Boston Pride is announcing a series of virtual events to celebrate Pride 2020 and Boston Pride’s 50th anniversary.
After the City of Boston announced that all large public gatherings would be halted during the spring and summer in an effort to protect the wellbeing of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pride Committee got creative. Boston Pride has organized a series of virtual events for the month of June that will bring LGBTQ people together to commemorate 50 years of Pride in Boston, to honor the network of care that comprises the LGBTQ community and to celebrate the always fabulous and multi-faceted expressions of LGBTQ culture.
SHOW YOUR PRIDE! Everyone can participate in virtual Pride, and not just online. Boston Pride encourages everyone to show their Pride by decorating their windows, doors, porches, yards, cars, neighborhoods, and (especially) their pets for traditional Pride weekend, June 12-14.
Share photos of yourself, friends, family, and/or household wearing your Pride outfits and displaying your Pride decorations. Tag us @bostonpride in your Instagram stories and use the hashtag #wickedproud on Facebook and Twitter! We can’t wait to see the sea of rainbows!
The month of virtual Pride events will begin with the traditional annual raising of the rainbow pride flag by the City of Boston on Friday, June 5. A full and detailed list of events can be found on the Boston Pride website
Events range from panel discussions, to cooking classes, to dance lessons. Key events for Boston Pride include:
- June 5, Raising of the rainbow pride flag on City Hall Plaza, 12pm
- June 5, Author Talk with the Boston Public Library: Eric Cervini of “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America”
- June 7, Forum: The Rich History of LGBTQ Bars in Boston\
- June 8, Panel: LGBTQ Veterans Tell Their Stories
- June 9, Pride Lights – commemorates those affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic
- June 13, Pride Festival and Concert
“Each year, over a million people line the streets of Boston to watch the annual Pride Parade, attend the free concert and Festival, and partake in block parties and numerous other Pride events. The COVID pandemic means that the Pride celebration will come to you this year.” said Linda J. DeMarco, Boston Pride President. “I am incredibly proud of Boston’s LGBTQ community for coming together to find creative ways to spread the message of Pride throughout Pride Week. Our virtual events are designed so everyone can participate from the safety of their homes. We know these events cannot replace the excitement of being together in person, but they will help us stay connected, remember our history, and remain strong during these times of physical distancing.”
The annual Boston Pride Guide will also be going virtual with a digital version available on the Boston Pride website on June 5th.
Boston Pride’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated in 2020 and 2021 with the Parade and Festival moved to June 12, 2021.