Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris postpones for 2021 its emblematic event of the LGBTQ+ community
PRIDE Puerto Rico that would take place on June 28.
April 13, 2020, San Juan, PR - At times like this, when Puerto Rico and the world are in an everyday battle against the Coronavirus, it is imperative to take a responsible position and give priority to our thoughts, efforts and focus to overcome this historic and challenging moment.
Taking into consideration that this is a process still in the primary stages for us as a country and that our full recovery will be in the long term, Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris, organizer of PRIDE Puerto Rico, has decided to postpone the celebration of its 30 years of Pride for the coming year, 2021. Given this announcement, the representatives of the Colectivo declare the following:
“Our fight for equity never ends, and this is a good opportunity to continue demanding that the claims of civil society be met since the actions to combat the Coronavirus belong to everyone, there are no exceptions for people. For us it is important that the participating organizations, our people and allies, stay healthy and safe, this is vital for the Colectivo and all of us who make up the efforts to make PRIDE Puerto Rico possible,” - says Luis Conti, President of the Board of Directors of the Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris.
“The celebrations of pride were born from the protests and will continue to be the main vehicle to carry our message of visibility, equity, inclusion, and respect for diversity and for human and civil rights for everyone. Therefore, this message continues even without the open exposition and celebration physically visible,”- added Liza Gallardo, Vice President of the Colectivo.
"Those of us who have lived these thirty years closely know what this celebration means. In 2021 we will fully celebrate. There have been thirty consecutive years of struggle, of lost lives, of tears, of rights achieved, but also of celebrations, of allies, of new generations and great energy, love and strength ”, - said José Joaquín Mullineli, member of the Executive Committee.
Lastly, Conti mentions that Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris will continue to be vigilant of the actions taken, as well as continue to demand and fight for both human and civil rights. He also emphasizes that dignity is not compromised even in the most challenging times in our history, as constitutional rights are not eliminated during emergencies, and the work of human and civil rights organizations is just as essential in ensuring that these are respected.
From Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris, a call for solidarity is made throughout Puerto Rico to look after older adults living alone in our communities and to support the work of dozens of organizations in and outside their communities to assist vulnerable populations. Solidarity never rests, and today more than ever, we depend on committed people so that we can cope with this in the best possible way.
About Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris
Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris (COA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1991. Our primary mission is to educate on the daily realities of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual, intersex, and queer communities (LGBTQ) of Puerto Rico; In this way, human and civil rights are recognized and respected regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The COA thrives on the work of more than 40 organizations that offer services to LGBTQ + communities.