Village Board approves Pride parade end point move from one park to another

A request to relocate the Warwick Pride Celebration’s culmination from Stanley-Deming Park to the Veterans Memorial Park was met with passionate discussion at the Warwick Village Board of Trustees meeting on June 5.

The Warwick Village Board had previously approved the Warwick Valley Community Center’s request to use Stanley-Deming Park for a Warwick Pride Celebration on June 11. During the meeting, a motion was made to rescind the approval for the use of Stanley-Deming, with a new motion introduced to allow the Pride event to take place at Veterans Memorial Park. Both motions were approved unanimously by the Board.

Citing concerns over potential crowd size and the threat of protesters who disprove of the Warwick Pride Celebration’s inclusion of drag performers, Melissa Shaw-Smith, who is heading the Pride event, defended the Community Center’s decision during the meetings public comment period, while emphasizing the move was motivated by the desire to ensure that everyone can enjoy a safe and joyous event.

“At the end of the day, our first and foremost consideration is the safety of everyone involved and to maintain the integrity of the event. And make sure everyone there is having a good time,” she said.

Shaw-Smith mentioned disrupters at Pride events around the United States and shared how she and Warwick Valley Community Center Director Karen Thomas brought their concerns to Mayor Michael Newhard and Warwick Police Chief John Rader, who was also present at Tuesday’s meeting. Though she noted that neither the mayor nor the Police Chief were aware of any plans to disrupt the Warwick Pride Celebration, Shaw-Smith was still mindful of a small, but vocal group on Facebook who had expressed a desire to protest the event if held at Stanley-Deming.

She further acknowledged concerns raised within the community, noting that she is the parent of an LGBTQ child and would not want them or other children subjected to people yelling unpleasant things toward them.

“These people are charging rhinos. They are looking for a target. I’d rather sidestep them, and let them charge on,” Shaw-Smith said.

Appropriateness questioned

Beyond the decision to alter the Warwick Pride Celebration’s parade culminating location, the event itself sparked a discussion on the purpose and integrity of holding a public LGBTQ event in Warwick.

Matt Sullivan, a Village of Warwick resident, said he felt that such an event was inappropriate for children. Noting that Pride focuses on sexual orientation, he made the connection between sexual orientation and sex, noting that the event could be considered sex education.

“I don’t think it is the responsibility or the right of the public to participate in that sex education. I think it should be done specifically by the parents, or under the parents’ control,” he said, further noting that he was glad the route was altered to end at Memorial Park, as he felt Stanley-Deming was not an appropriate venue to have any activities that could include very young children.

Referencing prior Pride events, Sullivan asked if there would be any drag characters at the event. After being affirmed that there would be drag performers, Sullivan brought up the idea of stopping it, but acknowledged that the Board would not go as far as shutting down the Pride festivities. In lieu of that, he asked that this year’s event be audited so that “we know what we are putting in little minds.”

Guidelines in place

Shaw-Smith did acknowledge an occurrence involving an uninvited performer at last year’s Warwick Pride Celebration, noting that they were removed from the premises and barred from participating in future community Pride events. She further noted the damage in trust caused by this incident, and outlined the Community Center’s efforts to ensure future Pride-related performances met the guidelines stipulated by the event organizers.

“I am so, so happy that I live in 2023. I live in a proud Village of Warwick, where people are allowed to be and love whomever they want,” said Nicole Sisco, another Warwick Village resident. She responded to Sullivan’s concerns about sex education in the event by noting that neither heterosexual nor homosexual people must talk about sex education publicly.

She added that those concerned about the Pride event’s influence on young children are free to not participate.

“Other parents are there and happy to be celebrating our children’s little minds and opening their little minds to diversity,” Sisco said.

Sisco also expressed her support of the original location, saying that a children’s playground would have been a great location for children like her daughter, who was present at the meeting, to see that same-sex parents and drag are OK.

“Let’s be a community that celebrates,” she said.

For more on the Pride event, see p.