Wallingford’s First Pride
Taking part in this event was one of my proudest moments of being a lifelong resident of this town. The community truly came together to drive home the message that Wallingford should be a welcoming place for everyone. I salute everyone who had the courage to speak or perform tonight; your stories remind us why celebrations like these are so important. A special thanks to Amy Bui for once again making this all possible. Record Journal article below.
By Faith Williams
WALLINGFORD — A local teen is bringing a Pride celebration to her town for the first time ever just before Pride month ends.
“My friends and I were saying Wallingford hasn’t had any sort of Pride event that I can remember as long as I’ve lived here,” organizer Amy Bui said. “We do have a lot of LGBTQ+ residents in Wallingford and I just thought they would want a voice, especially the youth.”
Bui has called for change in Wallingford before. She organized a Stop AAPI Hate rally in March following a fatal shooting in Atlanta-area spas on March 16. AAPI refers to Asian American Pacific Islander. Eight people were killed, including six Asian women. The shooter, Robert Long confessed to the shootings but told police they weren’t racially motivated. Long has been indicted on multiple counts of murder.
The rally was emotional for the teenagers that spoke out about their experiences as being Asian American in Wallingford.
The Pride rally will include singers from Wallingford and Cheshire as well as speakers. Local bakeries will be accepting donations in exchange for baked treats. Attendees are encouraged to bring signs and wear Pride clothes.
The organizers have been using Facebook to spread the word and the event already has over 50 people reported to be going with more people interested.
“I want this to be a celebration,” the Sheehan graduate said. “I think it’s important to make sure they know they have a voice and are being heard in Wallingford.”
Bui has had help from many of her high school friends and Alexa Tomassi, an exploratory candidate for Wallingford Town Council. Tomassi also helped Bui with the Stop AAPI Hate rally.
Tomassi said it was great and “brave” to see Bui and her friends get involved with various social issues.
“It’s great to see this new generation of young people be so involved in these things that are so important,” Tomassi said. “But at the same time realizing how much still needs to be done and that all of these issues are still so pressing for so many people.”
