- July 10, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
PITTSFIELD — Like many young people who grow up in Berkshire County, Kelan O’Brien faced a dilemma when he graduated from college four years ago. Should he stay in the Berkshires, or go somewhere else?
Unlike many of his peers, the Pittsfield native chose to stay, and the LGBTQ+ community in the Berkshires has been better for it.
O’Brien chairs Berkshire Pride, a community alliance composed of organizations and projects whose goal is to promote local LGBTQ+ equality. Berkshire Pride began holding in-person Pride Festivals in the Berkshires in 2017, with the most recent gathering taking place in Pittsfield last month. O’Brien also serves as the alumni fund development officer for communications and student engagement at Williams College.
We recently spoke with O’Brien about Berkshire Pride’s mission, how he got involved in it, where his activist streak comes from, what life is like for LGBTQ+ people in the Berkshires,…
