Oneida County Pride Alliance Celebrates Growing Community Support, Governor’s Pride Brunch Invitation, and Pride Month Events
CLINTON, N.Y. — The Oneida County Pride Alliance continued its celebration of Pride Month with a powerful show of community support at the Oneida County Pride Festival, held at Clinton Arena. The event drew hundreds of supporters, families, allies, community organizations, vendors, and advocates for a day centered on visibility, connection, celebration, and action.
This year’s festival theme, “Community Is A Verb,” reflected the Alliance’s belief that community is not simply something people belong to — it is something people build through consistent care, service, support, and advocacy.
Ace Morreale, Executive Director of the Oneida County Pride Alliance, said the organization’s growth has been the result of hard work, dedication, and a community that is ready to stand together.
“Oneida County Pride Alliance has grown because people were ready for this community to be built,” Morreale said. “It is the result of hard work, dedication, and timing. Community is about continuous and consistent action to support each other, and people are ready for that.”
Morreale said the best way for supporters and allies to help the organization continue its work is by donating, volunteering, and staying connected through the Alliance’s website.
“The best way to support the Oneida County Pride Alliance is by donating or volunteering,” Morreale said. “We have many exciting activities planned, but we need resources to make them happen. All the details on how to get involved are available on our website.”
Morreale also recently attended Governor Kathy Hochul’s annual Pride brunch, an event that brings together Pride organizers, LGBTQIA+ leaders, advocates, and community figures from across New York State. Morreale described the invitation as a meaningful gesture of support from state leadership.
“Governor Hochul’s Pride brunch is an opportunity for queer icons, organizers, and advocates to network and connect in one place,” Morreale said. “It is a significant gesture of support for the LGBTQIA+ community from the governor.”
While attending the brunch, Morreale met with the head of the New York State Division of Human Rights and thanked the agency for sponsoring one of OCPA’s events. Morreale also connected with several leaders and partners who are expected to play an important role in supporting the organization’s long-term growth.
“We are truly grateful and honored to be invited each year,” Morreale said. “Those relationships matter. They help us strengthen our work and expand the support available to the LGBTQIA+ community here in Oneida County.”
The Oneida County Pride Alliance has continued to expand from what many remember as a smaller, more intimate gathering into a growing regional celebration. Organizers say that growth reflects the commitment of volunteers, allies, community-based organizations, sponsors, and residents who believe in building a more inclusive Central New York.
Upcoming Pride Month activities include Pride Cafe, Pride Storytime by the Utica Public Library, Pride Bingo, Rainbow Collage Craft Time, and an upcoming movie night. On a more reflective note, the Alliance will also commemorate the Stonewall Riots anniversary on June 26 in Rome, honoring the activists and history that helped spark the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement.
The Alliance also plans to raise the Progress Pride flag later this month, with the date still to be confirmed.
OCPA encourages community members, allies, businesses, and organizations to visit its website for information about upcoming events, donations, volunteer opportunities, sponsorships, and ways to get involved.
Website: oneidacountypride.org
Email: info@oneidacountypridealliance.org
About Oneida County Pride Alliance
The Oneida County Pride Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting, supporting, and empowering the LGBTQIA+ community and allies in Oneida County. Through events, resources, advocacy, education, and community partnerships, OCPA works to create a more welcoming, visible, and supportive community for all.
