Hailing from Newport County, O’Connor happily lives in the harbor city with his husband. LGTBQ+ youth face higher rates of homelessness, many having been kicked out of their homes due to lack of acceptance,” he adds. “Transgender and gender non-conforming people still face so much discrimination and prejudice, and unfortunately violence against them.
“It’s nice to think we’re ‘out of the woods’ with societal acceptance of LGBTQ+ folks, but there is still so much more work to do,” says Sean O’Connor, co-owner of Newport Out and board member of Newport Pride. And as Pride is very important for community visibility, smaller, but growing celebrations are also happening throughout New England. Cities such as Providence, Middletown, Burlington, and the queer beach town of Provincetown, will host their popular Pride gatherings, which bring in thousands to each.
