New Haven County community members gathered at the corner of Orange and Crown streets on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the area’s LGBTQ+ identities at the 2023 New Haven Pride festival. The New Haven Pride Center hosted its annual block-party-style event the day after it was rescheduled due to inclement weather. But the event almost didn’t happen for a reason much more serious than the weather.
NHPC board member Nick Bussett said the center received an anonymous email warning in September that there were explosives placed in the Pride Center. Police swept the area and found nothing, causing a huge sigh of relief from board and community members.
“With the current narrative of (the LGBTQ+ communities) out there, I’m not surprised that that happened,” Bussett said. “It was very upsetting and scary.”
The event — originally scheduled for Sept. 23 — was rescheduled twice because of inclement weather and then a third time because of the threats.
As a result, the New Haven Police Department offered its services for the entire six-hour festival — on three closed-off blocks — for free and local forces swept the area prior to its commencement. Bussett praised the efforts from NHPD and said that the event became even more important for all people.
“Visibility is one of our most powerful weapons,” Bussett said. “In order to combat hate, we have to be as present as possible.”
