Giuliano D’Orazio

Most of us living LGBTQ+ in the Woo praise our unique, lively and diverse community of friends, business owners and support networks. You might also hear frustrations that our queer spaces don’t necessarily reflect the identities of our community members. While the actualization of a community rich in representation may not be an easy feat, perhaps more participation, cooperation and compassion can all speed up the process. How can we make the queer experience in Worcester reflect the myriad of identities and interests our community has to offer?

In early September, a month rich with queer events in town, Worceser experienced its most highly-attended Pride to date. Supporters lined the parade route from Institute Park to City Hall. The vibrant festival brought out folks across a wide spectrum of identities, families and couples, with plenty of support from community businesses, non-profits, and allies. As the warm day transitioned into a cool night, various nightlife events presented themselves to keep the party rockin’. Hometown hero Joslyn Fox kicked things off with a Tea Dance at the Beer Garden, while other hotspots included Women’s Night at Union Tavern, a mixer for Shades — Worcester Pride’s Queer POC division — and finally, to take things into the wee hours of the morning, Pride Night at Bull Mansion and the MB Lounge’s annual Block Party. Earlier that month, Redemption Rock Brewery released a pride-themed beer, Yass, Honey! at a launch event organized by Love Your Labels, a local non-profit which focuses on queer youth initiatives. The organization launches Threads, a fashion and identity workshop for LGBTQ+ young people on September 25. On the 29th, the organization again teams up with Redemption Rock to host their second Drag Queen Story Time. With the return of college students also comes the return of AIRSPRAY, a popular twice-monthly queer pop-up dance party at Electric Haze.

While all these events point to a growing and energized queer community, it still remains that Worcester has only one dedicated gay bar, MB Lounge, which is admittedly a male-centric space. Much has changed about Worcester in the decades since the founding of MB Lounge, and so has the face of the LGBTQ+ community. I think that Worcester can be a success story for queer culture if the city’s growth happens in conjunction with that of its smaller communities. More participation from members, and investment in queer-owned initiatives are the path to more queer spaces, both family-friendly and nightlife-focused. But just how does a community ignite the passion to participate and invest?

I would love to use this column to start and continue a dialogue focused on bringing out the best we can in the queer community of our growing and ever-evolving city. What do you want to see more of in Worcester’s LGBTQ+ community? How do you think we can get there? Queer happenings or topics you’d like to see covered? Let me know!

Email your suggestions, comments or questions to giulianodoraz@gmail.com

Giuliano D’Orazio (he/him pronouns) is a Worcester native, musician, music educator, and active member of the local LGBTQ+ community. Follow him on instagram at giuliano.music.