On Saturday afternoon, September 14, 2024, I attended Hartford PRIDE as a volunteer for an organization that offers hugs and love to LGBTQ people who need hugs from a mom.
It is something that I do that I hold so dear to my heart. Having that moment to hold someone in your arms and maybe heal their broken heart a tiny bit, is the most moving and beautiful thing I’ve ever done in my life. I treasure my opportunity to do that.
Hartford PRIDE was an amazing event. Hats off to the organizers as they outdid themselves! The entertainment was incredible! It was a beautiful, loving event loaded with positivity and happiness with babies, children, and families all coming together to celebrate the beauty of who they are. If you haven’t been to a PRIDE event, you are missing out on one of the most beautiful expressions of love that I have ever witnessed. I can’t wait to go to Hartford PRIDE 2025!
Unfortunately, there were protesters. A group of white males. These were not “peaceful” protesters. They were outwardly angry and agitated. They were there with the intention of scaring and intimidating people, which they did. Imagine the shock and horror I felt when those protesters were allowed and welcomed by the Hartford police to walk straight thru the event, putting everyone at risk.
These protesters spent hours terrorizing the crowd, and no one stopped them. I’ve been to many PRIDE events across the state and at every single event, any protesters were told to stay in a certain area so as not to cause the problems that they seek to cause at these events, including violence. The police in other areas of the state took their duty to protect the LGBTQ community very seriously and that is greatly appreciated.
This was supposed to be a safe place. The Hartford police who were there were told numerous times that people did not feel safe, and they did nothing. In a phone call to the Hartford police department advising them that people did not feel safe, the person who answered the phone said to speak to the officers who were there. When advised that those officers refuse to act in any way, the person just kept saying to talk to those unresponsive officers. That wasn’t a solution, that was just a way to get off the phone.
When I approached a group of Hartford police, who were standing around not even paying attention to what the protesters were doing, one of them advised me that the protesters were “exercising their First Amendment rights.” I was aware of that. I believe in our right to freedom of speech but, when you use that right as a guise to terrorize people, it becomes a problem. These officers had absolutely no interest whatsoever in making the event safe for the attendees, and that is shameful.
Only when the protesters started shoving people were they finally asked to go to a more contained area. I know for a fact that there are LGBTQ people in uniform for the Hartford police department. I wonder how this makes them feel?
So, then I started wondering why are the police protecting the protesters more than they are protecting the attendees at this event? A fourth grader could have assessed the situation, and ascertained that it would be prudent to keep the protesters in a more contained location to avoid problems. You would expect that police would be able to come to that conclusion on their own. They did not. The other possibility is that they were willfully ignorant in regard to the safety of our LGBTQ community. That possibility is unthinkable and reprehensible.
This country, right now, is literally a dangerous place for our LGBTQ community because of the rhetoric of some of our politicians. It has emboldened people in a way that is unprecedented and frightening. The Hartford police know all of this. So, why would they allow this to happen? I think the public deserves an answer. I think the public deserve to know that steps will be taken to ensure the safety of our LGBTQ community at future events. We should all be demanding this. Our LGBTQ community deserves to feel safe.
Trish Collins lives in Avon.