In 2018, seven years ago, the Town of Stratford raised its first Pride Flag, taking that precious opportunity to both honor and celebrate the lives, and those lost, within the LGBTQIA+ community. As Pride Month comes to a close on June 30th, we’d like to celebrate and honor local LGBTQIA+ nonprofits and businesses in Stratford.
Last year, a new nonprofit called Love is Love, founded by Colleen Hargrove, launched on June 2, 2024. Colleen saw a need in the LGBTQIA+ community, and wanted to do something to help. Love is Love exists to be a “safe, inclusive, and affirming space where LGBTQIA+ individuals could feel seen, supported, and valued every single day,” Colleen shared with us.
Colleen was born and raised in neighboring Bridgeport, and along with her family, has called Stratford home for over five years. When asked about starting her own organization, she said, “When I first came to Stratford, I noticed that while the town raised the Pride flag in June, there was a lack of lasting, visible support for the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the year. My first request was for a Pride crosswalk—something permanent that would stand as a public, everyday message of love and acceptance.” The mission of Love is Love is incredibly important, especially on the local level, to be a beacon of hope for the LGBTQIA+ youth in and around Stratford.
With the recent policies seeking to end national suicide hotlines, like 988 Lifeline and services provided by organizations like The Trevor Project, Colleen’s vision for Love is Love is necessary now more than ever for LGBTQIA+ youth. Hotlines like the 988 Lifeline and The Trevor Project have helped 13 million and 1.3 million people respectively since their inception, often working together to provide the support youth need.
In 2005, the 988 Lifeline (previously the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) was established through a federal grant provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In 2018, the call center fielded 2.2 million calls, and worked hand in hand with The Trevor Project, and connected LGBTQ youth with trained individuals who had the necessary skills and resources to provide help for these young people. For these two national suicide hotlines, the focus is on safety and crisis management.
Where will the LGBTQIA+ youth go now, if those lines no longer exist?
One of the words often used by Colleen when we spoke was the word “safety.” A word we don’t often equate with simply walking down the street, or using a public bathroom, or even sitting in our own homes, and yet, these are all things that LGBTQIA+ people (and especially, LGBTQIA+ youth) have to think about. Colleen goes on to share, “That small but powerful symbol [raising the pride flag], led me to a much bigger vision: to build an actual safe house for LGBTQIA+ individuals right here in Stratford. The safe house we’re working toward isn’t just a building—it’s a lifeline. The safe house will offer temporary housing, access to affirming therapy and mental health services, job and life skills support, and referrals to long-term resources. It will also serve as a community center—a place for connection, education, healing, and empowerment.”
We want Stratford to be a place where people can stay and thrive. The safe house will be the heart of that mission—a symbol of our commitment to building a future where no one has to choose between being themselves and being safe. – Colleen Hargrove
While Love is Love recently celebrated its one year anniversary, their mission is clear, and they are already living it out loud in our community. They’ve partnered with the Arts Alliance of Stratford and Sterling Community Center to run programs for LGBTQIA+ community members, and with our neighbors, Bridgeport and Milford, they’ve connected with and deepened partnerships in the name of bringing their mission to life.
Their vision will take a bit longer to realize. The organization is building from the ground up, with a new website, programming, and seeking funding by way of grant opportunities to build that safe house.
For now, they continue to work with the town to celebrate and honor LGBTQIA+ people year-round with a rainbow crosswalk, like a few other towns and cities in Fairfield County: Norwalk, Middletown, Ridgefield, Stamford, Westport, Wilton. Of note, Ridgefield’s crosswalk flag is known as the Pride Progress Flag, and Wilton boasts multiple pride crosswalks around town.
When we shop our local businesses, and utilize organizations in our community, we get to know our neighbors even more. And, what’s better than that?
