Dear Friends and Neighbors
Since I attended my first Pride parade in 1986, a lot has changed. For much of the past 30 years it felt like we were continually moving forward, due to the successes and sacrifices of the LGBTQ+ community, we finally started to see our rights enshrined in law. Here in Providence we celebrated as we elected the first openly gay Mayor of a capital city. Brett and I had to get married in Massachusetts in 2008 because it wasn’t yet legal in Rhode Island, but a few years later we finally won the right for marriage equality here at home. I am proud to live in a city that values and respects diversity.
I have been out most of my adult life and so has Brett. We are lucky to live in a community where we feel safe. But today, unfortunately, we see our hard-won rights threatened once again and LGBTQ+ folks feeling unsafe in their own communities. Versions of the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” that recently passed in Florida are spreading to other states around the nation. And the most vulnerable members of our community are once again being used as targets to fan the flames of the culture wars.
At this pivotal time, we need elected leaders that will stand up for our rights and the rights of every single neighbor in Providence. My husband has helped lead the successful fight for marriage equality. He has worked hard to elect LGBTQ+ candidates around the nation, and was endorsed early on by the Victory Fund. I am so incredibly proud of all he has accomplished and I look forward to the work he can do as our mayor.
More importantly, I know he will fight to protect the LGBTQ+ community, because he’s been doing it his whole life.
As we begin Pride Month 2022, please join me in supporting Brett as the next Mayor of Providence and join us on June 18th to march in the return of the RI Pride Illuminated Night Parade with Brett. Brett and I hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
Jim DeRentis