Seen and Celebrated: ‘Pride’ and Spirit Shine at Emanuel Lutheran Church in the Heart of Pleasantville

By Tomás Thor

For Carol Creighton, a local parent who grew up in Pleasantville and returned after two decades away, Sunday’s Pride celebration stirred significant reflection—on the distance traveled and the journey still ahead.

“I think about the people I grew up with and the challenges they faced,” she said. “And I wonder – if something like this had existed then, would it have changed their trajectory?” 

But despite the strides, challenges remain. Creighton, (who is on the event committee) attended Sunday’s festivities with her two sons, and at one point, one of them asked with genuine curiosity: “Why do we need a celebration like this?” 

She emphasized the weight of that question, replying, “If everyone accepted the LGBTQ community, we wouldn’t need Pride.”

It was within that broader backdrop—of progress made and progress still needed—that Pleasantville’s first full-scale Pride celebration unfolded Sunday, June 8, as hundreds streamed onto the lawn of Emanuel Lutheran Church, with some estimates putting attendance for the day at around 1,000 people.

The event was designed to provide a space of visibility and inclusion, drawing a multigenerational crowd. Toddlers with rainbow-painted cheeks played on the bounce castle, high school volunteers greeted guests warmly, longtime Westchester residents strolled hand in hand, and parents stood proudly beside their children. 

Organized by the local volunteer group Pleasantville Pride and billed as a family-friendly block party, the event aimed to create a safe and welcoming space to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies during Pride Month.

It featured activities for all ages, including a drag story hour, food trucks, music, games, and free ice cream, all supported by local businesses and community organizations. 

Amid the vibrant display of rainbow colors, the intended message was clear: everyone is welcome here.

‘Rooted in Joy’

The idea for the event originated with Pastor Kevin O’Hara, who offered his congregation’s lawn as the event’s venue and reached out to Pleasantville resident Ben Gelinas in early January; Gelinas became one of the organizers.

During four months of preparation, support for the event resonated throughout the Pleasantville community. More than 20 local businesses sponsored the celebration, and 13 donated items for the raffle. 

“Every time we got a sponsorship, we were like, ‘Oh my God! They said yes again,’” Gelinas recalled.

Endorsements also came from the Chamber of Commerce, the PTA, the district’s three school principals, as well as the mayor and village trustees. 

The event’s nine organizers were intentional in trying to shape the event’s atmosphere.

“We just wanted to create a safe space to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its allies,” Gelinas explained. “Everything we did – from each decision to every conversation – was rooted in joy.”

Cruelty and Kindness

But not everything leading up to the day carried the same spirit of warmth and welcome.

Jennifer Ochoa and her wife, Pam Hindon, longtime Pleasantville residents, recalled the sting of anti-LGBTQ comments they saw on Facebook in the days leading up to the event.

“It felt like a punch in the gut,” Ochoa recounted.

Yet whatever cruelty surfaced online was far outweighed for participants by the outpouring of kindness and solidarity from the Pleasantville community.

“It was honestly healing,” observed Hindon, looking out over the crowd. “You realize that the loudest voices aren’t always the truest ones. What we saw today — families cheering, kids dancing, churches showing up for us, that’s the real Pleasantville.”

Ochoa agreed: “We saw so many allies here. People who don’t just tolerate us, they celebrate us. This is the kind of love that represents us.”

New Generation

The pace of positive change was also celebrated by many younger attendees. 

Chris Berg, a 23-year-old trans man who graduated from Pleasantville High School only about five years ago, in 2019, said gatherings like Saturday’s event simply didn’t exist when he was a student.

“Growing up, there was nothing like this, it’s incredible to see how much has changed,” Berg said. “Ten-year-old me would’ve felt so much less alone.” 

Alongside free ice cream and outdoor games, the event featured Drag Story Hour, hosted by Angel Elektra, also known as the “Forever Queen of Westchester.”

Dressed in a shimmering rainbow gown and sporting voluminous blonde hair, Elektra read stories to children about acceptance and positivity.

“When I was a kid, there was no one like me,” Elektra said. “Now I get to show kids that it’s okay to be different. That you’re allowed to take up space. That you’re allowed to be joyful.”

Elektra has hosted drag brunches and story hours across Westchester for more than seven years now.

“If you’re struggling to find your people, keep looking,” Elektra said. “They’re out there, and they’re looking for you too.”

‘What Love Looks Like’

In various interviews, Pleasantville residents shared a common message for Pride Month: unwavering love.

“Be proud of who you are,” a teen volunteer named Juniper said. “Even when it’s hard, especially when it’s hard.”

The same spirit of pride and belonging could be heard in voices throughout the crowd. For Jenn Gomez, the message came with tears in her eyes and courage in her voice.

“If you’ve ever questioned whether you belong or if there’s a place in this world where you’ll be loved just as you are, just look around,” she said. “This is what love looks like. This is what home feels like.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the number of event organizers; there were nine, not eight. It also omitted Carol Creighton’s role on the event committee and misspelled Emmanuel Lutheran Church. The article was updated June 9, 2025, to reflect these corrections. We regret the errors.