Fellow Milton resident, Vincent Ferro, has clearly been anticipating LGBTQ+ Pride Month all year! We in the LGBTQ+ community anticipate venomous, hateful attacks like his and have witnessed a renewed onslaught of them from the very vocal, yet increasingly obsolete segment of the population that he represents.

The traditional-values and policing he and others like him invoke are the very reasons LGBTQ+ Pride Month exists.  Queer people rioted in the streets 54 years ago to end the policing of LGBTQ+ personal and private spaces.  The tradition of criminalizing LGBTQ+ people’s lives is the very reason LGBTQ+ Pride Month exists.

Our contributions to society, and culture, and our communities are more and more visible because we will no longer be erased by ignorance or legislation.

The irony is not lost on this reader that Vincent Ferro expresses desire to return to a mindset that actually gifted the LGBTQ+ community the strength, standing and influence we now have. It is my sincere hope that those seeking the peace they so obviously need learn to do so without hate and attacks on fellow community members.  May they also know that if they are unable to do so, their seething only makes us in the LGBTQ+ community stronger.