Main Street News
OutHudson Celebrates Array of Pride Festivities in Hudson, NY
In honor of Pride Month this June, we will be highlighting local Pride organizations that support and empower the region’s LGBTQ+ community. The modern LGBTQ+ rights movement began with The Stonewall Rebellion on June 27th, 1969, in protest of the NYPD’s raids on gay bars. According to the Trevor Project, “Thousands took to the streets in the days and weeks that followed, leading community organizations to form globally, and the first Gay Pride march to mark the uprising one year later.” Trans women of color Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were pioneers in organizing and progressing this movement. To learn more about pivotal events and individuals in LGBTQ+ history, you can read Matt Baume’s 2020 article for Them explaining the history of Pride, and the Trevor Project has created a comprehensive document, which you can access here.
From 2010 to 2016, the Hudson Pride Foundation served as the original Columbia County LGBTQ+ non-profit, launching the first Pride in Hudson, NY. OutHudson founding board member Charlie Ferrusi explains that the inception of the city’s Pride “was a crossroads in history, and it continues to be a grassroots celebration, supported and funded entirely by the community.”
Later, in 2016, OutHudson was created by its founding board members—including Rich Volo, John Schobel, Rob Bujan, and Charlie Ferrusi—as a continuation of the initial organization’s essence and aims, ensuring that Hudson’s Pride presence would carry on into the future and blossom even further. This sentiment is reflected in the fact that, as Charlie notes, “[m]any OutHudson volunteers and Board members have been involved with Pride since its inception.”
Fulfilling the OutHudson mission
Through the over 100 social events and educational programs it’s organized so far, OutHudson embodies its primary mission: “to elevate the quality of life and advance the visibility of LGBTQ people in Columbia County, NY.”
One unique initiative launched by this organization, in collaboration with Columbia-Greene Community College, is the OutHudson LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Fund. Established in 2019, this provision of higher education scholarships supports local LGBTQ+ high school students in their future academic endeavors. “Creating event programming, the annual Pride festival, and the scholarship fund are crucial efforts to show local LGBTQ kids, families, and elders that there is a community of people who accept them and want to uplift and celebrate them,” Charlie describes.
According to Hudson Area Library Board Trustee and 2023-24 OutHudson Co-Chair SJ Williams, OutHudson “is proud to have established a new LGBTQIA Archive & Queer Oral History at The Hudson Area Library this year.” This groundbreaking Archive was created by Williams in collaboration with The Hudson Library and The Spark of Hudson.
OutHudson’s Pride plans
In the month of June, OutHudson has coordinated more than 20 community-led events in honor of Pride. Sponsored by bars, venues, and organizations, this programming highlights “something for everyone,” says Charlie, featuring “drag shows, cabaret, concerts, family craft activities, author readings, tea dances, and plays.” This range of exciting festivities will culminate in OutHudson’s Pride weekend from Friday, June 21st to Sunday, June 23rd. According to Charlie, these events were “locally conceptualized by our incredibly talented and artistic community members,” and some will align with the Parade’s theme this year, “Age of Aquarius.” The Parade will commence on Saturday, June 22nd, kicking off at 2pm on Warren Street in Hudson. You won’t want to miss it!
The importance of Pride today, as Charlie points out, is multifaceted, serving as a chance to celebrate the community’s progress while also “recommitting to the challenging and uncertain work that lies ahead.” OutHudson acknowledges the historical importance and the crucial, political dimensions of this commemoration. Thus, Pride represents a fight for intersectional, collective liberation for all LGBTQ+ identities. Charlie emphasizes, “We are still living in a time when LGBTQ kids are bullied in our school systems, and LGBTQ people are harassed in public. We need to continue to uplift our community and show tangible allyship during this time in our history.”
All images courtesy of OutHudson. To support OutHudson’s mission and get involved with their organization, you can go to their website to learn more and donate. OutHudson is currently eager to expand their Board and volunteer base, so you can contact them at outhudsonny@gmail.com with your questions and inquiries. As Charlie says, “Sustaining Pride moving forward requires us to come together from across generations to support a new generation of diverse leaders!”
OutHudson is extremely appreciative of Facebook and Instagram engagement to help spread awareness of their mission and programming.