The time for action.
Today, Pride in New Paltz isn’t just a celebration. It’s a response to a full-blown national emergency—and a demand for action…and we are ready.
Our community has always punched above its weight in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. In 2004, New Paltz made headlines when then-Mayor Jason West performed same-sex marriages on the steps of Village Hall, challenging the law in the name of love. SUNY New Paltz has built programs like the Rivera House and the Lavender Celebration to support and uplift LGBTQ+ students. And grassroots events like Drag Brunch and Trans Visibility Day remind us that visibility is not optional—it’s vital.
We live in a region rich with LGBTQ+ history and presence. The Catskills have long been known as the “Swish Alps” because of the density of queer residents and the deep cultural roots we’ve grown here. From queer-run businesses and farms to local artists, educators, and organizers, LGBTQ+ people have shaped the very character of the Hudson Valley.
But right now, all of this is under threat.
In the past year alone, the Trump administration has set their sights on targeting LGBTQ+ rights. Executive order after executive orders, that by pass the rule of law, have called for gender-affirming care to be banned. Trans athletes to be sidelined. Books about queer lives are being pulled from school libraries. Educators who support LGBTQ+ students are being targeted. These aren’t just policy changes—they are acts of erasure. And they are getting bolder, more brutal and embraced by bullies and thugs.
We cannot afford to sit this one out.
If you’ve ever marched before—please come march again.
If you’ve never marched—now is the time join us.
If you’re been tired, disillusioned, or afraid—we see you. We understand that response. But please, stand with us today, we can support each other.
The future of LGBTQ+ rights is not inevitable. It’s not guaranteed by history or progress. It depends on what we do, right now, in towns like ours.
Pride in New Paltz is more than a party. It’s our statement to others in our country that we will not go backward. We will not let hatred become law. We will not allow our trans neighbors to be erased, our books to be banned, our youth to be told they don’t belong.
We are calling on every member of this community—gay, straight, trans, cis, questioning, allied—to show up. Show up to the march. Show up to the meetings. Show up for the fight.
This year, Pride is not a moment—it’s a movement. Be part of it.
Join us at the New Paltz Pride Festival. March. Speak. Stand together.
Because the only thing stronger than fear is a community that refuses to be silenced.