June is Pride Month—a time to celebrate identity, visibility, and belonging. It’s also a critical opportunity to raise awareness about the health disparities faced by the LGBTQ+ community. Our data, both locally and nationally, show that LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to experience higher rates of substance misuse and mental health challenges, often due to chronic stress, discrimination, and lack of access to affirming care.
At the Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition (HDAAC), our mission is to foster communication, collaboration, and support for the people of Holliston. We believe we have a collective responsibility to reduce and prevent youth and adult substance misuse by providing resources and education. This means looking beyond substances themselves and addressing the underlying factors that influence why people use them. Prevention is about creating the conditions where individuals are less likely to feel the need to turn to substances in the first place—by ensuring everyone in our community feels seen, safe, and valued. That includes understanding how identity, mental health, and a sense of belonging all play a role. We’re highlighting this topic during Pride Month because inclusive, affirming environments support both mental well-being and substance misuse prevention for LGBTQ+ residents and the community as a whole.
Supporting Safe and Affirming Spaces
We spoke with two local advocates, Reverend James Admans (they/them) and Crystal Rider (she/her), a recent high school graduate, about why Pride matters—and how it supports health and healing in our community.
“Especially during uncertain times, it’s important to continue Pride,” James said. “There’s this instinct to pull back—to take down the rainbow flags or cancel events—but this is when we need to stand firm and say, ‘We’re not going anywhere.’” They described Pride as “a pocket of heaven on Earth.”
Crystal agreed: “The Pride event Holliston just hosted really brought the community together and made people feel seen.” She emphasized that it’s not just about one day—it’s about building supportive spaces year-round. “It’s all about education, connection, and support.”
Both Crystal and James spoke to how these inclusive spaces have positively impacted their own sense of identity, mental health, and confidence. Feeling safe, accepted, and understood is a powerful antidote to the stress and isolation that often drive substance use.
Building a Safe, Substance-Free Community
When it comes to community events, both advocates emphasized the importance of creating welcoming environments that are also substance-free. “Inclusivity means being sensitive to people who’ve experienced addiction,” James explained. “Sometimes it feels like we have to include alcohol to make an event festive, but we really don’t.”
They highlighted the recent mocktail table HDAAC brought to the Blair Square Pride event earlier this month. “It was a fun and inclusive option, I had a pink drink—it was great!”
Crystal added, “Bringing alcohol or unregulated substances to public events can make them unsafe. It could lead to fights, accidents, or be traumatic for kids. Pride should be safe for everyone.”
This kind of intentional, inclusive planning isn’t just about logistics—it’s about prevention. Events like Pride serve as protective factors by creating safe spaces where people feel supported and connected. When individuals—especially youth—feel accepted for who they are, their mental health improves, and their risk of turning to substances to cope significantly decreases.
Advice for the Community
When asked what advice they’d offer, James encouraged compassion: “Just love each other a little more. Be more compassionate and give each other grace.” In today’s digital age, they said, it’s easy to “block or unfriend” people rather than engage. While identity isn’t up for debate, James encouraged patience: “If someone says something ignorant, try calling them in instead of calling them out.”
Crystal encouraged others to live authentically. “No one else can do it for you,” she said. “The longer you wait, the harder it gets. So do it when you can, and be brave.”
Support Is Available
Everyone deserves access to care and to know they’re not alone. If you or someone you know is facing substance use or mental health challenges, there are local and national resources available:
- Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition (HDAAC)
hdaac.org/lgbtqia - Holliston Youth and Family Services (HYFS)
townofholliston.us/youth-and-family-services - The Trevor Project
thetrevorproject.org