lynnfield’s Pride Celebration, make it about the kids. To do so is to show your kids that you embrace members of the LGBTQIA+ community. To do so is to show members of the LGBTQIA+ community — especially youth — that you embrace them. There isn’t a more needed message for Lynnfield’s LGBTQIA+ youth and adults right now.
We hope you join us — 10 minutes or three hours of your time, the message is the same to our LGBTQIA+ community members, particularly our youth members: We embrace and celebrate you. So please join us for this family-friendly, fun, celebratory event!
Sincerely,
Kathryn Price, on behalf of the Lynnfield Pride Planning Committee
Lynnfield resident
