Pride Fest & its driving force

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

The Lower Adirondack Pride Festival in City Park this Sunday, June 7, may be the most visible of the organization’s offerings but it is far from the only one. In 2023, young South Glens Falls native Cam Cardinale and others decided to revive previous efforts by LGBTQ+ advocates to mark Pride month with a festival in Glens Falls.

The LGBTQ+ acronym stands for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex and Asexual, plus.”

“We got a group together 27 days ahead of the first festival,” Mr. Cardinale says. “None of us knew what we were doing, but we said, there’s a need.” He says, “1,500 people showed up the first year. We had eight sponsors, and maybe 10 vendors. Present day, we’ve got 40 sponsors and over 100 vendors. It’s grown quite a bit.”

Lower Adirondack Pride is now a 501c3 non-profit. Mr. Cardinale is its president.

“We have 150 active volunteers, and we serve about 15,000 people a year. We’ll host over 100 community events, so that’s based on event attendance.

“We’re doing a lot of local advocacy so we know how many people show up to those meetings and public comments.

“Then also there’s people who are served through our free mental health counseling program, as well as case management.”

They annual budget is about $100,000, Mr. Cardinale says, “100 percent privately funded” by sponsors, individual donors, the June 12 “Gayla” benefit party.

“We do get some community-based grants like from Common Roots and Zonta Club, and some foundations, but no state or federal funding,” he says.

Mr. Cardinale says the money supports social activities: craft nights, bowling, group hikes dubbed “Slay the Peaks.”

And mental health. “We have a network of local therapists. We provide funding for one-time sessions,” as well as ongoing case management services. “Last year we had just around 300 engagements with consumers. Mental health counseling is definitely one of our largest expenses.”

Now also a political player

Likely next-most visible to the general public is the group’s advocacy — urging area municipalities to fly the Pride flag during June, Pride Month.

“Glens Falls was the first one, in 2024. South Glens Falls,” Mr. Cardinale says. “Last year was their first year. This year, Moreau just passed their policy. The flag may not be up by June 1. They have to put the flag pole up still. Then, Greenwich is working on a similar policy.”

They approached Warren County last year, Mr. Cardinale says. “They have not come around yet. We’ll continue to work with the County to try to push for a flag, or, maybe it’s not a flag, but what are other ways we can create visibility?”

“Each year we choose a couple of municipalities to work with on making that happen. We try to first approach them in a manner of, let’s have a conversation about this. Some municipalities we don’t hear back from, so then we show up to the public meeting.”

“Our request is to fly the Pride flag. We can provide them the policy that Glens Falls adopted. That seems to be a really great policy, for their legal counsel to take in.”

He says, “There’s a misunderstanding about the difference between government speech and First Amendment. We’re not asking to fly our organization’s flag. We’re asking to fly a nationally recognized heritage flag. We try to make clear, this is not an application process, because that gets messy with First Amendment issues.

“We have a list from national associations like the American Bar Association that we use as a source. It’s very much like Mental Health Awareness Month, Women’s History, Disability Pride, Native American Heritage, Black History Month, things that are nationally recognized.

“The municipality is free to adopt under ‘government speech’ whatever flags that are recognized and acceptable to that body of government.”

Mr. Cardinale says, “I had people coming to me at the first Pride, actually, and being like, Why are we not flying a Pride flag?

“What stuck out to me most was the folks in their later years of life, who have lived here forever, who want to be represented. Then, we talk about economic development, and attracting people here or keeping young people here by creating these visibility opportunities, and telling people, you belong.”

Trans-school advocacy

Lower Adirondack Pride members have joined the ongoing conversation at Queensbury School Board Meetings regarding trans students, bathrooms and locker rooms.

“The last board meeting was a couple weeks ago, and we had over 200 folks show up in support of this kid,” Mr. Cardinale says.

“Our response is, the law is the law. New York State Department of Education has very clear guidance on how this is to be handled. The school is following that law, and that is what we are asking the school to continue to do.”

What about biological girls who are uncomfortable? “Looking at this from a national standpoint, and what cases we’ve seen through investigation of trans kids in bathrooms, we have no evidence to say that anyone is actually being harmed.”

“We are always focused on that outreach and education piece, ensuring that kids understand. You don’t have to understand it all. You will never understand the experience of a trans person unless you are trans.”

And what about biological boys in girls sports?

“We always say none of us are free until every single one of us are,” says Mr. Cardinale.

“For us specifically as an organization, we will every day show up and fight for every single member of the LGBTQ+ community. When they come for one of us, they come for all of us. Ensuring that we are showing up together in community united is something that will always be a priority.”

Mr. Cardinale says, “You know, the percentage of trans athletes in even a college-level setting is very low. Trans people are only 1% of our population….

“Trans people have always existed. On the local level, they’ve always been here, we’ve always had them in community and been friends, especially as queer people, we have all been friends forever. Just because they’re being highlighted on a national stage as a political pawn, that has not changed anything locally.”

Will Lower Adirondack Pride engage in the political arena? “We are a 501c3 and we’ll stay that way. We lie on the side of education and advocacy, in regulation with 501c3 standards,” he says.

Glens Falls Pride Fest June 7

The Glens Falls Pride Festival is Sunday, June 7, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in City Park, downtown.
Opening Ceremonies, 11 a.m., with Lower Adirondack Pride President Cam Cardinale, Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, Glens Falls Mayor Diana Palmer, event sponsors & more.
Vendors, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. More than 50 businesses, no-profits, artisans, give-aways, food and beverage sales
Community March, 11:20 a.m. open to all festival-goers for a celebratory loop through downtown.
Drag Shows, noon & 3 p.m. Stella Progress, Merina LaPearle, Ms. Kitten Kaboodle, Starling Silver, Queenie Royale, Serafina Devotion Silver
Bravely trio, 1 p.m.
Keegan James, pop artist, 2 p.m.

•
Also from Lower Adirondack Pride:

• Battenkill Valley Pride Festival, Saturday, June 13, at Pompanuck Farm in Cambridge.
• Hops and History, Thursday, June 18, at 7 p.m. at Mean Max Brew Works in downtown Glens Falls. Co-hosted by the Chapman Museum.
Find more on the Website.

Pride Gayla June 12

Lower Adirondack Pride’s third annual Gayla, fund-raising party, is Friday, June 12, 6-10 p.m. at the Queensbury Hotel in downtown Glens Falls. Advance reservations strongly suggested. Cost: $130. RSVP to loweradkpride.org.

Copyright © 2026 Lone Oak Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserve