Boston Pride | |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Genre | Pride parade |
Frequency | Annually |
Location(s) | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Inaugurated | June 1970 |
Boston Pride is an annual LGBTQ pride event held in Boston, Massachusetts. As of 2019 it was the 22nd largest pride event in the world and alleged by organizers to be the third-largest pride parade in the United States. [1] [2]
Boston Pride began in June 1970, when a small group of about 50 gay and lesbian activists marched from Cambridge Common to Boston Common, where they held a rally commemorating the Stonewall riots. [3] [4] [5] On June 26, 1971, about 300 people attended the first official Boston Pride March, which stopped at four locations in the city: Jacque's (a drag bar), the Boston police headquarters, the Massachusetts State House, and St. Paul's Cathedral. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] At each location marchers read off their demands and grievances: misogyny, police harassment, legal discrimination, and religious persecution, respectively. [6] After the march, a rally was held with a "closet-smashing" demonstration. [9] In 1972, the march visited the city jail and returned to the State House. [9]
In 1974 the Lavender Rhino debuted as a float in the parade. [11] Earlier that year, Gay Media Action had put together a series of ads featuring the rhino as part of a campaign to encourage LGBTQ visibility. When they pitched the ads to the MBTA, however, they were told they could not run the ads at the public service price rather than the more expensive standard price. [11] This led to a protest campaign, which then led to the Lavender Rhino float. [11] Subsequently, the rhino became the parade's mascot. [5]
In 1978 the event was renamed the New England Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade; about 5,000 people attended. [8]
1981 had an expected 10,000 marchers. [12] By 1984 attendance increased to 15,000, to 20,000 in 1985, and to 25,000 in 1986. [3] [13] [14]
In 1987 Boston Pride was able to raise a Lavender Rhino flag at City Hall. [8] [15] The 1988 parade marked the first time the event was organized formally by a pride committee, who required pre-registration for marchers. [5]
By 1993 Boston Pride was reporting an attendance of 100,000 people. [16] The growing attendance led to some corporate groups marching in the parade by 1994. [17]
In 1995 the Boston Dyke March was founded as an alternative to Boston Pride. [5] Organizers alleged that Boston Pride had become too apolitical. [5]
Boston Pride in 2004 was particularly celebratory, as attendees celebrated the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, which had been announced in November 2003, with marriage licenses being given out starting in May 2004. [18]
An estimated 25,000 people marched in the parade in 2014. [19]
In 2015 a group of protesters interrupted the parade to demand that organizers pay attention to the issues faced by transgender people and LGBTQ people of color. [20]
In 2017 the parade's theme was "Stronger Together" in remembrance of the victims of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting; 29 survivors of the attack led the parade. [21]
2019 had an expected turnout of 50,000 marchers and 750,000 parade and festival attendees. [1] [2] [10]
Boston Pride was not held in-person in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [22] [23] In 2021 the organization known as Boston Pride dissolved after multiple years of internal disagreements. [24] [25] [26] [27] In 2022 a variety of pride events were held in Boston, although none were on the scale of Boston Pride. [24] [28]
In September 2022, a new organizing committee, Boston Pride for the People, was established. [29]
The Boston Pride parade returned under the new committee in June 2023. [29] [30] Around 10,000 marchers registered to attend. [29]
A dyke march is a lesbian visibility and protest march, much like the original Gay Pride parades and gay rights demonstrations. The main purpose of a dyke march is the encouragement of activism within the lesbian and sapphic community. Dyke marches commonly take place the Friday or Saturday before LGBT pride parades. Larger metropolitan areas usually have several Pride-related happenings both before and after the march to further community building; with social outreach to specific segments such as older women, women of color, and lesbian parenting groups.
Over the course of its history, the LGBT community has adopted certain symbols for self-identification to demonstrate unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one another. These symbols communicate ideas, concepts, and identity both within their communities and to mainstream culture. The two symbols most recognized internationally are the pink triangle and the rainbow flag.
The LA Pride Festival & Parade, commonly known as LA Pride, is an annual LGBTQ Pride celebration in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest LGBTQ Pride events in the world, traditionally held on the second weekend of June, and produced by the Christopher Street West Association.
The NYC Pride March is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQ community in New York City. The largest pride parade in North America and among the largest pride events in the world, the NYC Pride March attracts tens of thousands of participants and millions of sidewalk spectators each June. The parade route through Lower Manhattan traverses south on Fifth Avenue, through Greenwich Village, passing the Stonewall National Monument, site of the June 1969 riots that launched the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights.
The rainbow flag or pride flag is a symbol of LGBT pride and LGBT social movements. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender. Using a rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBT pride began in San Francisco, California, but eventually became common at LGBT rights events worldwide.
LGBT pride is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements. Pride has lent its name to LGBT-themed organizations, institutes, foundations, book titles, periodicals, a cable TV channel, and the Pride Library.
WorldPride is a series of international LGBT pride events coordinated by InterPride; they are hosted in conjunction with local LGBT pride festivals, with host cities selected via bids voted on during InterPride's annual general meetings. Its core events include opening and closing ceremonies, a pride parade, and an LGBT human rights conference.
Straight pride is a reactionary slogan that arose in the 1980s and early 1990s and has primarily been used by social conservatives as a political stance and strategy. The term is described as a response to "gay pride", a slogan adopted by various groups in the early 1970s, or to the accommodations provided to gay pride initiative.
Seattle Pride refers to a series of events which are held annually throughout the month of June to celebrate LGBT Pride in Seattle, Washington. Seattle Pride also refers to the nonprofit organization Seattle Out and Proud which coordinates and promotes LGBTQIA+ events and programs in Seattle year-round including the Seattle Pride Parade.
The Berlin Pride Celebration, also known as Christopher Street Day Berlin, or CSD Berlin, is a pride parade and festival held in the second half of July each year in Berlin, Germany to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people and their allies. Since 1979, the event has been held each year. Berlin Pride is one of the largest gay and lesbian organized events in Germany and one of the biggest in Europe. Its aim is to demonstrate for equal rights and equal treatment for LGBT people, as well as celebrate the pride in Gay and Lesbian Culture.
Delhi Queer Pride Parade is organised by members of the Delhi Queer Pride Committee every last Sunday of November since 2008. The queer pride parade is a yearly festival to honour and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and their supporters. The parade usually runs from Barakhamba Road to Tolstoy Marg to Jantar Mantar.
Michael Bronski is an American academic and writer, best known for his 2011 book A Queer History of the United States. He has been involved with LGBT politics since 1969 as an activist and organizer. He has won numerous awards for LGBTQ activism and scholarship, including the prestigious Publishing Triangle's Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement. Bronski is a Professor of Practice in Media and Activism at Harvard University.
The Edmonton Pride Festival is a 2SLGBTQ+ pride festival, held annually in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Boston is a hub of LGBT culture and LGBT activism in the United States, with a rich history dating back to the election of the nation's first openly gay state representative, Elaine Noble, in 1974. The city is home to notable organizations like GLAD and Fenway Health, and it played a pivotal role in the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. Various neighborhoods, including the South End, are known for their sizable LGBT populations, while numerous LGBT bars and entertainment venues offer spaces for community gatherings. Boston hosts an annual Pride Parade, and despite challenges, it continues to be a prominent event. Noteworthy organizations like The Welcoming Committee and the Boston Gay Men's Chorus contribute to the city's vibrant LGBT community, while The History Project preserves its rich history through an extensive LGBTQ archive.
New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest LGBTQ populations and the most prominent. Brian Silverman, the author of Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day, wrote the city has "one of the world's largest, loudest, and most powerful LGBT communities", and "Gay and lesbian culture is as much a part of New York's basic identity as yellow cabs, high-rise buildings, and Broadway theatre". LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". LGBT advocate and entertainer Madonna stated metaphorically, "Anyways, not only is New York City the best place in the world because of the queer people here. Let me tell you something, if you can make it here, then you must be queer."
Fag Rag was an American gay men's newspaper, published from 1971 until circa 1987, with issue #44 being the last known edition. The publishers were the Boston-based Fag Rag Collective, which consisted of radical writers, artists and activists. Notable members were Larry Martin, Charley Shively, Michael Bronski, Thom Nickels, and John Mitzel. In its early years the subscription list was between 400 and 500, with an additional 4,500 copies sold on newsstands and bookstores or given away.
The Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival is the second oldest and second-largest pride parade in New York City. It is held annually in the neighborhood of Jackson Heights, located in the New York City borough of Queens. The parade was founded by Daniel Dromm and Maritza Martinez to raise the visibility of the LGBTQ community in Queens and memorialize Jackson Heights resident Julio Rivera. Queens also serves as the largest transgender hub in the Western hemisphere and is the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world.
Rhode Island Pride is an LGBT organization that serves the Rhode Island LGBTQ community, most notably holding its annual PrideFest in June. The organization traces its roots to the 1976 march, in which 75 individuals protested the city's refusal of a permit to host an official march. Today, Rhode Island Pride is one of the largest and most active LGBTQ organizations in Rhode Island, hosting community events and offering resources to Rhode Island's LGBTQ population.
In Washington, D.C., LGBT culture is heavily influenced by the U.S. federal government and the many nonprofit organizations headquartered in the city.
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