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Tompkins County proclaims June 2025 Pride Month and Juneteenth; local groups accept honors
Summary
The Tompkins County Legislature on June 17 proclaimed June 2025 as Pride Month and designated June 19 as Juneteenth in the county. Representatives from the Ithaca Pride Alliance and Southside Community Center accepted the proclamations and described community festival turnout and youth involvement.
Tompkins County legislators read and approved proclamations recognizing June 2025 as Pride Month and designating June 19 as Juneteenth.
Shauna Black led the Pride Month proclamation citing local anti-discrimination laws and recent national challenges to LGBTQ+ rights; Greg Mezey and Anne Corman joined in reading the resolution. Andrew Scheldorf, identified by the legislature as chair of the Ithaca Pride Alliance, accepted the proclamation and said the group's recent festival had "estimated" attendance of about 2,000 people across events and highlighted the lack of a permanent community center: "we still don't have a physical location, or any sort of permanent center for the queer community here in this area," Scheldorf told legislators.
Veronica Pillar read the Juneteenth proclamation, which recounted local African‑American history, cited the role of Saint James AME Zion Church in Civil War enlistments, and urged residents to address ongoing disparities in housing and health care. Sebastian Cox, a 5th‑grade participant from the Southside Community Center, thanked the body for recognizing Juneteenth and said the center's recent festival had record turnout.
Both proclamations were ceremonial and intended to signal county support for community events and historic recognition. The legislature did not attach funding to the proclamations during the meeting; staff and community groups discussed ongoing program needs separately.
