Artists, Alder Hopeful Spell Out ​“PRIDE”

East Rock neighbors decorated rainbow-colored cardstock letters spelling out the word ​“PRIDE” — and spoke about how that word means love, acceptance, authenticity, and support — at a LGBTQ+ community-celebrating event that doubled as a campaign stop for an aspiring first-time alder.

That art project, a campaign event on Saturday morning for Caroline Tanbee Smith’s candidacy for alder for East Rock/Fair Haven’s Ward 9, brought friends and neighbors together for a morning of creativity and Pride Month celebration at Atelier Cho Thompson, an architecture firm at 938 State St. 

Smith is running to replace current Ward 9 Alder and fellow Democrat Claudia Herrera, who stepped into the role last year after Charles Decker abruptly resigned, and who has decided not to run for reelection and has endorsed Smith’s candidacy instead.

“Visible queer events in the city contribute to the safety of the queer individuals in our community,” Smith said about the mission of Saturday’s event. ​“Visibility is important to LGBTQ+ rights. Events like these are also a great way to bring neighbors together.”

Being outwardly and proudly queer, Smith wishes to use her campaign to bring awareness to the queer community members who seek refuge in New Haven from discrimination. 

To Smith, the fact that these people feel comfortable in the city is something to be proud of as a community, as well as a motivator to keep working on supporting the LGBTQ+ community, specifically LGBTQ+ youth, in New Haven. 

Smith said, if elected, she plans to work towards investing in LGBTQ+-friendly infrastructure and safe spaces. She plans to bring her efforts to youth, particularly in middle schools, to form safe spaces within their learning environments via Gay-Straight Alliances and other welcoming communities, as schools can be unwelcoming and difficult spaces for queer youth.

As part of her campaign, Smith has made efforts to knock on community members’ doors and speak to them about their passions, something she encouraged at the pride campaign event. 

Neighbors and friends talked about their passions and hopes for the city, particularly in terms of bettering the quality of life of LGBTQ+ residents.

Artists and activists Luciana McClure and Juancarlos Soto, who have both been involved in Pride programming for the city, took inspiration from the event to brainstorm ideas of ways that New Haven can become a more inclusive community, discussing their own passions in the process, much like Smith encouraged of her neighbors. 

From showcasing local artists and musicians to utilizing public park spaces for festivals and celebrations of local talent, the two took Smith’s mission to heart and molded it to fit their ideals of the community New Haven can bloom to be. 

Soto, who leads the New Haven Pride Center, used his artistic inspiration to make a 3D rainbow on the cardstock, using the time to engage in conversation with McClure and others in attendance. While each attendee worked on their own section of the letters that spelled out ​“PRIDE”, Smith spoke to everyone about their projects and creative processes.

“I love Caroline not only because of what she represents but also because she has introduced us to each other and to different corners of New Haven,” said Amanda Klay, a community member who helped Soto with his rainbow.

Through doodling with craft markers and gluing pompoms to cardstock, the concept of community solidified between those in attendance, encompassing both Smith’s campaign goals and the meaning they gave to ​“PRIDE”.

“The word community encompasses a lot of things,” said Ratan Koneru, a neighbor who helped craft the letter ​‘E’ on Saturday. ​“Everyone should have a community, and pride is a good place to find that.”

As Pride Month comes to a close, Smith will continue to push for the safety of queer individuals in New Haven, she promised.