On June 26, Graduate School of Social Service MSW student Mackenzie Lerario, M.D., and GSS Professor Tina Maschi, Ph.D., helped create, organize, and execute the first-ever Greenburgh Human Rights Pride Rally in Patriot Park, located in Greenburgh, NY.
The event featured musical guests, art, information related to LGBTQ+ themes, and several speakers — of which Lerario was one. According to The Hudson Independent, Lerario “emphasized that hatred towards those in the LGBTQ+ community still runs deep, even in Westchester. People have been shunned into silence for far too long.”
Along with other local advocates, Lerario and Maschi hope the annual event will springboard the creation of a resource and community center in Greenburgh for the LGBTQ+ community. They are now performing a needs assessment of the community to organize and engage decision-makers to provide resources for a LGBTQ+ community center in the region.
You can find the Greenburgh Pride Needs Assessment Survey here.
For more information about Lerario and Maschi’s work, visit their website. Lerario and Maschi are also working on a new website for future updates, at greenburghpride.org.
