On Monday, Mayor Michelle Wu led a Pride flag-raising ceremony at Boston City Hall.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 All your colleagues to come.
00:02 All right, we're gonna get started
00:04 with our speaking portion.
00:06 My name is Candace.
00:07 I am our Community Relations Specialist
00:09 for the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement.
00:12 Today's Pride flag raising,
00:15 would it be possible if it wasn't for our amazing partners?
00:19 And to set the tone of Pride at what's coming up
00:22 in this year's theme of In Living Color,
00:25 I would like to invite the President of Boston Pride
00:29 for the People, Adriana Bolin.
00:32 (audience applauding)
00:36 - Happy Pride!
00:41 - Pride!
00:43 - So good to be here with you all.
00:48 My name is Adriana Bolin.
00:51 I use pronouns like she and her,
00:54 and I'm here representing Boston Pride for the People.
00:57 (audience cheering)
01:00 The mission of Boston Pride for the People
01:03 is to celebrate the beauty, rich diversity,
01:07 and unique culture of our LGBTQ+ communities
01:11 through commemoration, celebration,
01:14 empowerment, and education.
01:16 So this is our second year of doing Pride, y'all,
01:21 and we're so excited.
01:24 We have over 300 contingents
01:27 who have signed up to march with us, over 300,
01:31 and we're just so proud of everyone
01:34 that wants to be in community with us
01:36 to march in our parade starting at 11 a.m. in Copley Square,
01:40 and we'll make our way to the Boston Common at around 12.
01:45 There'll be a festival that begins at the Boston Common.
01:47 We'll have speakers, entertainers.
01:50 We'll have over 200 vendors in that space,
01:53 and a number of amazing areas for you all to engage
01:57 and be in community,
01:58 and then right here at City Hall Plaza at 2 p.m.
02:02 is our 21+ Block Party, okay?
02:05 Okay, we'll be having our Family Fun at Boston Common,
02:09 and then invite you to come over here at 2 p.m.
02:11 for our 21+ events.
02:13 We'll have a beer garden.
02:14 We also have entertainers here, vendors.
02:17 It's gonna be a great, great time.
02:21 We have a town hall scheduled tonight from 4.30 to 5.30.
02:25 If you're interested in hearing a little bit more
02:27 about what we have planned, I invite you to join that.
02:30 You can get more information about registering
02:33 by going to our website, bp4tp.org,
02:38 and visit the town hall tab.
02:41 So this year, as you heard,
02:43 our theme is Still Here in Living Color.
02:49 Okay, we still here in living color.
02:52 Still here describes our bold, active,
03:00 and dedicated presence as LGBTQ+ communities.
03:05 We are still here advocating for our right to exist
03:10 and live as our authentic selves.
03:13 In living color describes our richness,
03:16 our intersections, our nuance, our beauty,
03:19 and living loudly outside the binary and norm.
03:23 Many have come before us, have set the foundation,
03:28 and sparked the flame on the torch
03:31 that we all now carry forward in supporting our communities.
03:36 One of those individuals that we would like to recognize
03:40 is Anne McGuire.
03:44 (audience applauding)
03:47 Anne McGuire, a lesbian trailblazer,
03:50 passed away this past December,
03:53 and passionately advocated, you know passion?
03:57 Y'all know what passion feels like?
03:59 Passion, and passionately advocated
04:03 for the LGBTQIA+ community,
04:05 women's health, and healthcare access.
04:08 Her many successes include creating a lesbian community,
04:11 managing somewhere one of the Boston's former lesbian bars,
04:16 and running Elaine Noble's historic 1974 campaign,
04:20 making Noble the first out LGBTQ+ person
04:24 elected to any state legislature in the country.
04:27 That's huge, that is huge, that's progress.
04:31 Anne helped run campaigns for several candidates,
04:34 including Mass State Rep Sarah Peek,
04:37 P-Town Selectman David Machesney,
04:39 and the Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
04:42 She also advised Governor Maura Healey
04:48 during her 2015 State Attorney General campaign.
04:53 At City Hall, this space that we are all in community here
04:57 together, Anne served as the mayor's liaison
05:00 to the LGBT community from 1984 to 1987.
05:05 And in 1987, the first pride flag
05:08 that we're about to raise here today,
05:10 the first pride flag was flown in 1987,
05:14 almost four decades later.
05:16 We remember and honor Anne's work
05:20 to make the world a better place.
05:23 Thank you for joining us in community, and happy pride.
05:26 (audience cheering)
05:29 - Thank you, Adriana.
05:34 I would like to invite representations
05:38 from Road of Rainbows,
05:39 also known as the Boston Theater Company,
05:42 if they could come up and share some words
05:44 about their event that's happening this weekend as well.
05:46 - Hello, everyone.
05:58 My name is Ramon Ballesteros.
06:01 I am one of the counselors of Road of Rainbow Pride 5K,
06:06 which is created by Boston Theater Company.
06:10 Road of Rainbows is the first truly inclusive 5K run
06:16 or walk in Massachusetts.
06:20 It's happening this Saturday, June the 8th
06:22 at the Boston Common Brewer Fountain.
06:26 Road of Rainbows is as much about running
06:31 as it is about being yourself
06:33 and letting your inner unicorn fly.
06:37 Road of Rainbows is one of the few
06:40 and only gender neutral athletic events.
06:45 We have no gender sign up and also no gender awards.
06:50 This is huge.
06:54 In fact, our awards go to the best dressed.
07:00 So lays up your shoes and put on your best costume
07:06 to run the rainbow.
07:07 Road of Rainbow is also an American sign language
07:12 interpreted American disabilities accessible
07:17 and all tickets are pay while you can include free tickets
07:21 to everyone who needs them.
07:22 Participants of all athletic abilities are welcome
07:31 because you can run or walk at your own pace.
07:35 If you run all three laps fast
07:37 or even if you just walk one,
07:40 everyone gots a rainbow medal and free ice cream.
07:44 Also banana.
07:47 Road of Rainbows is created by a nonprofit
07:53 that we believe in pride 365
07:56 and work to support local queer artists,
08:00 not just in June, but all year long.
08:04 We hope to see you there.
08:05 Happy pride.
08:06 All right, who's gonna win that best dress costume contest?
08:17 We'll have to find out.
08:19 I also would like to invite the Boston Dyke March
08:23 if they could come up and speak there,
08:25 but it's happening this Friday
08:27 and they'll give us some more details about that.
08:29 Feel free to clap for them.
08:31 (audience applauding)
08:35 Thank you.
08:41 Hello everyone, can you hear me?
08:46 All right, cool.
08:49 My name is Hamel.
08:50 I use any pronouns.
08:51 I'm from the Boston Dyke March.
08:53 If you're not familiar with our event,
08:54 we were started in 1995 as a protest
08:57 against the corporatization of pride
08:59 and the narrow focus of traditional pride events
09:02 on a small subset of the community.
09:04 We believe in anti-capitalism and gender liberation for all
09:08 and our traditional audiences are queer women
09:11 and trans people of all genders.
09:13 Our event this year will have 67 community tables
09:19 as well as musicians, speakers, and our two mile march.
09:23 It's ASL interpreted with an accessibility vehicle
09:26 at the end for those who can't do the whole march
09:29 and anyone who needs it.
09:30 We hope to see you Friday and we're over there
09:32 if you want any more information.
09:33 Thank you.
09:34 (audience applauding)
09:37 Masks are required for the Boston Dyke March this Friday.
09:45 I also wanna shout out a very special person to me
09:49 is Chastity Bowick in the building.
09:52 So Chastity has definitely paved the way
09:56 for a lot of the trans women,
09:57 trans leaders that are coming around.
10:00 She created the Trans Emergency Fund in Massachusetts
10:04 and have been such a great partner
10:06 with Chastity Consultant Talent and Group.
10:09 I would love to invite the current president
10:12 of the Trans Emergency Fund.
10:14 She will definitely help you with winning
10:16 the Best Dress Award at Roto-Rainbows.
10:18 Give it up for the National Showgirl Supreme title holder,
10:22 the president of Trans Emergency Fund,
10:24 Miss Lakia Mondale.
10:28 (audience applauding)
10:31 As well as Miss Trans Global USA,
10:35 Trans Massachusetts as well, Miss Chelsea.
10:39 (audience applauding)
10:42 - Hello everyone and welcome.
10:46 Can I get, oh, she's filming so nevermind.
10:50 Go ahead girl, do you.
10:53 But this, I want to pick her back off of Candace
10:56 and give Chastity her love and her flowers
10:59 because if it wasn't for her,
11:01 I wouldn't be standing in front of you
11:03 as the board president.
11:04 She asked me to do her a favor and join the board.
11:08 And it's nice to say that I'm her auntie.
11:12 And she was like, "Auntie, can you join the board for me?"
11:15 And I was like, "Hmm, I don't know."
11:17 And she explained her vision
11:19 and what she envisioned was having a safe home,
11:22 a house for all trans people to come to.
11:25 And that I said yes to.
11:27 So Chastity, you get your flowers
11:29 'cause we appreciate you and thank you.
11:31 (audience applauding)
11:34 So as you know, my name is Lakia Mondale
11:42 and I am the board president
11:44 of the Transgender Emergency Fund since 2008.
11:47 We've been the only organization providing support
11:50 to low-income trans individuals
11:52 in the state of Massachusetts.
11:55 We provide financial support for gender affirming care,
11:58 IDs, HRT, personal supplies, and other essential items.
12:03 Last year, we launched a trans-sitioning housing program
12:08 which allowed up to eight unhoused trans individuals
12:12 to receive housing for up to a year.
12:18 Resources and assistance to become sustainable
12:22 since launching the program
12:24 has served over 20 secure permanent housing
12:28 for our community.
12:31 Thank you to MOLA, the team,
12:34 for inviting us to participate
12:36 in this morning's flag raising.
12:38 We're incredibly thankful to Mayor Michelle Wu
12:42 who announced this past March a $350,000 grant
12:46 to support our transitional housing program.
12:50 (audience applauding)
12:53 I have firsthand knowledge of how housing
12:59 can save someone's life.
13:01 Safe housing is the single most important thing
13:04 that we can do to save trans lives.
13:07 Thank you to Mayor Wu for saying to the trans community,
13:11 with this grant, this is your city too,
13:15 you are seen, you belong here, you matter.
13:20 We are so proud of all that we have accomplished.
13:28 Without Chelsea Moses who sits on the board
13:32 and your Miss Trans Global,
13:33 without Sasha standing over there filming as my treasurer,
13:37 we could not do the things that we do.
13:39 There are still hundreds of people on the wait list, sadly.
13:44 Go to our website, transemergencyfund.org
13:48 to help us expand TEF's work.
13:51 Join us at our drop-in centers every Thursday in Boston
13:56 from three to six, volunteer at pride events
13:59 with us around the state, handing out quick HIV kits.
14:03 Join us on the board, we do seek new board members
14:07 and welcome anyone who is interested.
14:09 And also at the end, follow us at the Trans Emergency Fund
14:13 and make sure you sign on to our newsletter
14:16 to see any upcoming events.
14:18 Thank you very much.
14:19 - All right, we just got a few more events to shout out.
14:26 Can I have Boston Black Pride up?
14:30 And then next we're gonna hear from Apex
14:32 and the Museum of Science with some exciting news.
14:35 - Black Pride.
14:38 (audience applauding)
14:41 Good morning, family.
14:49 My name is Curtis Santos, I'm the executive director
14:51 of Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation
14:54 in which the last five years
14:55 we have reclaimed Boston Black Pride.
14:57 This year we are bringing back Boston Black Pride
14:59 for its fifth year anniversary.
15:01 We welcome you all to join us.
15:03 It starts on June 29th until July 7th.
15:07 So please look out for the flyers,
15:08 look out for all the information.
15:10 Please telephone a teller friend.
15:12 Our service provisions include a lot of service provisions.
15:14 I won't go through it, kind of a long show.
15:17 But please tap in with me, show up, show love.
15:20 This year is a huge, huge, huge year.
15:23 So we want all our community to be there with us
15:25 and unite with us.
15:26 We start from Franklin Park Zoo for our parade on July 7th
15:29 until we go down to Shattuck Picnic Area.
15:32 So please join us, please be a part of us and happy pride.
15:37 (audience applauding)
15:40 - Can we have the former city councilor,
15:47 also the CEO of Apex, Tito Jackson, come join us please.
15:52 (audience applauding)
15:55 - How y'all doing today?
15:58 When I say Boston, you say pride.
16:02 Boston.
16:03 - Pride.
16:04 - Boston.
16:05 - Pride.
16:05 - When I say Boston, you say pride.
16:07 Boston.
16:08 - Pride.
16:09 - Boston.
16:10 - Pride.
16:10 - This is kind of the only part I miss
16:11 about the job right now.
16:12 But I wanna give a huge, huge shout out
16:16 to each of you who are coming together,
16:20 honestly, for what we are and who we are
16:23 as a city of Boston.
16:24 My name is Tito Jackson.
16:27 I am a recovering Boston city councilor.
16:30 My pronouns are he and his.
16:34 And I am so, so happy to be here.
16:36 When I heard in living color,
16:38 I'm turning 50 next year,
16:40 I actually thought it was a TV show back in the day.
16:43 Okay, not everyone gets that one, okay.
16:45 But I am very, very proud to be here
16:49 standing in unity and solidarity
16:51 with Boston Pride for the People,
16:53 Mayor Wu, the Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement.
16:58 And I wanna invite each of you to an event.
17:02 We at Apex Noir, we are a cannabis dispensary
17:07 in the city of Boston.
17:08 Let's give it up for Equity in Cannabis.
17:10 We are Boston's first seven story,
17:14 full service experiential cannabis dispensary,
17:16 edible factory, and we have a beautiful roof deck
17:19 bar and lounge that is gonna be opening.
17:21 And I am inviting each of you to come out
17:24 to our first ever formal event,
17:28 which is called Rise with Pride.
17:30 It is gonna be happening on Sunday the 9th,
17:34 and it's a brunch,
17:36 and we know y'all gonna be partying the night before.
17:38 So therefore it starts at 2 p.m.
17:41 And this is an event where we are gonna celebrate equity
17:46 in the city of Boston,
17:48 but we are also gonna teach folks about equity in cannabis
17:52 where there's huge, huge disparities
17:54 where only 2% of folks actually look like me in Darnasia.
18:00 And also we are partnering with several organizations.
18:04 We're partnering with the Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement,
18:09 the Office of Black Male Advancement,
18:12 and also the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion,
18:16 my sister, Shakia Scott.
18:19 So I would invite each and every one of you,
18:21 work up a whole, whole, big, big, big tummy empty,
18:26 and come on over.
18:28 But I finally just wanna say,
18:30 the greatness of our city is not merely
18:35 in the ribbon cuttings of these large buildings
18:37 that we have out here.
18:39 The greatness of the city of Boston
18:41 is really seen in what we do for the least of those,
18:45 those who've been forgotten,
18:47 those who've been left behind.
18:48 So I would submit to you
18:50 that the greatness of the city of Boston
18:52 is determined in what we do
18:54 for black trans disabled youth.
18:58 If we were to determine how those young people
19:02 in our Boston public schools,
19:04 and housing, and economic opportunity,
19:07 how they do, then every single other person
19:12 in the city of Boston would do well.
19:14 So I am happy, also,
19:16 if y'all wanna come march with a brother,
19:18 we're gonna have the most turnt up delegation.
19:22 Apex Noir will be marching this year
19:25 in Boston Pride for the people.
19:27 And I wanna thank everyone who does this every single day.
19:31 I just also wanna acknowledge,
19:33 I get to do this with you on Pride,
19:37 but there are people who have to have this fight
19:40 every single day of their lives,
19:42 who have to fight to be seen,
19:44 who have to fight to be heard,
19:46 and have to fight to ensure
19:48 that equity is real in their life.
19:51 We have your back, and we stand with you in that fight,
19:54 and we're gonna continue to fight that fight with you.
19:56 But this weekend, we're gonna have a little bit of fun.
19:58 Happy Pride.
19:58 (audience cheering)
20:01 - Thank you so much, Tito Jackson.
20:05 And if this weekend isn't enough,
20:08 we are celebrating Pride every single day and beyond.
20:12 And speaking of that,
20:13 we have an amazing collaboration
20:15 with the Museum of Science
20:17 to do a STEM and Beyond Pride event,
20:21 a big party.
20:23 And I wanna invite Tim Ritchie,
20:24 who is the president of the Museum of Science,
20:27 who will share a few words.
20:29 (audience cheering)
20:32 - Well, thank you, Candice.
20:34 And it's just a real honor
20:36 for the Museum of Science to be here.
20:38 Thank you to Mayor Wu,
20:39 just all the city council,
20:40 councilors who are here today.
20:42 At the Museum of Science,
20:44 we believe that science and technology belongs to everyone.
20:49 Science knows no bounds.
20:51 It transcends gender, race, and orientation.
20:54 That's one reason we're devoting this month
20:56 at the Museum of Science to Pride Month,
20:58 a month-long celebration of LGBTQA+ scientists
21:03 and the community as a whole.
21:04 Just as diversity is the strength of our community,
21:09 it's also the cornerstone of scientific innovation.
21:13 When diverse minds come together,
21:15 we unlock new perspectives
21:17 and drive breakthroughs that change our world.
21:21 By ensuring that everyone has the opportunity
21:23 to engage with science,
21:24 we foster a more inclusive and vibrant future for all.
21:28 Our museum is committed to creating a space
21:32 where everyone can explore, learn,
21:33 and contribute to the wonders of science.
21:36 For the past year,
21:37 we've been building a partnership
21:39 with the mayor's office for LGBTQ+ advancement
21:43 for this year's Pride Month.
21:44 Our leader in that effort, James Monroe,
21:46 is here to tell you more
21:48 of how the museum will play a role
21:50 in this wonderful month-long celebration.
21:54 As I turn things over to James,
21:55 let me just reiterate my own commitment
21:59 to building a world where science belongs to each of us
22:02 for the good of all of us, each of us, all of us.
22:06 That means everyone who's here today
22:08 and everyone in the LGBTQAI+ community.
22:12 May this month of celebration be a message to the world
22:16 that everyone belongs, everyone has something to offer,
22:20 everyone is our neighbor.
22:21 Unite as we are in the effort to create a future
22:25 that is humane and sustainable for all.
22:27 Thank you.
22:28 - Thank you, Tim.
22:32 Good afternoon, everyone.
22:34 I'm James Monroe.
22:35 My pronouns are he/him.
22:36 I am the creative director of programming
22:38 at the Museum of Science, Boston.
22:40 And I just wanna echo Tim's gratitude to Mayor Wu
22:43 and the Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement for having us today.
22:47 As Tim mentioned, we have been building over the past year
22:50 a really strong partnership with Mayor Wu and her office,
22:54 specifically around engaging and celebrating
22:57 our LGBTQ+ community at the museum,
23:00 not just during Pride Month, but every day, all year round.
23:04 And we're really excited to be formally launching
23:06 and announcing this partnership today
23:08 and announcing our very first event together,
23:10 which is called Slay the Entire Month, STEM and Beyond,
23:15 which will be happening on Saturday, June 22nd
23:19 at seven o'clock p.m. at the Museum of Science.
23:22 And this is gonna be a really amazing opportunity
23:25 for us to convene as a community,
23:26 take over the bluing of the museum and celebrate together
23:30 and throw in a little bit of science, fun,
23:32 and magic in there as well.
23:33 And the evening is gonna feature remarks from Mayor Wu,
23:36 Tim, performances from Neon Calypso,
23:39 music from DJ Kholslaw, special presentations
23:43 of the museum's iconic lightning show, and so much more.
23:47 And all of that will be hosted
23:48 by the one and only Candace Persuasion.
23:51 And so we hope you'll join us.
23:52 The great thing is this event is free
23:55 for all of you and all of our community.
23:57 All you have to do is go and register for your ticket
23:59 before capacity runs out.
24:01 Tickets are on sale as of right this moment
24:04 on the museum's website at mos.org.
24:07 And as I said, this is just the beginning
24:09 of what we are building with the mayor's office
24:11 for LGBTQ+ advancement.
24:13 We have a lot of plans in store to make sure
24:16 that our community feels valued, celebrated,
24:18 and welcome at the Museum of Science
24:20 every single day, all year round.
24:22 And we'll share more about our partnership
24:24 at the event on June 22nd.
24:26 And finally, the event serves really as the centerpiece
24:29 for the museum's Pride Celebration Weekend,
24:31 which will be taking place on June 22nd
24:34 and June 23rd.
24:35 All day, our stages and exhibit halls
24:38 will be activated with speakers and scientists
24:40 and researchers, artists, organizations,
24:43 all from our community sharing about their work
24:46 and celebrating what it means to be LGBTQ+.
24:50 And access to the museum will be free
24:52 that entire weekend as well during the day.
24:54 All you have to do when you're purchasing
24:56 your exhibit hall ticket is put the code in PRIDE24.
25:00 Once again, that's PRIDE24,
25:02 and that'll get you free access all weekend long.
25:04 We hope that you, your friends, your family,
25:06 and your communities will join us.
25:08 Thank you so much.
25:08 Happy Pride.
25:09 - All right, thank you, Museum of Science.
25:15 I would like to invite our executive director
25:18 of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement,
25:21 Julie Ann Doherty-Lee, as well as the rest
25:23 of the MOLA team to come join us on stage.
25:31 - Hello, happy Pride, Boston.
25:34 Before I get started, I would love to formally
25:39 kick off and start the actual flag raising portion
25:42 of this amazing press kicker offer for Pride.
25:46 And so with that, I would love to invite
25:49 our incredible allies in service,
25:52 our elected to come and stand behind us,
25:54 as well as our mayor.
25:56 So we'd love our elected to come and stand behind us.
26:00 - Hello, everyone.
26:02 I am Julie Ann Lee, executive director
26:04 of the Mayor's Office of LGBT+ Advancement.
26:07 I use she/they pronouns, and it's a true honor
26:10 to stand here with our elected, Mayor Wu,
26:12 and all of you to celebrate this momentum occasion.
26:16 You have already heard from our incredible
26:17 local Pride event organizers,
26:19 so I will make my remarks very brief.
26:21 Pride is more than a celebration.
26:24 It is a testament of our resilience,
26:27 and a call to continue the fight of equity.
26:30 This year's theme, Still Here and Living Color,
26:33 beautifully encapsulates the vibrant diversity
26:36 and enduring spirit of our community,
26:38 as we heard from Adriana.
26:40 As we raise this flag, we honor the trailblazers
26:43 who came before us, from Stonewall Riots
26:46 to the countless advocates who fought tirelessly
26:49 for our rights here in Massachusetts.
26:52 In particular today, as we raise the Pride flag,
26:55 we honor the legacy of Ann McGuire,
26:57 a tireless Boston advocate for the LGBTQ+ community,
27:01 women's health, and healthcare access.
27:04 And we are privileged to have her wife here with us today
27:07 to celebrate her enduring impact.
27:09 The legacy of Ann and many LGBT+ advocates
27:12 who fought for the right to exist
27:14 reminds us how far we've come, thanks to their hard work.
27:18 But we must remember that our journey is far from over.
27:23 In the face of over 500 anti-trans bills nationwide,
27:28 including one right here in Massachusetts,
27:30 our commitment to advocacy and support
27:33 is more critical than ever.
27:35 We stand ready to welcome and protect LGBT+ individuals
27:39 seeking refugee from hostile laws and environments,
27:43 ensuring Boston remains a beacon of hope and inclusion.
27:47 The Mayor's Office of LGBT+ Advancement
27:49 has been at the forefront of these efforts,
27:51 working tirelessly to empower, protect, promote
27:55 the rights of Boston's LGBT+ residents.
27:57 This year, we proudly became the first year,
28:00 the first city in our state to remove sex and gender markers
28:03 from marriage licenses, a significant step.
28:07 (audience applauding)
28:08 I also want to acknowledge that the work could not be done
28:11 without our incredible, amazing leader,
28:14 Chief Mariangela Solis-Cabrera,
28:16 who joins us here this morning.
28:19 Today, we celebrate our achievements,
28:21 but we must recognize that our fight for LGBT+ rights
28:26 is interconnected with the broader struggle
28:29 of collective liberation.
28:31 I'm gonna try that one more time, collective liberation.
28:35 We must stand in solidarity with all historically
28:39 and presently marginalized communities
28:41 to create a world where everyone can live openly,
28:44 safely, and equitably.
28:46 It is my honor and privilege to introduce
28:50 our steadfast LGBT+ ally and champion of equity,
28:55 our Mayor, Michelle Wu.
28:58 (audience applauding)
29:01 - One more big, big shout out of love for Julianne
29:10 and the entire MOLA team, please.
29:11 We are so, so lucky to have them in the city of Boston.
29:16 (audience applauding)
29:18 Happy Pride, everyone.
29:19 Thank you for joining us.
29:22 And look at this crowd that's been assembled
29:24 to help kick off Pride Month.
29:26 I'm gonna, I'm probably gonna miss someone,
29:28 so just shout out who I miss.
29:31 But I want to recognize that Boston is a city
29:34 where every single one of our city councilors
29:38 has come to the Pride kickoff.
29:40 They are literally in the middle of budget season right now
29:43 and adjourned for budget in order to come out
29:47 and be present and be in community for this.
29:50 So thank you so much to city council President
29:53 Ruthie Lujan, Councilor Gigi Colletta,
29:56 Councilor John Fitzgerald, Henry Santana,
29:58 Julia Mejia, Ed Flynn, Tanya Fernandes Anderson,
30:01 Ben Weber, Erin Murphy, Liz Brayden, Enrique Pepin,
30:06 Brian Worrell, wait, who am I missing?
30:08 And of course, the fabulous Sharon Durkin.
30:12 (audience applauding)
30:15 We also are joined by our wonderful friends and allies
30:19 from the State House, two leaders within this community
30:23 who are moving and shaking and blazing new trails,
30:27 Representative Sam Montano and Representative John Moran,
30:29 thank you for all that you do.
30:31 (audience applauding)
30:34 Shout out also, we are joined by Consul General
30:38 from Germany, Sonja Krivich,
30:41 so thank you so much, Madam Consul General,
30:44 as well as one of our sponsors
30:48 and someone you'll hear from in a little bit,
30:49 former city councilor and now CEO Tito Jackson,
30:53 thanks for your leadership.
30:55 Scott Knox, who's the Director of the Equity Fund
30:59 at the Boston Foundation,
31:00 thank you for making this possible.
31:02 Tim Ritchie, President of the Museum of Science
31:05 and the one and only Grace Sterling-Sowell of Bagley,
31:09 thank you, thank you for being here.
31:11 (audience applauding)
31:14 Okay, oh, and I also wanna shout out,
31:17 you know, there are many, many city folks here,
31:19 okay, raise your hand if you work for the City of Boston.
31:22 Thank you, thank you, we love you
31:24 and we're so grateful for all that you do every day.
31:27 I had a couple of notes in addition to Chief Solis-Rivera,
31:30 we have some of our department heads who are here as well,
31:32 Commissioner Emily Shea, Commissioner Rob Santiago,
31:35 and I know there are many, many more
31:37 who are all here representing as well.
31:40 So thank you to everyone,
31:44 Julianne Lee, Executive Director
31:45 of our Office of LGBTQ Advancement,
31:47 Candace Nguyen, Donasia Yancey, Kimberly Roten,
31:51 who are all critical to what we do every single day
31:54 to support our community.
31:56 We shout out a few of them,
31:59 but our partners in the nonprofit and advocacy world
32:01 have made this possible as well,
32:03 Apex Noir, Boston Black Pride, Boston Dyke March,
32:07 Boston Pride for the People, and Road of Rainbows,
32:10 and some of whom I know have already shared
32:12 some of their greetings as well.
32:14 And thank you to our residents, our queer family in Boston,
32:17 for joining us for today's celebration.
32:20 (audience applauding)
32:24 As you heard Julianne say,
32:25 this month is more than that celebration,
32:28 it's an opportunity to reflect
32:30 on the long and revolutionary history of Pride
32:34 and the struggle that brought us to this moment.
32:37 It has been a struggle firmly rooted in love and justice,
32:41 and one that has blossomed
32:42 into some of Boston's most important moments
32:45 throughout our history.
32:47 In the '80s, our LGBTQ+ community passed legislation
32:51 making it illegal to discriminate against someone
32:53 because of who they love,
32:54 decades before many other communities did.
32:58 20 years ago last month,
33:00 Boston became one of the first cities in the country
33:02 to issue same-sex marriage licenses,
33:04 another win that was only possible
33:07 because of the work of our queer family,
33:09 friends, and neighbors building a movement.
33:11 (audience applauding)
33:14 And all of that continues today
33:17 through our Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement
33:20 in partnership with residents,
33:22 advocacy groups, and nonprofits.
33:25 We have, as you heard,
33:26 made Boston the first city in Massachusetts
33:28 to make marriage licenses gender inclusive.
33:31 This department has also trained
33:33 more than 20 other departments and team members
33:36 across all of the functions of City Hall
33:38 in our ongoing LGBTQ+ competency training,
33:42 and invested public dollars
33:43 into life-saving community infrastructure
33:46 to lift up and empower our queer residents,
33:48 everything from supporting housing stability,
33:51 legal name and gender changes,
33:53 to mental health trainings, community building,
33:57 gender-affirming healthcare,
33:58 inclusive sports programming,
34:00 and services for our queer elders.
34:03 We do this work because we know
34:05 that for Boston to truly be a home for everyone,
34:09 it needs to be inclusive of everyone,
34:11 a space where our LGBTQ+ residents
34:14 are seen, supported, and celebrated.
34:17 We do this work in solidarity with our community,
34:20 and we're so excited to celebrate the progress
34:23 that we've made as a city throughout the rest of this month.
34:26 So we're kicking it off with a flag raising today,
34:28 and then keeping it going on Wednesday
34:30 with an LGBTQ+ Older Adult Pride Luncheon,
34:34 spending time honoring our elders.
34:37 This Saturday, we'll have the Boston Pride for the People
34:40 Parade and Festival, which starts in Copley,
34:43 marches through the South End,
34:45 the home of the city's first ever permanent Pride crosswalk,
34:48 and ends with the Festival on the Common.
34:53 Later that afternoon, there will be a Pride Block Party
34:55 right here on City Hall Plaza, that's 21+.
34:59 And I'm sure you've noticed by now,
35:00 but City Hall has been lit up in pride colors
35:02 for the last few nights.
35:04 We'll be lighting it again tonight,
35:06 and the night of the parade.
35:07 And if you want to find more events,
35:10 there's lots more, you can see that at boston.gov.
35:14 Oh, finally, on June 22nd,
35:15 we'll be hosting our STEM Pride Celebration.
35:18 STEM stands for S.L.A.Y. the entire month,
35:22 and this is in partnership with the Museum of Science.
35:24 So thank you again to Tim Ritchie and his entire team.
35:27 That registration will be live soon,
35:29 so you can go to boston.gov/lgbtq to reserve your spot.
35:34 This is going to be an incredible month,
35:36 and I can't wait to see everyone at all the various events.
35:40 Thank you for helping us celebrate
35:41 and honor the history of Pride,
35:43 and helping us shape the city's future.
35:45 So now we'd like to invite everyone
35:47 to turn your attention to the flagpole.
35:49 Okay, we would like to give voice
35:57 to the electeds who are here.
35:58 There are a lot of them.
36:00 Do we want to nominate city council president
36:03 to speak on behalf of the group,
36:04 and maybe one of the reps as well?
36:06 - Yes, and Liz Brayden.
36:07 - And Liz Brayden, go for it.
36:08 - Happy Pride, Boston!
36:12 I am so happy to be here.
36:16 On behalf of the Boston City Council,
36:18 I want to thank the Chair of Ways and Means,
36:19 Councilor Brian Worrell, for letting us have this break
36:22 so that we could all be here to stand in solidarity.
36:25 The first Pride was a protest.
36:27 We stand on the shoulders of black trans women
36:30 who have really paved the way for us all to be here.
36:33 We on the city council are so lucky to have
36:35 as our first out queer member, Councilor Liz Brayden.
36:40 So, you know, we are going to be,
36:43 yes, give her her flowers.
36:44 So we are going to be celebrating,
36:48 even though there's so much work to do,
36:49 I'm grateful for this office,
36:51 the work of everyone in this office.
36:53 I want to shout out to the queer members of my own staff
36:55 who are always uplifting,
36:56 and working and centering the queer community.
36:58 They did that alongside South End resident Brian Landgren,
37:02 and working with the streets department
37:04 to get the first Pride crosswalk in the South End.
37:07 So shout out to that crosswalk, we'll be there this Saturday.
37:10 Can't wait to celebrate with all of you,
37:12 and with all of my colleagues.
37:13 Thank you.
37:14 Councilor Brayden?
37:16 - Happy Pride, everyone.
37:17 I have to say, I arrived in Boston in 1995,
37:22 and I'd never been to a Pride march,
37:24 or a Pride celebration.
37:26 In Belfast, we were inclined to wear
37:28 plastic brown paper bags over our heads,
37:30 so we wouldn't be recognized and lose our jobs.
37:33 So it was great pride and pleasure
37:35 that I attended the interfaith service at Old South,
37:39 and stepped out into the bright sunshine,
37:40 and saw a police color guard, and the mayor of Boston there,
37:43 celebrating the Pride community,
37:46 and supporting us, an incredible celebration
37:49 of the diversity of Boston, and the Pride community,
37:53 and the important place that the LGBTQ+ community in Boston
37:58 that we were celebrating then, way back in '95.
38:01 We have come a long way.
38:02 I'm very proud to be the first openly out LGBT member
38:07 of the city council, but I know for a fact
38:09 that there are other LGBT councilors before me
38:13 who were not able to be out and proud.
38:15 (audience applauding)
38:18 So thank you all, have a wonderful celebration,
38:21 and remember that freedom's not free.
38:24 We have to stand up and defend our rights as we go forward.
38:27 Thank you.
38:28 (audience applauding)
38:31 - Good morning, I'm John Moran,
38:37 I'm the state representative from Suffolk Nine,
38:39 which is based in the south end
38:41 of Roxbury and Dorchester.
38:43 I'm the first openly LGBTQ+ member
38:46 of the Ninth Suffolk District,
38:48 and I'm really proud to be here
38:49 to celebrate with you guys,
38:50 and I'm here with my colleague and friend,
38:54 Representative Sam Montano from JP.
38:56 (audience applauding)
38:58 We are great collaborators at the state house,
39:00 and I reflected, and I wanted to also say
39:02 that Chairman Aaron Michaletz was here a little bit earlier,
39:05 he had to get back to business
39:06 that we have going on this week at the state house,
39:08 so really wanna give a shout out to him as well.
39:11 You know, I was thinking about this this morning,
39:13 this is my second year as a state representative,
39:16 as a public servant, and you start to think about pride
39:19 very differently than you did as a private citizen,
39:22 or someone that wasn't really thinking deeply
39:25 about policy every day.
39:26 We've made such great strides in the state of Massachusetts,
39:29 and especially here in the city of Boston,
39:31 but we have some work to do,
39:33 we're the fourth most state that bans books,
39:35 and that can't happen,
39:36 and we're also, you know, like the rest of Massachusetts,
39:40 and the state, and the country as a whole,
39:42 we have a very alarming rate of LGBTQ+ homelessness
39:45 that we need to address.
39:46 So with my colleagues in the state house,
39:49 we're gonna be doing that and other things,
39:51 and I just wanted to wish you all very happy pride.
39:54 Wanna say anything?
39:55 (audience applauding)
39:58 - Hi everyone, Sam Montano, just quickly,
40:03 I'm the only out person of color in the legislature,
40:05 so of 200 elected officials,
40:07 there's only me.
40:10 And so I want us to remember during this pride time
40:12 that there's a lot of things that we have to address,
40:14 but we really need to be uplifting black and brown youth,
40:16 and black and brown folks of color,
40:17 black and brown LGBTQ folks,
40:19 because that's who's disproportionately being affected
40:21 by a lot of these policies.
40:23 We're already seeing in Massachusetts
40:24 and other states across the country,
40:26 as they implement more laws regulating trans bodies,
40:30 LGBTQ folks, folks' ability to access their rights
40:33 and protections that over the years we have codified,
40:35 we're watching it impact our folks of color,
40:38 our LGBTQ folks, our trans folks at a disproportionate rate.
40:41 So remember that, you're probably gonna be seeing
40:43 more folks come through the Commonwealth
40:44 because of our policies
40:46 and because of the Commonwealth that we're creating.
40:48 I also wanna thank the council and Mayor Wu
40:50 for all of their great work,
40:51 because Boston is leading on LGBTQ issues,
40:54 we're constantly revolutionizing and evolving.
40:57 And so when you're out here celebrating pride,
41:00 be joyful, remember all the great things
41:02 that we've accomplished,
41:02 but also to remember that we have a lot of work to do,
41:04 and pride was originally a riot,
41:07 an opportunity to protest,
41:08 an opportunity to say that we need to do more,
41:10 and to remember and center those folks of color
41:12 in our conversations, thank you.
41:13 (audience cheering)
41:16 Okay, we'll cue the band as we raise the pride flag.
41:20 Could I also invite, sorry band,
41:26 could I also invite the people who spoke
41:29 about their events, Boston Pride for the People,
41:31 Roto Rainbows, Museum of Science,
41:34 Dyke March, Trans Emergency Funds to Come,
41:36 raise a flag with our mayor as well.
41:39 All right, hit it, JP Pothonk.
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