TINIAN (Press Release) — On Wednesday, June 30, 2021 the Tinian Mayor’s Office and the municipality celebrated its final event for Pride Month with the unveiling of the newly constructed pride heart monument.
The Tinian leadership, pride supporters and partners, including the local LGBTIQIA+ community gathered at the Antonio M. Borja Amphitheater at 10 a.m. where lgbTIQ PRIDE Organizer Bobby Diamond, Mayor Edwin P. Aldan, PSS Mental Health Co-Director Dr. Bobby Cruz, Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider and Tinian’s Legislative Delegation Chairman Senator Francisco Q. Cruz delivered heartwarming remarks focusing on the efforts and success of the day’s event, its significance to the pride community on Tinian, and the support that they rightfully deserve.
Bobby Diamond initiated the program by welcoming everyone’s participation, and speaking on his experiences as the lgbTIQ PRIDE organizer for Tinian. He stated in his opening remarks that the community has experienced a bunch of firsts when it came to celebrating the month of June as “Pride Month” and it all began in the year 2018 when Tinian held the first-ever pride celebration with a march in late June, the following year painted the Tinian sign with its first colors – the colors of the rainbow, followed by a Pride Motorcade at Taga Beach, and commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and Uprising in the State of New York. He ended his remarks with “and finally, we are here: the unveiling of the first-ever Tinian Pride Heart monument.”
In his special remarks, Mayor Edwin P. Aldan shared his sentiments behind the importance of celebrating pride month and extending the full support to our LGBTQIA+ communities, he stated that, “Pride Month is not just about celebrating and supporting our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Questioning community; it is about recognizing the common experiences and the challenges of navigating in this world as someone who considers themselves a part of the LGBTQIA+ community or someone who simply questions their gender identity. The one thing that separates this community from all the rest is the difficulty that comes along with loving or being with someone of the same gender, that is the main reason why we continue to draw attention to the phrase, “love is love,” and “love always wins.”
The program’s guest speaker was PSS Mental Health Co-Director Dr. Bobby Cruz who gave an emotional and astounding speech by reiterating his remarks from the Governor’s Pride Proclamation signing ceremony detailing the decades-long struggles faced by LGBTQIA+ members and the negative cultural perception of being a part of this community, “Out of the closet, into the light. Embracing our authenticity, and owning our truth, that’s the space we want to live in the Marianas. Standing together — our coalition strong, as a family. And so, it is up to us- you, me, together — we have to make a decision that we will be visible, that we will be heard, and we will demand to be included” Dr. Cruz proclaimed.
Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz applauded the organizers for their efforts in making the pride unveiling event possible, and echoed the support for our LGBTQIA+ community stating that the leadership will stand behind the community every step of the way. Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider for his part stated that he has children who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and therefore we must all treat each other equal and with respect, but more importantly uphold the “inafa’maolek” approach.
The lgbTIQ PRIDE community would like to extend their sincerest appreciation to Mayor Edwin P. Aldan, the Tinian Mayor’s Office and their Special Projects Division led by Project Manager, Romeo Diaz who financed this project and ensured its completion for the final pride event. An appreciation is also extended to the PSS Mental Health program for their unwavering support and participation in this month’s pride events for Tinian.
lgbTIQ PRIDE organizer, Bobby Diamond, and the Tinian Mayor’s Office held two other events for Pride Month starting off with a Roadside Waving on June 2nd to kick off this year’s Pride month, followed by a Pride paint night/dye for pride shirt making on June 17, 2021.
The Tinian leadership, community members, and the LGBTQIA+ community pose for a group photo with Tinian’s first-ever Pride Heart.
Tinian’s first-ever Pride Heart monument can be seen at Natibu Park.
