Paint the Village Rainbow

On February 27, 2004, New Paltz played host to some of the first same-sex marriages in the nation. The media attention from that event helped spark a national dialogue on Marriage Equality that would eventually lead to the June 26, 2015, Supreme Court Decision that legalized Mariage Equality in all 50 states.  That event also led to a group of LGBTQ individuals creating the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center where the Pride March and Festival has been for 13 years.
 
The organizers of those historic weddings faced the possibility of heavy fines, jail time and even the potential of being removed from public office, today it is legal in every corner of the United States. 
 
Let’s help commemorate New Paltz’s important role in both LGBTQ and American history by painting the “Village Rainbow.” We are looking for your help to honor this moment by painting a crosswalk that connects both the location of the marriages and the end of the marching route for the annual Hudson Valley LGBTQ Pride March.