The Hudson Valley Pride Coalition held its annual parade and celebration, Sunday, in the Village of New Paltz, a place famous for - among other reasons - being one of the first places where same-sex marriage ceremonies were performed.

The June observance of Pride Month, for the LGBTQ Community, is a celebration of acceptance in the struggle for civil rights and the overcoming of hatred.

We know the story. In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police launched a raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay nightclub in Greenwich Village. Although it was not the first time the club was raided (management was often tipped off when police were on their way) this one did not go as planned. A crowd outside swelled to the size of a mob and began to resist. By 4 a.m., a full-scale riot had ensued. The events that took place at the Stonewall Inn led to the first gay pride parades in the United States and in many other countries. Pride Month celebrations are now held in many communities throughout the United States, including here in the Hudson Valley.

The month also marks a spot on that long path towards the celebration and embrace of diversity. Our history is marred by fear and hatred of those whose only crime is to be somehow different from us. Many groups have experienced discrimination and prejudice in the worst way: Blacks, immigrants, Jews, Catholics, women and gays are among them. They’ve been denied jobs and other opportunities because they are in some way different.

We have slowly come to understand that differences among us don’t cast people as our enemies.

As we have seen in recent months and years, and even among these pages, it is an ongoing process. Let’s continue to move forward and turn our backs on hate.