Sheffield — Not even the threat of rain could stop the fourth annual Sheffield Pride event on Friday, June 9. The event was moved at the last minute from 125 Main St. in the heart of the downtown area, to the Sheffield Park Pavillion.
The event was similar to the Berkshire Pride Festival in Pittsfield on June 3 and included vendors, representatives from local organizations, musical performances, a drag storytime sponsored by the Bushnell-Sage Library featuring Bella Santarella, a community dinner sponsored by Christ Trinity Church, and a Pride variety show and dance party at the end of the night.
Event co-organizer Teak Welch said that, while the Sheffield Pride event was not as big as the previous Pittsfield event, smaller-scale Pride events in other towns in the Berkshires are just as important. “Smaller rural areas tend to be a little bit more on the right-leaning side of things,” Welch said. “I feel like it’s important for us to let it be known that we are everywhere, not just in the big cities. We need to show Pride in every place that we can and [show] that we’re all a part of the community.”
“I think the community is the most important thing to us,” co-organizer Ed Valentine added. “‘Community’ is a huge buzzword for what we’re doing here. People come from all walks of life, and LGBTQ+ people are everywhere. And I think it’s especially important because people can get to know us in a small town. When it comes to Pride events, we should recognize the struggle of LGBTQ+ people who have gone before us. And while the struggles are not over, it’s certainly a day to step back and see how far we’ve come. We would never be here today if it weren’t for the people who came before us.”
Several representatives from organizations were part of the event, including Julie Hannum, President of the First Congregational Church. “I think it’s important to be a welcoming community for all people,” Hannum said. “This is a tremendous celebration and a celebration of community.”
“To me, Pride is about the LGBTQ+ community,” Queer Men of the Berkshires (Q-MoB) member Bart Church said. “Not only have we survived COVID, homophobia, and transphobia, but we are also thriving. We are all contributing to the whole community from a place of Pride.”
Church said that he attends five different Pride events in the Berkshire County region. “I love Sheffield Pride because as many straight people show up at this Pride as queer people do because they want us to know that we are welcomed, and they love us,” Church said. “This is very unique, even in New England, that so many kids, their parents, and their grandparents, show up at a Pride event to say ‘We’re here because we love you and you are part of the community.’”
On Saturday, June 10, in conjunction with Sheffield Pride, Beekeepers Theater held a series of readings of plays by LGBTQ+ playwrights at Bushnell-Sage Public Library, along with an afterparty at Dewey Hall. “I and the other founders of Beekeepers Theater have been members of the LGBTQ+ community for many years,” Beekeepers Theater Managing Director Marnie Joyce said. “We’ve all been going to Pride celebrations for 30 years now. When I think of Pride, I think of the peace of mind to be yourself without conflict or concern. I think this is particularly important in a town like Sheffield, which has always been so open and welcoming. Having an event that is both for members of the community who want to celebrate their own Pride to interact with their community allies is always a good thing.”
