It all started in May of 1996 when the New Haven Pride Center was founded. It is a non-profit organization which is a place where the lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community can feel welcome and safe. Though the organization was founded more than 10 years ago, there was recently a feat in legislation for the LBGTQ community. There was a bill passed last year that added gender identity or expression to Connecticut’s anti-discrimination laws.

On March 3, 2012, at Fantasia in North Haven, there will ceremony honoring the 10 legislators that helped pass this bill. They will be donned with the “Lion Award” appropriately named from The Wizard of Oz for the characteristic of courage that the 10 legislators possessed to pass this landmark bill. Three of the legislators being honored are three of New Haven’s own lawmakers.

According to the New Haven Register, Senator Toni Harp said that she was “surprised to learn she was receiving a ‘Lion Award’” from the Pride Center. She was also quoted saying that she was “honored.” She goes on to say that she “believe(s) we have evolved as a society to accept all people.” She called the legislation, “a logical extension of the way in which we’ve grown to look at our society.”

The two other New Haven legislators, Senator Martin Looney and Representative Gary Holder-Winfield along with Harp said that “we have a progressive tradition in New Haven.” Society is always changing and the recognition of these legislators is just another step in a more open-minded direction for our state.