June is Pride Month, supporting the LGBTQ community, and communities across New Hampshire are holding events to celebrate. Listen here for an audio postcard from Manchester's Queen City Pride Block Party this weekend.
The above audio postcard features the voices of Robb Curry and Kyle Davis, who organized Manchester’s pride celebration, as well as Angeline Brinn of Manchester and Maryssa Royale of Bedford. who attended. Curry and Davis are partners and co-owners of Madear's, a cajun restaurant in Manchester.
The block party featured a drag performance, speeches from local politicians and lots of outreach from local organizations looking to connect with the local LGBTQ community.
Among the organizations with a presence at the event was the Manchester Veterans Administration, which was trying to get the word out about services offered to LGBTQ veterans. While the Trump administration recently banned transgender people from enlisting in the military, officials from the Manchester VA said all are still welcome at their medical facilities, including those who identify as transgender.
"Our policies at the VA have not changed," said Danni Bultemeier, a social worker and the lead for the LGBT care program at the Manchester VA. "We still serve all gender minorities.”
The ban on new transgender military service members went into effect in April, but it’s being challenged in court.
