About

Our Story:

In May of 2023, Rockwell Falls Public Library announced that they were going to be hosting a Drag Story Hour, to much backlash and controversy. The residents of Hadley-Luzerne both supported and opposed this event in a back-and-forth battle of words over social media for days until it spilled into reality in the form of protests outside of the Library doors. The event was postponed and later canceled due to overwhelming opposition: some went so far as to threaten the library and staff.

In the wake of this event, where a small story time at the library escalated into such an extreme series of events, some individuals were planning their “retaliation”.

Pride Is Alive, a two day long free picnic was held at Lake Luzerne’s Pavilion Park on June 23rd and 24th. It was the town’s first ever PRIDE event, and people gathered from nearby towns to help support this small-town movement. We wanted to show the town that LGBT people were in fact among them, and weren't going anywhere. In the wake of such a successful event, UHQA was formed.

We are a small but growing group of locals aiming to make our community more safe and inclusive for those living in fear, and who perhaps lack support and love at home. It is our hope to one day have a large safe space to hold our meetings and to invite local LGBTQIA people for events, a range of support systems, and counseling.

Meet the Board:

Curtis (he/they):

"Queer people deserve to feel not only safe from harm but welcome in their community and we aim to make that dream a reality."

Amara (they/them):

"Growing up in a small town there weren't a lot of safe spaces for queer people to exist and socialize with each other. The few places there were followed by stares or hushed conversation, I want queer people in the hudson valley region to feel like there's always a safe place to be. A little about me is that I love rescuing cats, and plants. Multi-media art has been an avid pasation of mine since childhood, and I have been advocating for Trans-rights since 2020. Feel free to come say hi at future events!"

Cal (they/them):

"I joined UHQA because I came from a large, tight-knit and diverse queer community on the west coast. I miss having a community of people like myself; I miss the outreach and events. I’ve noticed the lack of confidence in being publicly out with some of my friends and coworkers due to rampant homophobia in the area, and wanted to help create more LGBT+ safe spaces in upstate New York. It’s also important to have sober-friendly queer spaces that are safe for LGBT+ teens, as our community nation-wide doesn’t have many sober space options."

Sol (she/they):

"For me, taking part in UHQA is important because I feel that queer youth need more community, especially where we are. I had no community when I was younger, I felt alone and lost- my entire goal in UHQA is to ensure that as many queer youth as possible feel seen and safe. Whether through outreach, events, or eventually even an actual space, I hope to give them a safe space and to help fight against the current of homophobia."

Meet our Volunteers:

Riley (they/she):

"I grew up queer and 'quietly out' in a deeply homophobic southern town, and know what it feels like to be hesitant to be yourself due to bullying and hate. I thought things would be different when I came to New York, but in our area, it is the same as where I lived as a child. It is my biggest desire to help anyone, but especially those LGBTQ kids (both out and not), to find safe spaces and Queer community here in our area. I want to provide Queer education, support systems and services, community events, and so much more by one day having a dedicated space for UHQA in our town."

Taylor(they/them):

"I am a community advocate for mental health and LGBTQ+ issues in the Troy/Albany area. When I heard about UHQA and how inspiring their story was and how important the work is that they’re doing to create a safe space for the queer youth in some of upstate New York’s more rural areas, I knew I wanted to get involved and help out however I could!”

“Being queer in a small town feels a lot like being a cryptid. People either think you don't exist or are terrified that you do.”

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