MONROE, Conn. — Town Councilwoman Nina Gagnon and Sophia Callison, a Masuk High School junior, raised the Pride flag together before a cheering crowd outside Monroe Town Hall on a sunny Saturday morning. The annual event is held during Pride Month, a tribute to those who were involved in the Stonewall Riots of 1969, which were sparked by the police raid of the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, a haven for the gay, lesbian and transgender community.
“Symbols matter,” said Superintendent Joseph Kobza, one of the guest speakers. “They tell us who we are and what we value. When we raise the Pride flag over Town Hall today, we are doing much more than hoisting a piece of fabric. We are making a visible, public promise. I hope that a young person — or really anyone — who might be wondering if they will be accepted, drives by here and sees this flag and feels a sense of relief, knowing that Monroe is a place of inclusion and that their school leaders, town leaders and neighbors stand with them.”
“A true, strong community doesn’t just tolerate diversity — it actively embraces it,” Kobza said. “Supporting our LGBTQ+ neighbors doesn’t take anything away from anyone else; instead, it expands the circle of kindness and empathy that I know has always defined the town that I grew up in and love.”
The superintendent said Monroe’s public schools’ highest priority is the safety and well-being of its students — physically, emotionally and psychologically.
Gagnon and Theresa Oleyar, of The Center for Family Justice, led Monroe’s Pride event on Saturday and guest speakers also included Callison and First Selectman Terry Rooney.
The Rev. Jennifer Gingras, pastor of Monroe Congregational Church, gave opening and closing prayers during the ceremony, which included a table with representatives from The Center for Family Justice. Members of the Masuk student club, SAGE, also participated in the event, and coffee and cookies were donated by McDonald’s. Town Councilman Jason Maur did the audio setup.
Before the opening prayer, Gingras told the crowd how Monroe Congregational is an “open and affirming church” committed to welcoming, celebrating and standing among the community”s LGBTQ+ people.
Every now and then, she said someone asks her a question like, “I do not have a problem with gay people, but is this something to be proud of?”
“Pride is not simply about celebrating a label, it’s about celebrating the courage it takes to live honestly in a world that has not always been kind, welcoming or safe,” Gingras said. “For some LGBTQ people, Pride means being able to say, ‘I am still here after years of bullying, rejection or silence.’ There is pride in surviving. There is pride in learning to love the person God created you to be. There is pride in finding the courage to come out and live openly.”
“There is pride in building a community of people who see you, support you, love you, defend you and remind you that you are never alone,” she said. “There is pride in becoming the kind of role model that a young person may desperately need, someone who shows them a full joyful faithful life is possible.”
Callison said social media can be a negative thing, making some parents believe their child coming out as LGBTQ+ is “just a fad,” but also shared the story of how she found a welcoming online community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve learned what being part of the community was through social media,” she said. “I didn’t know what being gay was before that. I just kind of thought it was a normal thing, which apparently is not a worldwide experience.”
Callison said sexuality is fluid and she knows some people whose orientation had changed over time.
“You want to feel like you’re ironclad to where you feel in the moment, but I just know that things can change — and you are perfectly fine where you are right now and where you will be in the future,” she said.
Gagnon read aloud a statement from State Sen. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, who had initially accepted an invitation to speak, but had to cancel to attend a funeral service and celebration of life for a family friend.
Gadkar-Wilcox spoke about the Stonewall Riots of 1969 that sparked the LGBTQ+ movement.
“It began not just as a celebration, but as a defense of fundamental civil rights and civil liberties,” she said. “It began because people were being targeted, harassed, entrapped and arrested by the state without cause simply for being who they are. When we raise this flag today, we are recognizing that history. The Pride flag is a symbol of visibility and equality. But above all, it is a symbol of inclusion that stands firmly against exclusion.”
“As a state legislator, I want to acknowledge the important steps the Connecticut General Assembly has taken to pass legislation that provides equal protection and safeguards liberties for all,” she said. “Our work, however, is far from complete and there is still more to do, particularly when one hears the harmful and hateful rhetoric that is making news across Connecticut this week.”
The senator said Saturday’s event reaffirmed the shared commitment to equal rights for all. “Today we celebrate the right for everyone to love freely, equally and visibly without fear,” Gadkar-Wilcox said. “In other words, with pride.”
‘America is great’
First Selectman Terry Rooney prepared a proclamation declaring Saturday to be Pride Day in the town of Monroe, but it was read aloud by Gagnon.
The proclamation said Monroe is a welcoming community recognizing the importance of the principles of equality and freedom, and that LGBTQ+ individuals are an integral part of Monroe’s community, who “continue to contribute in all aspects of our society.”
The proclamation said it is “important for all people in our community, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity to feel valued, safe, empowered and supported by their peers, educators and community leaders,” and that Monroe is committed to protecting the civil rights of all its residents as part of its unified effort to eradicate prejudice and discrimination.
After reading it, Gagnon handed the microphone to Rooney who closed, “Therefore, I Terrence P. Rooney, first selectman of the town of Monroe, Connecticut, do hereby proclaim June 6, 2026 as Pride Day in the town of Monroe and urge citizens to recognize the contributions made by members of the LGBTQ community and to actively promote the principles of equality and liberty.”
Since Gagnon is a Town Council member, Oleyar said the first selectman thought it was only fitting to have her help read the proclamation.
Then Rooney went on to speak to the crowd.
“I think it’s important to recognize the reason we are here, especially because we’re dealing with the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence,” he said. “Who loves this country? I mean who loves America? Who here loves living in America?”
Applause was heard from the crowd.
“My father used to say, ‘America is great,'” Rooney said. “It is a great country. There’s so much history and everybody here is involved in it. But we’ve gotta recognize that this is the 250th anniversary of the sacrifices that people made, so we can live the way we live, so we can have freedom of speech, so we can be recognized for our differences, and that’s what makes America great.”
“Never before has a nation dedicated to securing its citizens unalienable rights, the rights inherent in all human beings persevered for 250 years,” Rooney said. “Not withstanding the social and political turmoil occurring in the nation, America has done much more than persevere. No multi-religious, multiracial, multiethnic nation state in history has more successfully established freedom and equity under law, promoted economic prosperity and developed the capabilities to defend itself. America is the one and only country that does what we do. I’m proud to be your first selectman. I’m proud to be here today.”
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