Melissa Goldman/Courtesy photo
BY KELLY DOLEJSI
Friends of Los Alamos Pride
It’s time to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride! This year marks the sixth Los Alamos Pride Week, June 11-17, and the fourth in-person Pride Festival from 3-7 p.m. Friday June 16, on the lawn at Central Park Square (adjacent to Boese Bros and the Y Express). As Pride Week approaches, Friends of Los Alamos Pride would like to introduce its board members — the heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears behind all the county’s Pride festivities. Today, we would like you to meet Melissa Goldman.
Melissa Goldman
Who are you?
I work for LAPS, mostly as the Latin teacher at LAHS, though I sometimes teach other languages at both LAHS and LAMS. I am also a sponsor of the LAHS Genders and Sexualities Alliance and the Safe Space Coordinator for LAPS.
Beyond that, my wife and I have lived in Los Alamos for more than 15 years. Our older son graduated from LAHS in 2021 and our younger son is currently at LAMS.
Why did you join FLAP?
A passion of mine, both professionally and personally, is supporting our LGBTQ+ youth. I’ve been involved in Los Alamos Pride since it started, so it made sense to join the board when the opportunity presented itself.
Why is Pride important to you, to Los Alamos, and to the broader community?
It can be very isolating to grow up LGBTQ+, especially if you don’t get to see your identity reflected in the world around you. Pride is a chance for everyone to see a range of identities and to have a welcoming space to express themselves authentically. It’s something I hope can extend to the rest of the year and all aspects of a person’s life, but if it doesn’t, Pride events can feed the soul enough to get through the rough patches.
Why is Pride important right now, at this point in history?
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it can be discouraging to hear the news and read exchanges online; it very quickly starts to feel like everything is negative. Pride and other events that bring the community together, however, can be an important reminder that there is still more love than hate.
What Pride event are you most looking forward to?
The Pride Festival is always a wonderful event. I love seeing so many different people of all ages from our community enjoying the booths and activities. Overall, Los Alamos Pride is a really special time and I am so happy to be a part of it.