Boston Pride & the City of Boston have announced that this year's Pride festivities will be celebrated virtually due to the ongoing pandemic. Boston Pride will be creating a series of virtual events in June to commemorate Pride Month & the 50th anniversary of Boston Pride. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh stated, "While I know this was a difficult decision to make, postponing Boston's 2021 Pride Parade & Festival is the right choice as we continue to prioritize the health & safety of all during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In Boston, we are committing to living by the values of inclusion, diversity & acceptance, & that will never change. Our city will continue to support Boston Pride & when safe to do so, the Pride Parade & Festival will be back & stronger than ever." Linda DeMarco, President of Boston Pride concluded, “We had hoped to commemorate Boston Pride’s 50th anniversary in June 2021 after having to cancel last year’s Parade & Festival due to the pandemic. We know that the pandemic has severely impacted the LGBTQ+ community & we are working on virtual events to bring together the community in June. Over the last several months, we have pursued the difficult but necessary work of transformation & we want those efforts to be a central part of our Pride celebrations this year. Our community is concerned about racial equity, the resurgence of white supremacy, the needs of BIPOC members of the LGBTQ+ community & the dangers that transgender individuals, particularly transgender women of color, face. We are inviting the community to participate in Pride with those concerns in mind.” Virtual events being planned for June include the Pride Flag Raising at City Hall Plaza & the Pride Lights ceremony with more virtual events to be announced in the coming weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment