The mission of Otsego Pride Alliance is to support, raise awareness, and create understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community and its needs in the Otsego County area. We work to foster open-mindedness and the creation of safe places for members of the community, allies, friends, and family to express themselves freely. By recognizing the full spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity we seek to promote an environment in which all feel welcome. To these ends we engage in community outreach, activism, and other activities including an annual Pridefest.
In addition to throwing an annual Pridefest celebration, we have a lot of other initiatives, including:
We are looking to start even more initiatives to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community in Otsego county and the surrounding areas.
If you have ideas or would like to help out, please contact us!
Pridefest is an annual celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community and history. The first Pride marches were held on June 28th, 1970 in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, one year after the Stonewall Uprising. Thousands of people gathered to commemorate that historic event and speak out for equal rights.
OPA brought Pride to Otsego County in March 2017 by beginning our first pridefest in Oneonta. We began as Oneonta Pride. We expected a couple hundred attendees, and more than 500 showed up! This spurred further interest, and that small group evolved into Otsego Pride Alliance.
Pridefest is a celebration of diversity. The festival coincides with LGBTQ+ Pride month, which is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, other people and their allies as a social group. Pridefest has become a day where people can feel safe and celebrate in a welcoming environment. It is a wonderful blend of local and distant attendants that look forward to the event every year. Our participants are able to enjoy themselves in an atmosphere where all are accepted.
Our Pridefest theme this year is "Block Party," which reflects the sense of community that we have with the heart of downtown Oneonta. We're so happy that you're a part of this special celebration with us.
Thank you for celebrating with us!