PrideApp

June 16, 2015

 

Dear friends,

Boston Pride wants to thank everyone who made our 45th Anniversary celebration a success.  Our 2015 Pride Week was one of the largest ever as we collaborated with community partners to present more than 50 events over 10 days. We were thrilled that an estimated 500,000+ people celebrated with us with more than 240 parade contingents and 35,000 who marched, along with about 125,000 who attended the festival and free concert at City Hall Plaza.

We want to thank our volunteers, our community partners and our sponsors along with the City of Boston for making this our best Pride ever as they all helped us provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone to enjoy and celebrate who they are.

Our theme this year, “45th Anniversary – #WickedProud” honored the diversity of this great city as Boston Pride represents everyone in our community whether they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and our straight allies and friends.

Since 1970, Boston Pride has grown as an organization seeking equality for all and we have witnessed milestones for the LGBT community including the enacting of anti-discrimination laws regarding employment, adoption, health care, and the historic Massachusetts Supreme Court decision as the first state to legalize marriage among same sex couples.

Several highlights of the week including the first ever gala honoring Harry Collings with the Mayor Thomas M. Menino Pride Award and the panel discussion presented by Boston Pride’s Human Rights & Education Committee on immigration issues facing the LGBT community worldwide. There are still many challenges ahead for our community, but by working together we will continue to fight for justice and equality.

Among those we would like to give special thanks for their support and a shout out to:

  • The Honorable Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of the City of Boston and the many other city departments
  • Mayor Walsh’s liaison to the LGBT community Jullieanne Doherty
  • Boston Police Commissioner’s LGBT liaison Javier Pagan
  • BPD, BFD, EMS, and ISD who all helped make us safe during Pride Week
  • Boston City Council
  • All other elected officials who participated in various events during Pride Week
  • Parade Grand Marshals Erica Kay-Webster, David Bermudez and Samuel Brinton
  • Parade Marshals Woody Glenn and Ellyn Ruthstrom
  • Parade Honorary Marshal, the late Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and his family
  • Friends of Pride
  • Boston Pride Advisory Council
  • Our dedicated small band of volunteers, who work hard every year to keep the Parade, Festival, and Block Parties both festive and safe
  • Our community partners and other sponsors
  • Organizations and nonprofits that marched in the parade
  • Organizations and nonprofits who were represented at the Festival
  • Entertainers who made the free concert at our festival such a wonderful success
  • Our neighbors in the Back Bay and Jamaica Plain who allowed us to have our annual block parties
  • Our media partners
  • … and above all, to our community that supports Boston Pride and the volunteer work that we do.

Thank you once again, and we look forward to seeing you during Pride Week 2016!

 

Sincerely,

Boston Pride Board of Directors: Sylvain Bruni, Malcolm Carey, Linda DeMarco, Staci Stift, Marco Torres