Pride is Protest: HCDP at Hendersonville Pride 2025 🌈

dalton buchanan
Jun 7
2 min read

This year, the Henderson County Democratic Party proudly showed up in full force for Hendersonville Pride. Thanks to the generous support of the LGBTQ+ Caucus of the NC Democratic Party, we were able to host two booth spaces—one of which we dedicated to a protest sign-making station for the upcoming “No Kings Day” rally. The station was a hit all day long, as people of all ages joined in to express their outrage, their hope, and their pride through powerful handmade messages.

Our booths were bustling from start to finish, surrounded by local allies from Blue Ridge Progress and the Progressive Alliance, who amplified the sense of community and solidarity. It wasn’t just a celebration—it was an action space.

It’s important to remember that Pride started as a protest. The first Pride marches were held in June 1970, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising—a spontaneous act of resistance led by queer and trans people, particularly Black and brown trans women, against routine police violence at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Leaders like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera stood at the front lines of that movement, and their courage helped spark a global fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

That spirit of resistance remains vital today. Across the country, LGBTQ+ communities continue to face harmful legislation, book bans, and dangerous rhetoric—including right here in North Carolina.

This month, that hostility was made painfully clear when the U.S. Department of Defense announced plans to remove Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship. Milk—one of the first openly gay elected officials in American history and a Navy veteran who was forced out of the service because of his sexuality—symbolizes the very values of courage, service, and visibility. To strip his name from a military vessel during Pride Month is not only an insult to his legacy but part of a broader effort to erase LGBTQ+ contributions from public life.

This year’s Pride wasn’t just about rainbows—it was about resilience. It was about providing a public space for people to speak out and stand together in the face of injustice. That’s what Pride has always been. And that’s why our work as a party is inseparable from the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

We’re proud to stand with our LGBTQ+ neighbors—not just at Pride, but every day. And we’re proud that Henderson County is home to so many people working toward a more inclusive and just future.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, made a sign, shared a story, or simply showed up. You made this day one to remember. 💙🌈✊

In solidarity,

Dalton Buchanan

Third Vice Chair