Most rainbows come after the rain. But last Saturday, June 7, the forty people who came to Blairstown Pride in a mild drizzle brought rainbows of their own in t-shirts, bracelets, and flags.
The fifth annual Blairstown Pride was originally intended as a two-location event. The plan was the same as last year’s: a festive flag-raising ceremony at Footbridge Park would be followed by a short jaunt to Gourmet Gallery on Main Street, where attendees could get a coffee, browse local vendors, and listen to music.
But this year’s relentless rain forced a change of plans. The flag-raising ceremony continued as scheduled, albeit wetter than intended. The vendor fair will be rescheduled either to an upcoming weekend or a date in July, said co-organizer and Blairstown Pride founder Henry Doell.
Under umbrellas, rain jacket hoods, and the roof of the park gazebo, festival-goers smiled and laughed, despite the rain.
“Through every possible trial and tribulation, we still managed to get together, to bring people together,” Doell said in their opening remarks. “No matter what — hell or high water or water coming from the sky — we will still be here just to show out for everyone who is like us, who may not have the ability to or the confidence to come out like this.”
As in previous years, a small crew had organized Blairstown Pride — Doell, co-organizer Rachel Zwerver, and volunteer Gina Trish.
Pride in 2025: “More Chaotic, More Challenging”
The festival’s half-decade anniversary comes at a tumultuous time for the LGBTQ+ community, with anti-LGBTQ+ backlash threatening to undo recent gains in recognition and acceptance. The ACLU is currently tracking 593 anti-LGBTQ+ bills nationwide, covering proposed restrictions on drag performances, school curricula, healthcare guidelines and other areas.
The backlash is particularly focused on transgender people. The nonprofit Trans Formations Project has identified 349 active state-level bills designed to limit transgender representation, inclusion, documentation changes and healthcare access.
Festival-goers appeared well-informed about the ongoing backlash. For some, it felt especially important to attend Pride this year.
“It’s important that we show that we’re here and that we’re not afraid to be present when the climate around us seems a little more chaotic and challenging,” said Warren Rigby of Blairstown, who has attended Blairstown Pride every year since its inception.
“It’s just important that we’re present for the younger generation, because I think it shows that they’re accepted when they don’t necessarily feel accepted by their own family. So it’s important that we have that sense of community in a time like what’s happening now.”
Zwerver touched on a similar theme in a letter she had written. Unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict, Doell read the letter aloud on her behalf.
“It means so much for us to gather here each year to celebrate love,” Zwerver’s remarks read. “This year, I don’t want to pay any attention to the negativity or the hate. They don’t deserve to take up space in our minds. Our love and authenticity will never be silenced. Let us continue to drown out the noise and share the purity and selflessness of queer joy.”
Drowning Out the Noise with Speeches, Poetry, and a Touch of Opera
The speaker lineup included some new faces and some familiar ones.
Sasha, a music, theater and English teacher for the past eight years, spoke about the importance of protecting and uplifting queer students, reminding everyone — especially young people — that they are worthy and vital to the world.
Next, Suzanne Rae Deshchidn read a sobering poem about Daphne Dorman, the trans comedian who died by suicide in 2019.
The next speaker, Pastor Pedro from First United Methodist Church of Blairstown, acknowledged the potential connotations of the pastor collar that he wore. Paraphrasing a resolution from the United Methodist Church, he said: “I am sorry for the way that the church has ostracized and hurt so many people in the LGBTQ community, and for the times that we stood in silence when justice demanded both words and actions.”
“Today, we are all gathered together to celebrate an aspect of the infinite diversity that is represented by that acronym,” he continued. “As we celebrate, I want you all to know that the love of God is taller than the fences we try to build around it. And I want to declare to you what to me is clear in Christian scripture, but not always clear in Christian words and actions: that God loves you.”
The next speaker also represented a group seeking to rebuild a bridge with the LGBTQ+ community after a historically fraught relationship: law enforcement. Jaime Russoniello, a detective with the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office for the past twelve years, spoke about the New Jersey LGBTQ Law Enforcement Liaison Team. The group started in 2016 with four members of law enforcement and has since grown to 154 members representing over 80 departments.
“We want to be a part of it, to help the community, to make everybody feel comfortable so that if you’re getting threatened, harmed, picked on, bullied or whatever the thing is — we’re here, and we want you to come forward,” she said. “We make no promises, but we only promise to always work as hard as we can and to care.”
The last speaker was a familiar face at Blairstown Pride: Karen Lance of the Blairstown Township Committee. In her remarks, she shared that she felt “really blessed” to see Blairstown Pride grow as an event and that Blairstown had a lot of support to share for its community members, including unanimous support from the Blairstown Township Committee.
“Every single person on the committee said, yes, we want this to happen in Blairstown,” she said.
When the speakers finished, opera singer Alison Bolshoi introduced her brother Jeffrey Hartman, recently returned from Germany after ten years abroad. Though she’d performed as a singer in previous years, she had felt strongly that the singer should be someone in the LGBTQ+ community — and her brother was the right fit.
Lance and Doell hoisted the Pride Progress Flag while Hartman sang a powerful rendition of “God Bless America.” The flag reached the top of the pole just as Hartman hit the final, lasting note.
Afterward, festival goers mingled around the gazebo to chat with speakers and check out the resource table.
“At the end of the day,” said Blairstown Pride volunteer Gina Trish, “the most important thing is that we have the town supporting the LGBTQ community and raising the flag for the month of June to let them know, there’s a visual reminder, that they are on their side.”
Obligingly, the thunder held off until final clean-up, after most attendees had left. Doell celebrated with the few remaining speakers and volunteers: “We made it!”
Chip O'Chang is an educator, fiction writer, and lifelong resident of New Jersey. He has also written for My Life Publications and NJ Indy. He lives in the NJ Skylands with his partner, two cats, and and a bearded dragon.
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
