Love for trans son inspires first known LGBTQ+ Pride event in Guilford, CT

News

Love for trans son inspires first known LGBTQ+ Pride event in Guilford, CT

黑料吃瓜网 Radio | By Kay Perkins

Published May 21, 2023 at 8:15 PM EDT

Guilford, CT - Cameron Celotto, 16, (left) marches with his friends, (L to R) Koda Patton, 15, and Lyric Albo, 16, in the Town of Guilford's first ever Pride Festival and Parade. The festival was organized by Cameron's mom, Sarah Cellotto. The festival included show tunes performed by cabaret performer Schuyler Beeman as well as food trucks, speakers and other entertainment. — Cameron Celotto, 16, (left) marches with his friends, (L to R) Koda Patton, 15, and Lyric Albo, 16, in the Town of Guilford's first ever Pride Festival and Parade. The festival was organized by Cameron's mom, Sarah Cellotto. The festival included show tunes performed by cabaret performer Schuyler Beeman as well as food trucks, speakers and other entertainment.

Hundreds came out in support the first known formal LGBTQ+ Pride event hosted on the Guilford Green on Sunday.

The event was organized by Sarah Celotto. She founded a nonprofit called ALEX, Inc. that raises funds to organize LGBTQ+ events in Guilford and the surrounding area. Celotto started the nonprofit after her son, Cameron Celotto, came out as transgender.

Guilford mom, Sarah Celotto and her son, Cameron, embrace at the town of Guilford's first ever Pride Festival and Parade which was organized by Celotto for Cameron who is 16 years old and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The parade featured a 100-foot section of the historic Rainbow 25 Sea-to-Sea Flag. The festival included show tunes performed by cabaret performer Schuyler Beeman as well as food trucks, speakers, entertainment.

鈥淚 was scared,鈥� Sarah said. 鈥淚 grew up in a straight world. I grew up in an Irish Catholic, conservative, traditional family. And it was an amazing family. But we didn't know anybody in the LGBTQ community, so I didn't know anything about them.鈥�

Her husband and Cameron鈥檚 father, Joe Celotto, said he felt unsure of how to handle the news.

鈥淎 year ago, if you told me that I would be going to a pride event, I would have asked you, 鈥榃hat is a pride event?鈥欌€� Joe said.

Cameron Celotto, 16, said that his mother was determined to educate herself about LGBTQ+ issues, and took him to several pride events last summer, which made her realize that Guilford didn鈥檛 have any pride events of its own.

鈥淔irst of all, it鈥檚 a lot [of work] to get this all together,鈥� Cameron said. 鈥淎nd although there is, like, an infinite amount of love and support, there are also a few that are negative about it. And I think that worries a lot of people.鈥�

Karl Minges plays with his son Tyler, 3, under a 100-foot section of the historic Rainbow 25 Sea-to-Sea Flag. Minges and his husband have adopted 4 children through the CT foster care program. The Town of Guilford held its first ever Pride Festival and Parade. The festival included show tunes performed by cabaret performer Schuyler Beeman as well as food trucks, speakers and entertainment. The festival was organized by local mom, Sarah Celotto, whose 16-year-old son, Cameron, is part of the LGBTQ+ community.

鈥淚 think it's because we are such a liberal community that nobody really felt the need for [a Pride event],鈥� Sarah added. 鈥淸The LGBTQ+] community is welcome everywhere. I didn't really see [any discrimination] until I had a child that was immersed in the [LGBTQ+] community. And some of the things that began to be said to him and how lonely he was over at certain times.鈥�

Sarah said the recent politicization of transgender issues opened her eyes to how some people in her community actually felt.

鈥淪ome of the awful things that our politicians have said, I would see some of the [Guilford] community, our own community, agreeing with these things on social media,鈥� Sarah said. 鈥淭he more I looked, I was like, 鈥業 can't make the assumption that everybody's feeling loved and accepted here, because maybe they're not.鈥欌€�

Guilford native and caberet performer, Schuyler Beeman, performs for the roughly 2000 people that gathered for the town of Guilford's first ever Pride Festival and Parade which featured a 100-foot section of the historic Rainbow 25 Sea-to-Sea Flag. The festival also included food trucks, speakers and other entertainment. The event was organized by Sarah Celotto for her 16-year-old son, Cameron, who is part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Cameron said that after the pride event was announced, there was some pushback from Guilford locals online, including threats to protest.

鈥淭hey were saying things like, 鈥榃hy can鈥檛 we have a heterosexual parade?鈥欌€� Cameron said. 鈥淧eople were saying that it would be a sexual event, and that is the farthest [thing] from the truth. [Some people said] they were going to bring and hand out bibles.鈥�

Organizers said there was nobody protesting the event in-person, but that police estimated at least 2,000 attendees.

ALEX, Inc. said they are already planning next year鈥檚 Pride event, and a 鈥淨ueer Prom鈥� for local high school students.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Members 鈥� listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, 黑料吃瓜网 has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better鈥攁nd more civil鈥敽诹铣怨贤� to live, work, and play.