Staying ‘woke’ is necessary

Celebrating love, acceptance and freedom, the Pride flag flies once again at Monumental Hall as Princeton kicks off Pride Month.

Princeton officials, local organizations, and community members gathered together near the flagpole at Monument Hall in Princeton for Princeton’s annual Pride flag raising ceremony on May 31.

The municipality partnered with HiTOPS, a nonprofit organization that provides inclusive and youth-informed sex education and LGBTQIA+ support, and the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ), a nonprofit organization that is a dedicated queer safe-space and community activist hub for LGBTQIA+, transgender, immigrant and marginalized people, for the ceremony.

“The thing I like about Princeton is that no matter what is coming at us and I’m talking about the national level and no matter what people are trying to push at us at least here we still try to maintain respect for everybody,” Mayor Mark Freda said. “We try to just be nice to people.

“We try to accept people, and I think that is the basic needs of everybody. It really is not that hard. Everybody being here helps to represent that and reinforce that.”

Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin called it a “joy and privilege” to be at Monument Hall to raise the Pride flag. In referencing the late Rep. John Lewis, the famed Georgia congressman and civil rights activist, Newlin spoke about a little good trouble.

“Let’s be clear about the message today, the flag is not just a symbol of celebration it is a signal for action,” he said. “A signal that we are still in a fight, that we still believe in the dignity and humanity of every person, and that we will not back down.

“Today we are not just talking about Pride, we are talking about purpose. Yes, Princeton is a progressive town in many ways, but progress isn’t a destination it is discipline. It is something we must practice every day and if we stop practicing it, we will for … sure lose it.”

Newlin explained that as Princeton grows, there are loud and well-funded voices trying to draw lines and close ranks.

“We see slogans like preserve our history, but too often what is really being preserved is exclusion,” he said, noting this is how injustice moves. “The idea that only some people belong, that only some people get to shape what community looks like.”

“Not always through loud declarations, but through quiet patterns. Through comfort zones that quietly become closed doors. Through conversations that never happen because someone decided the people who should be at the table were not the right fit.”

That is why staying woke is necessary, because if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything, Newlin said.

“We are not just here to raise a flag,” he said. “We are here to raise a standard. To say we will fight for justice, to say we will fight for freedom, to say we will fight for the right to live fully, openly, and safely for everyone in all neighborhoods in the town of Princeton.”

Danella Vecchio, youth leadership and resource manager at HiTOPS, noted that the Pride flag is a symbol of courage, pride and love in all of its colors.

“We are here to not just raise a flag, but raise our voices, our visibility, and our unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community, especially our youth. At HiTOPS we create a space where young people, especially queer and trans youth are seen, affirmed and supported in all the ways that are truly life changing,” she said.

Community and having a safe space is vital for the youth and saves lives, Vecchio stressed.

There are some major businesses nationally pulling back from Pride events this month, and with the Trump Administration not recognizing Pride Month and the continued crackdowns on diversity, equity, and inclusion, she said their youth are definitely worried in the current climate.

“Our kiddos are worried, and their parents are worried,” she said. “We do have a parent group, and we are doing our best to navigate all the different topics they want information on and to talk about. We assure them we are here; we will do our best, we will keep you safe and giving them as much information as we possibly can. Parents are definitely worried especially when it comes to healthcare.”

Princeton Councilmember Leticia Fraga called it an honor stand with everyone at the flag raising ceremony. The flag is a powerful symbol of love, resilience, and the enduring sprit of the LGBTQ+ community, she said.

“This flag is more than colors,” she said. “(The flag) is a beacon of hope, a call for justice, and a reminder that every person deserves dignity and respect. Today we reaffirm our promise to celebrate, honor, empower, and protect the diversity that strengthens our community. LGBTQ+ Pride is a celebration of identity, history, progress, and love.”

Honoring history is by learning from it, acknowledging the work that remains, and standing up against injustice wherever it exists.

“We are committed supporting policies that uplift the LGBTQ+ community, and ensuring that everyone has access to safety, healthcare, education, and opportunity,” Fraga said.

Sam Chawla-Rios, who is BRCSJ Pride Lt. and safe-space host, said in this day and time, in the uncertainty of everything happening, the Rustin Center is a safe-haven and place to find acceptance, love and community.

“Just a few weeks ago, at an event at our center, we asked our community members, what does Pride mean to you?,” he shared. “We received a variety of answers, words like acceptance, queer joy, solidarity, courage but the most common response was one word – community.

“This Pride Month I want to invite us all to see through the lens of community because genuine, inclusive community fosters empathy, it nurtures compassion, it honors our shared humanity and is where love lives.”

Robt Seda-Schreiber, chief activist at the BRCSJ, added that it is important that queer joy is celebrated, community is celebrated, and that people are seen, heard and recognized.

“There is so much difficulty, so much strife, there is so much hate and so much prejudice, we need to fight that much stronger,” Seda-Schreiber said. “As Dr. King implored us our greatest weapon is love. We are choosing to not engage in the hateful rhetoric and the fear that are being used as weapons against us. Instead, we are taking this moment by having our safe space open, seven days a week now, and having volunteers that have stepped up.”