Boston Pride

There's nothing like celebrating Boston Pride in the heart of the city, close to all of its most beloved attractions. The Boston Pride Parade lets you enjoy the city to its fullest, and gives you an opportunity to see the inclusive nature that Boston is known for. This parade has been part of Boston's landscape since 1971, and an estimated 750,000 spectators are said to attend the event each year.

Following the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 in Greenwich Village, New York, the Homophile Coordinating Council was formed in Boston in 1970, to initiate the very first Lesbian & Gay Pride Celebration in the city. While a full-scale Pride Parade did not take place, an exciting week of LGBTQ-related workshops and forums transpired in the city, with everything culminating to a gay dance at Charles Street Meetinghouse. 

The very first official Boston Gay Pride took place a year later in 1971, with an estimated 300 marchers. It is said that the procession kicked off across the road from the Homophile Health Center on the corner of Tremont and Boylston Streets. During the parade there was an ongoing debate and conflict between organizers and the police, something which would come to characterize the many Boston Prides to follow. Boston Pride was founded in strong political roots, with the parade of 1971 welcoming many protestors who demanded equal rights and anti-discrimination laws in the social, emloyment, and housing spheres.

To this day, Boston Pride remains as much an LGBTQ celebration as it does a political act, even if the USA, and the globe more generally, have made leaps and bounds in terms of LGBTQ rights. By nurturing unity, diversity, dignity, and visibility, Boston Pride aims to educate, communicate, and advocate by developing and strengthening connections within the community. As one of the oldest gay prides in the country, the parade is expected to grow in importance every year. Along with the incredible parade, block parties and concerts are also among some of the highlights of the event. So will we be seeing you in the state of Massachusetts for Boston Gay Pride this year. We sure hope so! 

For full details on Boston Pride 2024 and all previous editions, be sure to check out the official event program. Happy Pride!