NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – A colorful new billboard is up in North Adams with a welcoming message from the group North Adams Pride.

What You Need To Know

  • North Adams Pride has put up a welcoming billboard

  • The billboard reads "North Adams, the place to be you"

  • North Adams has been very welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community

  • You can visit the billboard at Uno Park in North Adams

“This organization started up basically during the pandemic because there are a lot of queer people who live here. A lot of the members of the LGBTQIA+ community came together to create the first Pride celebration three years ago and from there, it’s been a slew of other activities and events,” said one of the North Adams Pride leaders, Andrew Fitch.

The use of the billboard at Uno Park is through MASS MoCA, which offered it to North Adams Pride for free to have up in May through June.

The group then came together with another leader, Anna Farrington, who helped design the billboard with the team.

“We wanted to promote North Adams Pride and really we all had this great experience of being and living in North Adams and really feeling that it’s a welcoming community,” said Farrington, a graphic designer.

The team wants the billboard to be something people would want to come and take a photo with, post it and get the word out that North Adams is a safe space. 

“It’s not only a fun moment for anybody of any age, but it also shows that North Adams is really open to having anybody live here. We are acceptable to everyone,” said Casey Albert, one of the leaders.

The message hits close to home for Reid Solomon-Lane. He is transgender and moved to North Adams from Texas after feeling unsafe while being who he really is in Texas.

“There’s been countless legislation that has been introduced, especially against transgender individuals in Texas and all over the country, and I actually in my work, I help to help folks get transportation for gender-affirming care, so I see the impact of that every day,” Reid said.

Because of his experience of feeling safe and comfortable in North Adams, Reid has encouraged two other families in the LGBTQ+ community to move to the community.

“I think it is so freeing to be part of a community where it’s safe to be a part of the LGBTQ community, it’s safe to fly a Pride flag in front of our home and to symbolize that with this billboard here, that shows that the entire community is welcoming to LGBT people,” said Reid.