Prepared Remarks for the 2025 TriPride Festival
Hello Johnson City! Hello Tri-Cities!
Let me hear you: How awesome does it feel to be celebrating Pride together today?!
My name is Sylvain Bruni, and I am so honored to serve as a Grand Marshal this year, right here in our beautiful Johnson City!
For those who don’t know me, I was born and raised in rural France, studied in Paris, and came to the United States for graduate school at MIT.
Along the way, I found my voice in our movement, first as a volunteer with Boston Pride, later as its President, and in multiple campaigns to support trans rights in Massachusetts or LGBTQ and allied candidates.
Always as someone fighting for our community’s rights and dignity.
When I moved to Tennessee eight years ago, I carried that same spirit here.
I’ve been working with the Washington County Democratic Party, supporting communities across Northeast Tennessee, co-leading local coalitions like No Bitcoin in Johnson City to protect our neighborhoods…
… and yes, just yesterday I put my name forward as a candidate for the Johnson City Commission! And I hope you’ll join me in this adventure.
Now, I want to talk about why Pride, to me, is a call to action.
For too long, many of us thought politics was something that only played out in Washington. But let me tell you: the decisions that shape our daily lives—the schools our kids attend, the neighborhoods we live in, the protections we can count on—those decisions happen right here at the local and state level.
If we want safe communities, fair representation, and a future where every LGBTQ person can thrive, then we cannot just show up during Pride. We must show up at city halls, county commissions, and school board meetings. We must vote in every election, not just the big ones. And we must support candidates (queer or allies) who will stand up for us and with us.
Because Pride is not only about celebrating who we are. It’s about ensuring that future generations can live openly, safely, and joyfully, without fear and without apology.
So, here’s my ask of you today: Let’s take the energy we feel in this crowd, the love we see on these streets, and carry it into every corner of our civic life. Speak out. Organize. Vote. Run. Because change doesn’t just happen; it’s made by people like us.
Thank you, Johnson City, for your strength, your courage, and your Pride. Let’s keep building a community where everyone belongs! Thank you!
