“The mission of Keene Pride is to promote the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in the Monadnock Region, create community-building programming, and develop a coalition of services, organizations and businesses that embrace and serve the LGBTQ+ population.”
This is the mission statement on the website of Keene Pride.
Included on the website are events listed for Keene Pride Week which will be happening from Sept. 9th through the 17th. Among the events listed is “Just be a queen: a Lady Gaga tribute” held at the Colonial Theater on Sept. 9th at 8:00pm. On Sept. 11th there is Drag Bingo Night at 21 Bar and Grill at 7:00pm. And then of course there is the second annual Pride Fest itself on Sunday Sept. 17th on Central Square beginning at noon. For a complete list of events during that week go to the website.
From Sept.13-18 there will be a display of the Aids Quilt at Keene State College’s Alumni Center. Many years ago, when I was still living in Richmond (yes, New Hampshire, not Virginia), there was a group of us who organized to bring the Aids Quilt and have it displayed at the town’s Veteran’s Center. I was one of many who helped to reverently set up the panels we received for temporary public display. As a quilter and a human being, just knowing each panel was lovingly and painstakingly created to commemorate the life and memory of a fellow human being’s beloved family member or friend was a very moving and powerful experience indeed! I was honored then (and now) to have been a small part in bringing this powerful message to Richmond. It was a wonderful experience. If you have a chance, please take the time to go to Alumni Center and see for yourself eight of the more than 50,000 panels made in dedication to the more than 110,000 people who have lost their lives to Aids.
Thanks to Adam Toepfer and the rest of the Keene Pride Board of Directors for shining a light on the LGBTQ community of Keene and the surrounding towns!