A crowd of about 100 people gathered in front of City Hall Friday evening to raise the Pride flag to acknowledge the City of Peekskill’s recognition of Pride Month. The event featured speeches and flag waving. Councilman Brian Fassett, founder of Peekskill Pride,  was master of ceremony who introduced speakers.

“What we say here today is less important than why we are here,”said Ben Lukens, president of the group Peekskill Pride. “We are here because our culture is fragile. Culture must be nurtured and celebrated, if not, it can be lost. And that is the simple mission of Peekskill Pride, to nurture and celebrate our culture.”

“Culture thrives in togetherness. The mission of Peekskill Pride becomes easier to achieve when we act together. Today marks validation and commitment to our Peekskill Pride community,” said Lukens who moved to Peekskill ten years ago with his then fiancee. “When we walked through these doors at City Hall for a marriage license, we felt like we had equal opportunity.”

Peekskill resident Carla Rae Johnson told the story of how she designed the Pride flag. She recalled waking up to the news on June 13, 2016 that 49 people were murdered and 53 wounded at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fl. The shooter specifically targeted the club that was a gathering place for the LGBTQ community.  “What do you do with your own personal sense of outrage, grief and vulnerability?” Johnson asked.

Shortly after the massacre there was a vigil at the riverfront. After that members of Peekskill’s pride community gathered informally for unity and fellowship. “We wanted to do something, to be visible and out of that came my design.”

“I had to create something to provide some symbol of hope.  As an artist, my preferred way to speak truth and hope is through the act of creation.  I wanted to design something unique and for our specific community. In order to signal hope, I chose the sun shining on our beautiful Hudson superimposing it on the original design by Gilbert Baker. Baker designed the colorful pride flag in 1978.

The design was printed on postcards and members of the Pride community went to local business and asked them to display the flags as an indication that LGBTQ persons are affirmatively welcomed here, 99 percent responded very enthusiastically.  There was a connection to the signs posted in businesses saying immigrants  were welcomed in Peekskill.

“Together we stand, divided we fall,” said Johnson who has lived in Peekskill for some 30 years. “Each of us is called at this moment, to not just tolerate, not just accept and not just celebrate, but to take a stand to actively work to align ourselves with those most in danger physically, spiritually and emotionally. To me that is ultimately the meaning of pride.”