WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Zoe Hill, 14, was busy decorating her mom’s vehicle as music by LGBTQ artists including Queen and the Neon Trees played on the radio.
It was her second pride event, which celebrates the LGBTQ community, and she was super-excited.
“I think it’s so cool to celebrate that and be prideful,” said Hill, of Lebanon, who identifies as LGBTQ. “I think it’s really cool that the Upper Valley is opening up more. It’s a good sign of progress. Hopefully that means people will be more accepting.”
About 40 people in a dozen cars and a handful of bicyclists gathered in the train station parking lot in downtown White River Junction on Saturday as part of a “Queer Caravan” to celebrate LGBTQ pride in White River Junction, which organizers said is the first of its kind in Hartford.
Hill was there with her mother, Karen Liot Hill, who worked with radio station the River to play tunes by LGBTQ artists during the parade.
“Just hearing her talk, it’s really special,” Liot Hill, a Lebanon city councilor, said of her daughter. “I’m really glad that our kids, the next generation … that they can feel free to express themselves and be who they are and be unapologetic about it. It makes me hopeful for the future. Also, it’s a lot of fun.”
Volunteers had been organizing an in-person parade when the COVID-19 pandemic started and were inspired to switch to a car caravan after Anna Guenther, chair and founder of WRJ Pride Planning Committee, saw Hartford educators hold a car parade for students in the district. Other pride events also took place throughout the week including a virtual movie night, a virtual authors’ panel discussion and a virtual dance party on Friday night.
Kristy Cole, of White River Junction, attended the parade with her 14-year-old daughter, Rebecca Carvell, who is a member of the LGBTQ community, as well as Carvell’s best friend.
Their vehicle’s decorations were completed with a pride flag waving off the back.
“My daughter just got it this year for her birthday and she’s so excited about it,” Cole said. “I think it’s great. We definitely need more of them around here.”
Dozens of LGBTQ pride and transgender rights flags adorned vehicles and waved in the slight breeze. “Black Trans Lives Matter,” “The First Pride Was a Riot,” “Love is Love” and “You Are Not Alone” were among the messages written on vehicles in brightly colored paint.
Lindsay Smith, of Enfield, helped line up the cars before they left the parking lot.
“It’s an interesting phenomenon. The pandemic has definitely made us get more creative in the way we do things,” she said. “I think the car parade is a cool side effect.”
The vehicles, led by the Main Street Museum’s David Fairbanks Ford, left the lot around noon and took an approximately 2½-mile loop that included North Main Street where a crowd stood outside the store Revolution cheering.
Customers eating outside at the Tuckerbox cafe applauded, and members of the caravan responded by beeping their horns. As the caravan made its way back into the parking lot, Freddie Mercury’s voice could be heard belting out Don’t Stop Me Now over multiple car radios.
“It’s amazing for me to see the community support and the people who came out for the parade,” Danny Brzozowski, of White River Junction, said as the group gathered in the parking lot. “I felt for a long time there’s definitely a core community in White River, but it’s not always super-visible so it’s great to have more visibility and more connection that will hopefully last for years to come.”
Brzozowki, who has attended pride celebrations in Burlington and Boston, said it’s encouraging to see events in smaller communities.
“We’re excited to see more smaller towns visibly embracing pride and the queer community,” Brzozowki said.
The WRJ Pride Planning Committee hopes to hold the event the last weekend in July each year going forward, Guenther said.
“It was great. It was incredible,” she said.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
