The North Fork\u2019s first pride parade was held in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The nonprofit LGBT Network, along with Greenport business own- er Lori Panarello, organized the June 23 event \u201cNorth Fork Pride,\u201d which featured a colorful parade through Greenport Village followed by a street fair and tea dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms. Panarello had contacted Rob- ert Vitelli and Brian Rosen of the LGBT Network earlier in the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was a very serendipitous moment because at that moment we really knew that we kind of found each other,\u201d said Mr. Vitelli, who explained that the LGBT Network had wanted to bring Pride to the North Fork for some time but never had a local source to help. Ms. Panarello solved that problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis kind of openness and change coming to our community is so important. It\u2019s been a long time coming,\u201d said Colleen Stellato, an LGBT Network volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next year, the plan is to make it bigger. The LGBT Network wants to start planning earlier and do some more fundraising, they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The June event was warmly received, despite rain earlier in the day that threatened to cast a pall over the proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms. Panarello would not be deterred, as she declared before Pride kicked off: \u201cIt will not rain on our parade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ORIGINAL REPORTING BY MELISSA AZOFEIFA AND JULIA VASILE-COZZO<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The North Fork\u2019s first pride parade was held in June. The nonprofit LGBT Network, along with Greenport business own- er Lori Panarello, organized the June 23 event \u201cNorth Fork Pride,\u201d which featured a colorful parade through Greenport Village followed by a street fair and tea dance. Ms. Panarello had contacted Rob- ert Vitelli and Brian…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":115166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1743,16075],"tags":[10901,15633,13186],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-118529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-story","category-year-in-review-2023","tag-greenport","tag-north-fork-pride-2023","tag-premium"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n