To the Editor,
It’s June in Santa Fe, which means the sun is blazing, the mountains are glowing—and the LGBTQIA+ community is turning up the volume (and the sparkle) for Pride. But this year, Pride isn’t just a celebration. It’s a declaration. A glitter-covered, high-heeled, rainbow-wrapped act of joyful resistance.
Why? Because in 2025, we’re not just fighting for the right to dance in the streets—we’re fighting for the right to exist. Under the Trump administration’s Project 2025 (a.k.a. “How to Undo Civil Rights in One Presidential Term”), LGBTQIA+ protections are being rolled back faster than a bad wig in a windstorm. It’s like someone read the Constitution and said, “What if… we didn’t?”
But here in Santa Fe, we do things differently. As a Board Member of the Human Rights Alliance (HRA), I’m proud to say we’re not just surviving—we’re thriving. This year, we opened the doors to Santa Fe’s first-ever LGBTQIA+ Center, a space for community, advocacy, and fabulousness. It’s a home for those who’ve been told they don’t belong—and a reminder that they absolutely do.
And Pride 2025? It’s our biggest yet. With over 15 events throughout June, culminating in the iconic Pride on the Plaza on June 28, we’re showing the world that queer joy is not just alive—it’s loud, proud, and politically necessary.
So yes, we’ll march. We’ll dance. We’ll wear glitter like it’s SPF 50. Because in a time when the federal government is trying to legislate us back into the closet, Santa Fe is flinging the doors wide open.
Join us. Be seen. Be loud. Be fabulous. Because Pride isn’t just a party—it’s a protest. And this year, it’s personal.
The Right Reverend Michael Angelo D'Arrigo
Board Member, Human Rights Alliance
Santa Fe, NM
