NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A new interactive panel is on Goat Island in Niagara Falls State Park. It's to commemorate stories in New York of the LGBTQ+ community and their milestones.
"This marker shows that the LGBTQ community is part of the Niagara County family, it is part of Niagara Falls. We are integrated into the fabric of the people that come here, our stories are everyone's stories," said Ronald Piaseczny, president of Niagara Pride.
The New York State Office of Parks, Niagara Pride, and Recreation and Historic Preservations unveiled it Friday afternoon.
Piaseczny said, "It's truly an honor to be able to celebrate LGBTQ+ history. The fact that it's LGBTQ History Month, it's just a perfect coalition of just forces coming together to be able to make this event happen and to be able to celebrate such an important event like the first LGBTQ same-sex marriage here in New York State.
For Cheryle and Kitty Lambert-Rudd, Niagara Falls State Park holds a special memory. It's where they said "I do" on July 24, 2011. They were the first legally married LGBTQ+ couple in New York, and they got married on Goat Island.
"The joy that we felt, the joy that everybody felt was palpable. It was unbelievable. I'd do it all again. It was exhausting and terrifying and heartbreaking on occasion. I would do every bit of it again and so would my wife," Kitty Lambert-Rudd said.
Paul Dyster was the mayor of Niagara Falls at the time.
He explained, "it was a big day, I think, for the city of Niagara Falls, it was a big day for the state of New York and I think it was a big day for loving couples everywhere."
He officiated the Lambert-Rudd's wedding.
"The most important thing to me in my life is my marriage. The idea that because of who it is that they love, people who have different sorts of lives would be denied that type of happiness, I couldn't live with myself if I let that be perpetuated. So, I felt you've got to take a stand, you've got to do the right thing, and I've never regretted it for a moment."
The panel commemorates the Lambert-Rudd's special and historic moment. Kitty Lambert Rudd said the work isn't done.
"There's still just so much to do and it's imperative that every American be really vigilant and protect these rights for their siblings, their moms, their dads, their cousins, their favorite uncle, their teacher, whoever it is you know that's gay."