2024 Guide to Pride: BGHV Guest Edits Chronogram’s June Issue

Chronogram’s first annual Guide to Pride, a collaboration with Big Gay Hudson Valley.

My husband Patrick Decker and I created Big Gay Hudson Valley back in 2008 as we found ourselves sharing what we knew about parties, performances, causes, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses with our friends. What started first as a Facebook page and a weekly email newsletter is now a full-blown, multichannel resource for queer events, happenings, city guides, and travel resources across our region—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

In the early 2000s, Pride events were few and far between in the Hudson Valley. Most of us had to travel to New York City and beyond to find parades, parties, and festivals—the stuff that celebrations are made of. Fast forward to 2024—villages, towns, and cities across the region are packed with festivals, meetups, picnics, and parties—not just in June, but throughout the year. Pride season 2024 has us triple-booked on some weekends. What a fabulous problem to have.

Community only grows when people show up to support it. We’re fortunate to call the Hudson Valley home because of the wealth of residents and visitors who believe in making this a world-class place for LGBTQ+ people to find a partner, buy a home, start a family, open a business, or simply spend a weekend away.

Working with my friends at Chronogram, I’m honored to play a role in guest editing this June issue. I hope it helps to inform some about the heritage of our flags, inspires others to gather in some new places, and continues to reinforce how special the already solid foundation of community is in our Big Gay Hudson Valley.

With Pride,

Stephan Hengst, Co-founder, Big Gay Hudson Valley

2024 Guide to Pride was sponsored by Upstate Modernist. Upstate Modernist residences are designed in context to natural landscapes and custom constructed by our build team. Our site specific design approach integrates warm natural textures, sustainably sourced materials and luxury finishes to distinctly modern architectural forms. Our team of architects and interior designers blend stylish fixture selections with sustainably sourced and artisanal touches, coordinating in tight unison with our in-house build team – your single source design + build concierge.

There’s something quite stirring about a banner flowing in the breeze. Humans have been designing and using flags for so long that no one’s really sure when it started. Flag-like symbols go back at least as far as the 11th century BCE in China, home of lightweight, gleaming silk. During the Age of Sail, flags became an important way to communicate your identity at a distance, and people have been doing that ever since. There are well over two dozen Pride flags out there, here are some you may encounter at marches and celebrations.

“Gay bars would traditionally have darkened windows, or none at all,” remembers Jay Blotcher, a former New York City-based activist who played key roles in launching the first New Paltz Pride celebration and founding the Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center in Kingston. “In the last few decades, we’ve seen bars with plate glass windows that look out onto the street. That was a huge breakthrough.”

The Hudson Valley loves love—also, and not coincidentally, fairness, equality, and self-expression. We love us some love, and we’re proud of Pride—and of the fact that, even in these politically conflicted times, queer folks find a warm and friendly welcome in the vast majority of our communities and spaces.

After all, the marvelous month of June was made for festivities—and local Pride organizations are increasingly filling the calendar with exuberance.

Pride Month resonates deeply with individuals across diverse backgrounds, experiences, and roles within the Hudson Valley. From business owners to activists, clergy members to local leaders, the significance of Pride manifests in many ways. For some, it’s a journey of personal courage and authenticity, while for others, it’s a testament to the enduring spirit of resistance and resilience. Join us as we listen to the voices of those who call the region home, each sharing their perspective on how Pride shapes their vision for a more inclusive and empowered future.