Pride is Protest: HCDP at Hendersonville Pride 2025 š
- 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 spacesāone of which we dedicated to a protest sign-making stationĀ for the upcoming āNo Kings Dayā 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 ProgressĀ and the Progressive Alliance, who amplified the sense of community and solidarity. It wasnāt just a celebrationāit was an action space.
Itās 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 Uprisingāa 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. JohnsonĀ and Sylvia RiveraĀ 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 rhetoricāincluding 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 Milkās name from a Navy ship. Milkāone of the first openly gay elected officials in American history and a Navy veteran who was forced out of the service because of his sexualityāsymbolizes 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 yearās Pride wasnāt just about rainbowsāit was about resilience. It was about providing a public space for people to speak out and stand togetherĀ in the face of injustice. Thatās what Pride has always been. And thatās why our work as a party is inseparable from the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
Weāre proud to stand with our LGBTQ+ neighborsānot just at Pride, but every day. And weāre proud that Henderson County is home to so many people working toward a more inclusive and just future.
Thank youĀ to everyone who stopped by, made a sign, shared a story, or simply showed up. You made this day one to remember. ššā
In solidarity,
Dalton Buchanan
Third Vice Chair
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