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Although he did not experience bullying for his sexuality, Toepfer said part of the reason he moved to New York City was to pursue a "big-city" environment full of people he could relate to. He added that many young, gay or trans people experience bullying or isolation growing up, prompting them to leave rural areas to seek out larger, more diverse communities. It happens in daily interaction because people assume who you are and you have to decide if you are comfortable enough to be open with that person."
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"But something a lot of people don't understand is that it never ends, coming out. Toepfer, who identifies as a cisgender gay man, said he was fortunate to grow up with family and friends who were supportive and accepting of his identity after he came out at 15. "When I was a kid, if there was a Pride event nearby, it would have been incredibly important," he said. Toepfer added that event will go a long way to support the region's LGBTQIA+ residents. "We're looking forward to having everyone come out to this family-friendly event and just having a good time," Fenton said.Īnyone interested in helping out with September's festival or donating to Keene Pride can do so on their website. and are expected to close off Central Square and part of Roxbury Street. Toepfer said the festivities will last from 10 a.m. While many Pride events nationwide will be in June, Keene Pride organizers told The Sentinel in February that they want to host the festival in September to coincide with peak foliage.Īttendees of the Keene festival can expect live music, food, Pride flags and decorations, and participation from nearby businesses, culminating with a block party on Central Square. 11-18.Īccording to the Library of Congress, Pride Month is celebrated each year in June, in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a tipping point in the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Right now, the group is working on putting together the weeklong Pride festival, slated for Sept. "Every minute he's not at Brown he's working on Pride stuff," Fenton said. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own community,"įenton said she's been impressed to see the amount of effort Toepfer has poured into his work at Keene Pride. "We have a large queer community that people don't know about. "It's the first of its kind," Fenton said Thursday. Fenton, also a board member, said that Keene Pride is a concept that was long overdue. Fenton currently serves as administrative director of Keene Pride, which has a board with eight members, including Patrick Brown, who owns Brown Computer Solutions. He then got together with friend Kaitlin Fenton and they built the organization. "We have a large LGBTQIA+ community here, and it seems to be under-recognized." "As soon as I came back to Keene I knew I wanted to do something," Toepfer said. "I wanted to be closer to my family," said Toepfer, whose father, stepmother and brother live in Keene, and whose stepbrother lives in Auburn, Maine. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, he said it forced himself to rearrange his priorities. "Queer" is an umbrella term that refers to anyone who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual) community.īut Toepfer always knew he'd return to Keene. He lived in New York for 16 years where he worked in the tech industry and also helped establish the 3 Dollar Bill nightclub in Brooklyn, Toepfer said, one of the largest queer clubs in the world. Organizers say the events are dependent on COVID-19 conditions in Illinois, as well as state and local protocols.Toepfer attended Keene public schools growing up, and after graduating from Keene High, he moved to New York City to study communications and filmmaking at Marymount Manhattan College. The 2022 parade will be dedicated in his honor. Pfeiffer had coordinated the event since 1974. Last year’s Pride Fest was delayed until early October.Īs reported Wednesday in GoPride, this year’s parade will be the first solely organized by Tim Frye of PRIDEChicago, after his husband, Richard Pfeiffer, died in October 2019 at age 70. The parade was canceled in 20 to the COVID-19 pandemic. The full schedule and music acts are yet to be announced according to the event website,, tickets will be on sale soon.
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Pride in the Park, the annual outdoor music festival in Chicago’s Grant Park, will be June 26-26, presented by Dreambrite Presents. 3, 2021, during the Northalsted Pride Fest in Lakeview on the day of the canceled Pride Parade.