Boston Pride and the City of Boston announced Tuesday that annual Pride events scheduled for June 2020 will be postponed to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The new date for the Boston Pride Parade and Festival is Saturday, June 12, 2021. The joint decision was made due to the concern of the health and wellbeing of the community and others. Boston Pride is commemorating its 50th anniversary during 2020 through 2021 to celebrate social, legal, and political successes, the LGBTQ culture and community – while continuing to work for social justice and human rights.
“I know this was a very hard decision to make and I know it’s very hard news to hear, but it’s the right decision. As we fight the coronavirus pandemic, everyone’s safety and health is our top priority,” said Mayor Martin Walsh. “To our LGBTQ community, we may not be able to celebrate Boston Pride 50th Anniversary this summer, but once we are able, we’ll have the biggest and strongest Pride to date. The partnership between Boston Pride and the City of Boston has never been stronger, and I look forward to joining everyone to commemorate the many years of fighting for equality.”
Said Linda J. DeMarco, president of Boston Pride, “Our foremost concern is for the health, safety, and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community and allies. We cannot afford to put anyone at risk. There will be time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Boston Pride and recognize not only the struggles that our community has faced over the years, but also celebrate our strength and resiliency which we all need during this difficult time. We appreciate the City of Boston’s support of our community during this difficult time.”
Boston Pride is focusing on maintaining communication with its year-round volunteers who plan and execute its events and programming, sharing resources for LGBTQ people, and working alongside community partners who need support during this time. Boston Pride will continue to develop programming to commemorate its 50th anniversary and to connect with the community leading up to Pride events in 2021. Look for events that will include conversations with different leaders throughout the Pride movement, a series of photographs and images, and other virtual events. Programming announcements will be made on the Boston Pride website and social media platforms.
“These are challenging times for all of us and Boston Pride is particularly concerned with the status of our LGBTQ seniors, youth, and other vulnerable members of the community,” said DeMarco. “As an organization dedicated to social justice, we are particularly concerned in protecting the vulnerable members of our community most at risk. This was not an easy decision to make as we understand the ripple effect, including a financial one, which postponing the events will have on our community, our partners and our vendors.”
For registered Parade participants and Festival booth registrants, registrations are valid for the new date. Regarding refunds, please visit the Boston Pride website for information.
Boston Pride has provided COVID-19 resources for the LGBTQ community on its website www.bostonpride.org.