This year I will be celebrating my twentieth Pride in Boston. It’s remarkable to think how this yearly ritual for our community has evolved and changed since I first joined the throngs along Boylston Street. What used to be considered a political march is now much more a celebration of the diverse ways LGBTQ people are represented within the greater community at large. There are varied opinions about whether this is a positive development or not, but whatever your politics it’s hard to deny the impressiveness of seeing thousands of people from all walks of life making their way through the streets of Boston together.The bikers leading the way and revving their engines to signal the start; church and school groups proudly marching with their banners; dancing boys shaking their booties to the pulsing music on the club floats; political figures shaking hands and looking for votes; the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence spreading joy wherever they go; parents pushing their children in strollers; the PFLAG contingent that always gets heartfelt applause as they pass by; the Hat Sisters in their new ensembles; corporate groups in their matching t-shirts; and the eager crowd cheering and jockeying for their favorite colored pride beads and other cool swag.Those are just a few of the many snapshots of Pride I look forward to every year. We are such a vibrant and multi-faceted community and on our high holiday we DO know how to celebrate! SNAP!
SpeakOUT will be staffing a table at the Pride Festival again this year. As one of the older LGBTQ organizations in Boston, SpeakOUT has the distinct pleasure of having decades of volunteers who’ve spoken for us and who love the work we continue to do and we often get to reconnect at Pride. We’ll be spreading the word of our mission to tell our stories and to fight homo-bi-transphobia in the world. Come by and say hello to me and to the other volunteers at the table and pick up our flashy new pens and get tattooed by our volunteers…much less painful than the real thing.Happy Pride, everyone!Ellyn Ruthstrom, Executive Director