Suffolk courts mark Pride Month with ceremony in Central Islip

The Suffolk County courts gathered in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the John P. Cohalan Jr. Courthouse in Central Islip for an annual Pride Month ceremony built around the theme “Standing Firm Together in Power & Pride.” Judges, court staff, legal professionals and community organizations filled the room, while others joined virtually from across the state, placing the county’s legal system at the center of a public show of inclusion.

Right Reverend Brother Mark Da-lessio opened the program with an invocation, and the keynote address came from Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Esq., a Lambda Legal attorney who spoke on the state of LGBTQ+ law and legislation. Acting Supreme Court Justice Chris Ann Kelley and Support Magistrate Kevin Mulligan co-chaired the event and presented Gonzalez-Pagan with a special recognition award. The Suffolk County Bar Association and the Richard C. Failla LGBTQ Commission backed the ceremony.

The commission, established in December 2016, exists to promote equal participation and access for all persons regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Its stated work also includes training and educational programs for judges, non-judicial personnel and court partners, along with efforts to build relationships with LGBTQ advocacy organizations, bar associations, the legal profession and community groups. That gives the annual Pride observance a practical dimension beyond ceremony: it sits inside a court system that says its mission is to deliver equal justice under the law and ensure that all who enter or serve in its courts are treated with respect, dignity and professionalism.

Suffolk’s courts have marked Pride Month across New York State since at least 2017, and the county’s role carries added weight because the Suffolk County District Administrative Judge’s office is based at 400 Carleton Avenue in Central Islip, where it oversees the trial courts in Suffolk County. The Suffolk County Supreme Court also operates in both Riverhead and Central Islip, with matrimonial and guardianship matters heard predominantly in Central Islip, making courtroom culture and access especially visible in cases that often touch family life and personal identity.

The court system’s Pride archive shows that Suffolk events have also included participatory projects such as an evolving Quilt of Equality, with attendees invited to add fabric squares carrying images and messages of Pride. The archive’s broader Pride materials describe the month as a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and part of the continuing arc of LGBTQ+ rights, a framing that has made Suffolk’s courthouse observance part of a wider institutional effort to show who belongs in the county’s justice system.