Norwood Celebrates Pride Month With Community Picnic

NORWOOD, MA - More than 250 people gathered on the Town Common on a glorious, sunny Saturday afternoon to celebrate the town's second annual Pride Picnic, which featured children's activities and information and resources about and for the LGBTQ+ community.

The picnic was cosponsored by the Town of Norwood, Progress Norwood and the Morrill Memorial Library. Norwood's police department and the Norwood Historical Society also staffed information tables.

Central Street behind the common was transformed into a picnic area for the summer to promote outdoor dining. Picnic tables topped with an array of umbrellas in different colors on a green carpet contributed to the festive and casual atmosphere.

Some people relaxed on the Town Common on blankets with family or reclined in beach chairs as they munched on meals from home or dined on sandwiches, ice cream and acai bowls from local restaurants.

"We couldn't have picked a better day for this," said Clayton Cheever, director of the Morrill Memorial Library, noting the weather and number of participants. "There's been a great turnout and a lot of positive energy. The kids are having a blast."

The library had a display of books with Pride themes. At the side of the table, Adult Services Librarian Heath Umbreit led children in art activities.

"This is one of the ways that we can celebrate all of the things that make Norwood great," Cheever added. "This is how we can be inclusive of everyone and demonstrate that we are a welcoming community."

He also said that the library is a place where people can receive accurate information and about topics that interest them, including for the LGBTQ community.

"To see Norwood rally around this event speaks volumes about the community," Cheever said.

Police Chief William Brooks came out to support the community with several officers, including Lieutenant Sarah Lyden, who sold Pride-themed NPD patches for $10. All of the funds raised go to support the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention services for LGBTQ+ teens.

"The Norwood Police Department wanted to come out here today," she said. "June is obviously Pride Month. Its very important to our department, and we want people to know that we treat everyone in Norwood with equality and fairness. We wanted to show support for this community, so we decided to offer commemorative patches."

The patches are the culmination of a year-long project, Lyden explained. Decisions had to be made about the patch design and where the proceeds should be donated.

"The Trevor Project does a 24-hour crisis hotline for LGBTQ teens and youth," Lyden said. "They offer programs on mental health, suicide awareness, and helping young kids coming out. They really offer a lot of wonderful programs, but they really strive for mental health and safety programs for young LGBTQ people. I think they're moving in the right direction to helping kids get through this very difficult time, whether it's dealing with coming out or gender identity."

People can come to the station to buy patches. They can also be shipped for an additional 50 cents, according to a NPD Facebook post.

"Part of our goal at the Norwood Historical Society is to really preserve the history of the entire community for the future," said Cashman Kerr Prince, president of the board of directors of the Norwood Historical Society.

He added that another impetus for participating was the genealogical research the organization had performed on Fred Holland Day, a prominent Norwood photographer and publisher in the late 19th century who was gay. The Day House at 93 Day St. is where the Norwood Historical Society is headquartered.

"Fred was many things - a philanthropist, a publisher, a local historian and a genealogist," Kerr Prince explained. "He would not have said this at the time, but he was gay or queer. I think he would have welcomed an event like this during his time, but it didn't exist. In that kind of general spirit, we are happy to be here."

One of the goals of the Historical Society "is to be honest and transparent about the past."

"My goal isn't to out Fred," he explained. "It's about being respectful in the way you tell the story and admit the flaws of the past."

He sold prints of two of Day's work which captured Day's use of suggestive male poses that used a technique called gas lighting to provoke a broader discussion about their symbolism.

"There are aspects of Day's photography that today we look at differently because we are more broadly discussing issues," he said. "Day's life is a complicated story."

Progress Norwood member Katie Neal-Rizzo said she was pleased with the turnout. The organization's mission is to inform, organize, support and participate in local events that promote progressive and inclusive values.

"We were hoping to put together an event to show the LGBTQ+ community that they are welcome and loved," she said. "There is room for everybody in Norwood, and we wanted to celebrate Pride together."