Norwood a small town that’s big on pride
NORWOOD — What started as idle talk about a pride celebration in Norwood has turned into an annual event.
Norwood Pride is running for a second year on July 22.
It launched last summer after a group of friends joked about having a pride event in Norwood.
“We put it together and it was a huge success … it was such a great celebration,” said Tony Tavares, one of the organizers.
Tavares moved to Norwood seven years ago to be with his partner Shane Hodge.
“We’ve had nothing but positive acceptance … we’ve had no challenges at all, which is really encouraging,” Tavares said Friday.
The couple, along with a handful of friends, decided to run the event again this year after last year’s success. About 300 citizens showed up in 2017.
The drive behind the celebration is to create some visibility for younger people in smaller communities where there aren’t resources.
“A queer kid or a trans kid in a small community can really feel isolated,” Tavares said.
It’s also a chance to show other communities that small towns aren’t as conservative in their social values as people might think, he added.
During last year’s event, Tavares said he was awestruck by how many older residents in their 60s, 70s and 80s grew up gay in the village and still live there.
Some of them approached Tavares saying they never thought they’d see a pride event in Norwood – and they thanked him.
“That was really heartwarming.”
This year’s theme is Small Town, Big Pride.
Organizers have connected with area LGBTQ affiliated organizations to attend and showcase their services.
Unlike most pride events, there’s no parade in Norwood. The celebration is more about building bridges, Tavares said.
“It’s not about shock value. I’m sure there are people in the community who may still struggle with this concept and so it’s not about being your face, it’s about just being.”
The celebration is happening at the Norwood Legion from 1 to 5 p.m. There’ll be a barbecue, activities for kids, music by The John Cleats, dancing and cash bar.
The event is all ages. Tavares encourages everyone to attend.
Last year’s turnout was mainly an older crowd, Tavares said, so he hopes to see some younger faces in the crowd this year.
“I’m hoping over time … we’ll see some teenagers or parents of teenagers.”
Norwood Pride kicks off with the raising of the pride flag at Norwood’s Town Hall on Tuesday at 10 a.m.