News

Looking Back, Loving Forward

by Michele D.  Maniscalco
Thursday Jun 20, 2019

Rosie's Place in the Pride Parade
Rosie's Place in the Pride Parade  

The sun shone brightly over this year's Pride Parade on Saturday, June 8, as it wound through the South End on Berkeley, Tremont and Clarendon Streets.

The theme of this year's parade was "Looking Back, Loving Forward," a reference to the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a 1969 raid on the Stonewall Inn that galvanized the LGBTQ community in the United States.

According to Boston Pride Parade Committee spokesperson Marissa
Sullivan, over a million people attended the parade, which included an unprecedented 431 contingents and over 50,000 marchers. Grand Marshal Dale Mitchell was joined by two fellow Stonewall participants, Charles Evans and Paul Glass of Falmouth.

The patchwork-quilt Unity Flag and the quarter-mile long Unity Flag were featured at the finale of the parade. Both flags will also be on display in the June 29 World Pride Parade in New York. No police or emergency response incidents were reported.

Marching contingents included Senator Edward Markey and Representatives Joseph Kennedy and Ayanna Pressley; city council candidates Alexandra St. Guillen, Kristen Mobilia and Jeff Ross; sports organizations including the New England Revolution, the Boston Bruins and the Boston Strikers; Children's Hospital, Beth-Israel Deaconess Hospital and Fenway Health; Gay Straight Alliances from Newton North and Stoneham High Schools and the Rainbow Alliance of Boston College; Anime Boston; All Saints Episcopal Church of Boston and Congregation Sha'aray Shalom; Rosie's Place and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission; The American Repertory Theater, the Boston Gay Men's Chorus and Anime Boston; Nordstrom's, Wegman's and Walgreen's.

Summing up the event, Boston Pride president Linda DeMarco said in a written statement, "This year's parade was both a celebration and a reflection of this year's theme —Looking Back, Loving Forward—a recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and the challenges and victories our community has faced over the years. We are wicked proud for all the support from our community and allies to help make this year's parade one for the record books with one-million attendees and more contingents than we have ever had."