As a founding member of InterPride, the international association of Pride organizers, Boston Pride is expressing its support for the Pride organizers of Starkville, MS, who have been denied a permit to hold their first-event celebration. Boston Pride fully endorses the following statement released by InterPride:

[We] declare that LGBTQ+ rights are Human Rights. Furthermore, we believe in advocating for full and equal human and civil rights protecting LGBTQ+ citizens and every person in the United States of America from discrimination in all its forms and are therefore saddened by the recent events that took place in Starkville, Mississippi. […]

Pride is a celebration of diversity, inclusion and love and we fully support Starkville Pride as they pursue a peaceful resolution to what we believe has been a miscarriage of justice by their city government in not allowing them the opportunity to peacefully assemble to celebrate our community’s love and support for those individuals who identify as gender and sexually diverse.

We believe that the right to celebrate love is fundamental and inalienable for all persons in the United States and trust that our legal system will allow Starkville Pride to continue on its journey of love.

Our support is for the LGBTQ+ folk of Starkville and our hope is for an immediate resolution of this miscarriage of justice.

Click here to download the full statement. [PDF – 1 Mo]