Pride Is More Than a Month, It's Showing Up Every Day

In honor of Pride Month, Community Health Connections is proud to highlight our employee, Jamie Darcangelo, RN, Care Coordinator who was recently nominated and recognized by State Representative Michael Kushmerek for his work and leadership with the LGBTQ+ population and our communities at-large.

Pride Is More Than a Month, It’s Showing Up Every Day

I was deeply honored to be recognized at the inaugural 2026 Commonwealth Pride Awards alongside my husband, Wil. Receiving this recognition, by way of a nomination by State Representative Michael Kushmerek at the Massachusetts State House was both humbling and meaningful, not simply as a personal achievement, but as a reminder of how important visibility and compassion continue to be. I was honored to receive the recognition by State Representative Natalie Higgins, who through her membership in the LGBTQ+ caucus, is truly an inspiration to my work.

I have the privilege of working as a Registered Nurse in Behavioral Health at Community Health Connections. Every day I meet people who are navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives. My job is to provide care, but it is also to create a space where people feel safe enough to be themselves.

As an openly gay nurse, I know that simply being visible matters.

During Pride Month—and throughout the rest of the year—I wear Pride pins, colorful shoes, and other small reminders that communicate something before I ever say a word: You are welcome here.

For some patients, especially transgender and other LGBTQ+ individuals, those small symbols become an invitation to talk. Sometimes I become a point of contact for someone who is not sure they’ll be accepted. Sometimes people simply need to know they are speaking with someone who understands.

When it is appropriate, I share pieces of my own story, my marriage, my family, or my own experiences living with mental health challenges. Those conversations are not about me. They are about helping another person feel less alone.

I have learned that healing often begins the moment someone realizes they no longer have to hide.

Outside of my work at Community Health Connections, I also serve on the Fitchburg Board of Health. It is a volunteer role that has become one of the more fulfilling parts of my life. Public health happens in exam rooms and hospitals, but it also happens in our neighborhoods, schools, and communities. I am grateful to be able to contribute in both settings.

This recognition belongs to many people. It belongs to my colleagues at CHC who create welcoming spaces every day. It belongs to the patients who trust me with their stories. It belongs to my husband, Wil, whose own work in the community and as a Unitarian Universalist Minister inspires me daily. And it belongs to everyone who has ever chosen authenticity over fear.

Pride is about celebration, of course, but it is also about service.

For me, it means showing up every day with compassion, honesty, and the hope that if one person leaves feeling a little more seen, a little more accepted, or a little more hopeful than when they arrived, then I have done something worthwhile.

I am grateful to Community Health Connections for supporting that kind of care, and I am honored to continue this work every day. – Jamie Darcangelo, RN