2015 Boston Pride Guide by Boston Pride

BOSTON PRIDE GUIDE 2

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TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S

Credit: Marilyn Humphries

B O S TO N P R I D E W E E K E V E N T S

A R T S & C U LT U R E

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Boston Pride Week Calendar Flag Raising Pride Day @ Faneuil Hall Human Rights Forum Pride Night @ Fenway Park Boston Pride Parade

TRANSforming the Stage The First Taste Summer Booking LGBTQ Freedom Trail Family Recipes

Boston Pride Parade Map Boston Pride Marshals

PERSPECTIVES

Boston Pride Festival

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Boston Pride Festival Map Boston Pride Festival Main Stage Boston Pride Youth Dance Back Bay Block Party Back Bay Block Party Entertainment JP Block Party

Marching through the Years People of Color Prides Party to a Different Beat Orgullo Latin@s Transgenero y Transexual! Latino Trans Pride! Break Free The Legacy of Stonewall Claiming Our Place

Black Pride & Latin@ Pride - Orgullo Latin@ Pride@Night Calendar

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Trendy Tracks

NEWS

60 Mile High Creating Change 68 A Promising Future

Table of Contents Editor’s Letter

FEATURE

Masthead

76 Boston Harbor 110 Out Looks 126 A History of Boston Pride

Welcome Letter Mayor’s Proclamation Mayor’s Letter By the Numbers

H E A LT H

Governor’s Letter

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Sister Prides Meet the All-Volunteer Boston Pride 2015 Team Supporters

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BAR NES & NOBLE proudly supports

BOSTON PRIDE and all

LGBT Communities throughout the country

EDITOR’S LET TER

Credit: Marilyn Humphries

A New Beginning As we ready ourselves for Boston Pride 2015, many in our community are anxiously awaiting the ruling of the Supreme Court on the most recent slew of cases concerning same-sex marriage. Whatever the decision, Pride Month will provide a context for celebration or demonstration. Marriage equality has preoccupied a great number of LGBT people for well over a decade. While we certainly have much cause to celebrate our progress and increasing momentum in this domain of civil rights, there remains much work to be done on an array of critical issues. Accordingly, we at Boston Pride have dedicated a substantial portion of this year’s Pride Guide to highlighting such issues: the rising epidemics of queer youth homelessness and violence against gender-nonconforming individuals and trans people of color, transgender health, HIV prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis, seeking asylum as an LGBT person, and ending so-called conversion or reparative therapy. With these stories, we seek to inform and to inspire action. From the beginning, we’ve striven to produce a Pride Guide that reflects the great diversity of the Boston-area LGBT community. Such requires that space be made for a plurality of voices. To that end, we sent an open invitation to community members to contribute stories of significance to them. And a wide range of people, from varying backgrounds, answered our call. We thank them for donating their time, passions, and talents to the Guide. The result of this collaboration – a magazine written by and for our community – is one that we’re #wickedproud to present to you. Several contributors offer personal perspectives on Pride and the LGBT rights movement, from youth and senior reflections to critical discussions of the relationship between Pride and queer communities of color. As its punning title suggests, our “Out Looks” photo shoot provided another medium for local LGBTs and their children to express themselves, in proudly sharing their individual looks and outlooks. We hope that these perspectives encourage members of our community to talk to one another and to tell their own stories.

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We’ve also included a number of artistic and cultural pieces for your interest and enjoyment. Whether it’s curling up to our queer youth short story or one of the Boston Public Library librarians’ recommended LGBT-themed books, dancing to the hottest remixes of Pride season, learning more about local trans theatre, cooking dishes by local gay and lesbian celebrity chefs, or retracing the LGBT community’s own Freedom Trail, readers are bound to find something that appeals to them. Given the commemorative theme of this year’s Pride, the Guide would not have been complete without a historical overview of Boston Pride’s 45 years, from its birth amidst the Vietnam War protests to the present. The History Project, custodians of our community’s history, courageously took on this task. Their year-by-year chronicle allows readers to grasp some of the important issues and happenings at a given Pride as well as to retrace Pride’s general development over the decades. And, of course, in the following pages you’ll find a wealth of information about our exciting slate of Boston Pride Week events! Finally, I should like to convey our appreciation to the over 65 advertisers and sponsors, whose tremendous support and confidence helped make this publication a reality. Each year we remind ourselves that no matter how old Boston Pride becomes, it’s always someone’s first Pride. And even for a 45year-old institution like Boston Pride, there’s always room for new traditions. We hope that this magazine, the first Boston Pride Guide ever to be produced in house, is one of these. Happy Reading and Happy Pride!

Michael Anthony Fowler Editor-in-Chief

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The Boston Pride Guide Volume 1 (2015) the official annual publication of the non-profit The New Boston Pride Committee, Inc. DBA Boston Pride www.bostonpride.org Download our free Boston Pride App from the Apple and Android stores 398 Columbus Avenue #285 Boston, MA 02116 (617) 262-9405 Publisher Sylvain Bruni Editor-in-Chief Michael Anthony Fowler Manager Ed Hurley Designer Pam Rogers Contributing Photographer Marilyn Humphries Accountant Linda DeMarco Sales Representatives Bill Berggren Rebecca Rosenthal Mission Statement Boston Pride produces events and activities to achieve inclusivity, equality, respect, and awareness in Greater Boston and beyond. Fostering diversity, unity, visibility, and dignity, we educate, communicate, and advocate by building and strengthening community connections. Vision Statement Boston Pride creates change and progress in society by embracing our communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diverse history, culture, and identities, promoting community engagement and inclusivity, and striving for visibility and respect in unity. Copyright ÂŠ The New Boston Pride Committee, Inc. DBA Boston Pride, 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication, whether textual, graphic, or photographic, may be reproduced, modified, or distributed in whole or in part for any purpose whatsoever without the express written permission of the Publisher, with the exception of certain non-commercial uses permitted by law. Boston Pride is not responsible for the content of advertisements, including any errors contained therein. No element of this publication shall be construed as an endorsement of any individual, organization, corporate body, cause, event, product, or service. The ideas and opinions expressed in the Boston Pride Guide are solely those of their authors and do not necessarily state or reflect those of Boston Pride. 8 | Boston Pride 2015

Photo credit: Marilyn Humphries

Cover art: Boston Pride, created using Mosaikify, with photos courtesy of The History Project, Marilyn Humphries, and Boston Pride

W E LC O M E L E T T E R

Credit: Boston Pride

Welcome to Boston Pride Week! Boston Pride Week 2015 is right around the corner, and the Boston Pride team is #wickedproud to unveil what we have in store for you this year. We anticipate the 2015 celebration to be our biggest yet. We’d like to thank the entire Boston Pride Committee as well as our volunteers, sponsors and partners, community supporters, and Friends of Boston Pride for their work and financial contributions, which make Pride a reality every year. The 2015 theme is “45th Anniversary - #WickedProud”. Its twofold structure evokes the storied history of Pride in Boston and provides a distinctively Bostonian motto around which our community can rally. Boston Pride was born in 1970, one year after the Stonewall Riots. From a small march in 1971 with speeches between Jacques Cabaret and City Hall, to over 40 events, including a fourhour parade illustrating our community’s diversity and richness, Boston Pride has grown immensely; it is now the largest annual public event in New England! We are proud to continue the tradition of public demonstration in the streets of Boston, as well as to offer numerous other events intended for everyone to enjoy and to celebrate who they are, in a safe and fun environment. In addition to Boston Pride’s commitment to a legacy of public events, we also work year-round to ensure the visibility of our community online. Whether on our website or social media, we strive to highlight resources and content that are useful and valuable to the LGBT and ally community in Boston and beyond. To that end, we hope that #WickedProud can be a rallying cry for us all, expressing our collective pride in a characteristically Bostonian way. Throughout the year, Boston Pride will be using the hashtag #WickedProud to proclaim our community’s pride in the virtual world. We invite you to join us in sharing online how #WickedProud you are to be part of the LGBT and ally community. Since January 2014, Boston Pride has performed an internal reorganization to align better our activities with our mission, to professionalize our approach to community work and event production, and to ensure the long-term sustainability of our efforts. We structured

Sylvain Bruni President

Linda DeMarco Vice President

our event production activities into seven programs (Boston Pride Week, Latin@ Pride, Black Pride, Youth Pride, Human Rights & Education, Pride 365 and the Boston Pride Guide), ensuring more efficient management and improved visibility of our work. We implemented revised internal processes for the various aspects of our work, from partnership engagement to communications, from logistics to volunteer management. In addition, we updated our leadership structure to be more welcoming and to afford growth to our volunteers within the organization. We created three savings funds for the long-term development of Pride: a rainy-day fund to ensure availability of resources in case of emergency, a reserve fund to allow Boston Pride to hire staff in the coming years, and the Community Fund, aimed at redistributing part of our event proceeds to other LGBT non-profits. We have created a Council of Advisors, a diverse group of community leaders, whose role will be to advise the Board. We have initiated an individual giving campaign, “The Friends of Boston Pride” (please join!), which recognizes members of the community for their generosity to Pride. Based on community requests for a black-tie event, we created the Boston Pride Gala, to kick off Pride Week in style. Finally, we’ve bolstered our outreach to other organizations in order to ensure that Pride is aware of community needs. Oh, and we’ve made the Boston Pride Guide an in-house publication, which involves community collaboration. And, yes, all this was accomplished by an all-volunteer team! Boston Pride Week 2015 will be held from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14, and will feature over forty official events. Our marquee events include the Boston Pride Gala on June 5, the Pride Parade, Festival, and Youth Dance on June 13, and the Back Bay and JP Block Parties on June 14. We invite you to check out our calendar of events for a full listing. Don’t forget to visit www.bostonpride.org and to download our free app online to stay up to date, as events and happenings are regularly added. Enjoy the festivities, and Happy Pride 2015!

Malcolm Carey Clerk

Staci Stift Board member

Marco Torres Boston member 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 9

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BY THE NUMBERS

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PRIDE WEEK

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PRIDE WEEK

Flag Raising

E V E N T D E TA I L S

Friday, June 5 12:00PM , rain or shine City Hall Plaza, Boston Park Street (Red & Green lines), Haymarket (Green & Orange lines), Bowdoin (Blue line) Free and open to the public

For up-to-date information, visit www.bostonpride.org/flag

The inaugural event of Pride, the annual Flag Raising on City Hall Plaza, traces its roots back to 1987. In that year, for the first time in US history, a banner symbolizing gay and lesbian pride was hoisted on civic property, with the support of then Mayor Raymond Flynn. This flag, emblazoned with the former emblem of Boston Pride, the Lavender Rhinoceros and pink triangle, would fly on this occasion for two years before going missing. The lost flag was replaced by the six-color Gilbert Baker rainbow flag, which has remained in use since. During the Menino administration, the event was transformed and formalized into what we celebrate today: a ceremony hosted by the Mayor, which introduces the community to the theme and Parade Marshals and officially proclaims the opening of Pride Week. As is customary, the flag will soar proudly over City Hall Plaza for the entire ten days of Pride festivities. We hope that you’ll join us in observing this important Boston Pride tradition.

Left: Alejandra St. Guilen, Director of the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians and 2014 Latin@ Pride Award recipient, welcomes the community and declares the start of Pride Week. Credit: Marilyn Humphries

Right: The crowd listens as Jullieanne Doherty, LGBT Liaison for the Mayor, recites Mayor Walsh’s proclamation of Pride Week 2014. Credit: Marilyn Humphries Credit: Marilyn Humphries

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PRIDE WEEK

Pride Day @Faneuil Hall This year, Pride Day @ Faneuil Hall turns 15! Come celebrate diversity, love, and Pride with a jam-packed day of outdoor family fun. Pride Day offers a variety of activities for people of all ages from live performances by local artists to contests and interactive sessions. Z-Celebrity will kick off the event with an exhilarating Zumba class (latecomers can catch a second class with Jess at 2:00PM). Afterwards, enjoy an exciting line-up of music and dance while sampling all the delights that the Marketplace has to offer. Hanson native and Top-5 finisher in NBC’s The Voice Kristen Merlin will treat you to her unique country sound. The very talented Mia Shahood, thirteen-year-old vocalist from Chelmsford, returns to the stage for a second year. The folksy, acoustic stylings of Lauren Batemen are sure to please the crowd. You can’t help but groove to Long Arm Rex’s reggae rock. Fresh off their victories in the 2015 Pride Pageant, Mr. and Mrs. Boston Pride will also make an appearance, as will Pageant Chair and fabulous drag queen Nikita le Femme. The dynamic youth of The South End Show Stoppers will dazzle and delight with their dynamic dance moves. DJ Butch will keep the party going all day and host the first-ever karaoke contest, complete with a panel of local celebrity judges. Support Boston Pride’s Claws and Paws for a Cause campaign by checking out the work of three amazing organizations serving our four-legged friends: SomDog, Missing Dogs of Mass, and Kitty Connection. And don’t forget to visit our Marshals’ tables to learn more about the important causes they represent!

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E V E N T D E TA I L S

Saturday, June 6 10:00AM-5:00PM , rain or shine West end of Quincy Market behind historic Faneuil Hall Merchants Row, Boston Haymarket (Green & Orange lines), State (Blue & Orange lines) Free and open to the public

For up-to-date information, visit www.bostonpride.org/faneuilhall

Interactive activities and stage performances make for a fun family day at a beloved Boston landmark. Credit: Boston Pride

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E V E N T D E TA I L S

PRIDE WEEK

Human Rights Forum Below: The 2014 Human Rights Forum, organized in cooperation with the South Asian Arts Council, examined the effects of the re-criminalization of homosexuality in India (Section 377). Credit: Boston Pride Left: Panelists (from left to right) Meenu Motwani-Jethra, Sarbpreet Singh, and Payal Sharma discuss ways to support on-the-ground activism in India. Credit: Boston Pride

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Monday, June 8 6:00PM Boston Public Library 700 Boylston Street, Back Bay Copley (Green line) Free and open to the public

For up-to-date information, visit www.bostonpride.org/humanrights

Increased presence of anti-LGBT laws around the globe has led to more LGBT people seeking asylum and refuge in the United States. Additionally, the current lack of nationwide marriage equality has made it difficult for bi-national same-sex couples to secure spousal immigration rights. Accordingly, Boston Prideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third annual Human Rights Forum will focus on immigration issues facing the LGBT population. The Forum will provide a basic overview of the challenges facing LGBT people who flee from homo- and transphobic countries to the United States. Attendees will also learn how the impending decisions in marriage cases presently before the Supreme Court will impact LGBT immigrants. Among the panelists are Anita Sharma, asylum attorney at Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project, Richard Iandoli, who served as the co-operating immigration attorney for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and Chris Parsons, a local drama teacher who spent almost 10 years in Thailand because DOMA prevented his husband from immigrating to the US.

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PRIDE WEEK

Pride Night @ Fenway Park Boston Pride and the Red Sox made history in 2013, when they partnered to organize the first Pride Night @ Fenway Park, an event to encourage gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally baseball fans to be visible and to enjoy their favorite game, openly, at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark. In 2015, the Park opens its doors again for the third annual Pride Night @ Fenway Park, on the eve of Pride Day in Boston. Come support hometown favorites David “Big Papi” Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, and Mike Napoli as the Red Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays! The event continues to grow in popularity, so the BoSox have once again increased our ticket limit. But hurry and get yours now, as tickets are going fast. The Red Sox Foundation will donate a portion of the proceeds to benefit the programs of Boston Pride. So not only will you be enjoying a great game in proud company, you will also be giving back to the community!

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E V E N T D E TA I L S

Friday, June 12 7:10PM Fenway Park 4 Yawkey Way, Boston Fenway (Green line), Kenmore (Green line) Tickets $30/$32; purchase online at www.redsox.com/pride

For up-to-date information, visit www.bostonpride.org/fenway

Hundreds of LGBT Bostonians come out to show their pride and to support the Red Sox. Credits: Boston Pride, Staci Stift, Conrado Cardenas, and Harrison Carmichael

PRIDE WEEK

Boston Pride Parade This year marks the 45th occasion of the Boston Pride Parade. The heart and soul of Pride Week, the Parade originated in 1971 as a political march to four distinct sites of institutionalized injustice, before which lists of demands were declaimed. Since its inception, the itinerary, composition, and overall timbre have continually morphed in response to the shifting political and cultural landscape: from demonstrations (Marches) to celebrations (Parades). Share in the Parade’s rich history and join an estimated crowd of over 400,000 spectators, who will line the 2.27-mile long route to cheer on upwards of 25,000 marchers representing well over 200 contingents. This year’s parade will showcase colorful floats, bands, corporate companies such as TD Bank and EMC, school groups, church and community groups, sports teams and clubs, and a variety of other organizations. Be on the lookout for the return of the horse-drawn Wells Fargo Stagecoach. Paradise nightclub will also be back in grand fashion, with a float that promises to impress. And don’t miss our joint Black and Latin@ Pride contingent, which will feature some of the great groups serving communities of color, all parading in vivacious costumes from the Carnival tradition! The 2015 Parade Grand Marshals are Stonewall veterans Erica Kay-Webster and David V. Bermudez as well as activist Samuel Brinton. The Marshals are Ellyn Ruthstrom and Woody Glenn, both of the Bisexual Resource Center. The late Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who for over two decades was a steadfast ally of the Boston LGBT community, is Honorary Marshal. For more information on the marshals, see page 28.

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Saturday, June 13 12:00PM , rain or shine For the parade route and closest stations, see map on page 26 Free and open to the public

For up-to-date information, visit www.bostonpride.org/parade

The annual Boston Pride Parade is the city's largest and most diverse parade. Credit: Marilyn Humphries

Shop…Dine…Experience!

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PRIDE WEEK

Boston Pride Marshals Meet the 2015 Marshals selected by you, the community!

GRAND MARSHAL Erica Kay-Webster Erica Kay-Webster is a veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion, the birth of the LGBT rights movement. Rising from the ashes of the destruction of her own life due to severe discrimination as a transgender woman, today Erica is one of the most celebrated transgender women in the world because of her continuing human rights advocacy through the non-profit Foundation for International Justice. The Foundation advocates in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, nationally, and internationally on many issues including womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights, LGBT rights, domestic violence, human trafficking, international peace, and homelessness. Through the Foundation, Erica has created the Promise Place School Initiative, a residential living and learning environment for homeless LGBTQQIA youth. The Promise Place School is scheduled to open on Cape Cod in September 2015 and will initially accommodate 50 youth from throughout Massachusetts. Promise Place School is the very first program in the United States to include education as its key component in ending chronic homelessness and preparing youth for a successful life upon graduation. The School will operate as an independent school, which broadens its funding resources and provides the ability to create a scholarship program for continuing education and an endowment fund in perpetuity. The Foundation is already in discussion with the City of Boston to open the second location there, with the strong support of the Boston City Council and Mayor Marty Walsh. Erica is the acting CEO and Interim Executive Director of Promise Place School. Erica has served as a past board member and as Vice President of PFLAG of Cape Cod, where she remains as an active member and volunteer. Erica and her husband David Webster are members of the Cape and Islands Democratic Council. Erica is also a writer, an architectural interior designer, and an independent journalist with the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Media Center in Washington, DC. She and her husband David currently live on Cape Cod and are members of the Barnstable Unitarian Universalist Church, where they both have served on the Welcoming Congregation Committee.

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PRIDE WEEK

GRAND MARSHAL David Velasco Bermudez David, the son of a Pentecostal minister and Puerto Rican mother, was born in New York City and raised in the Bronx. As a boy, he always loved singing. He grew up in a family of music. His mother was a radio singer in the 1940s. As a young adult, David performed in many Off-Broadway plays as well as productions and private performances in Puerto Rico, Florida, California, and Cape Cod. David attributes his ability to find himself as a gay man to his love of music and the diverseness of the music industry. As David has said, “music is the language that everyone understands.” David was also a participant in the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion in New York’s Greenwich Village. The revolt was the spark that ignited the modern gay rights movement. In 2005, David was named to the executive committee of the STONEWALL Veterans Association in New York. To this day, David continues to speak at colleges, middle schools, churches, and private groups, advocating for LGBT rights. This June, on the anniversary of Stonewall, David and his spouse Bob will celebrate 41 years together. David was the first Stonewall Veteran to be married in a same-gender marriage. The ceremony was conducted at their home on Cape Cod in 2004.

GRAND MARSHAL Samuel Brinton

Photo credits Erica and spouse David: Merina Zeller David (left) and spouse Bob: Nancy Douttiel Samuel: Courtesy of National Center for Lesbian Rights Ellyn: K. Ammon Woody: Joel Benjamin

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Whether he’s walking the halls of Congress to help educate the Hill on the differences in nuclear reactors or belting out his favorite tunes with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, it is hard to miss Samuel Brinton and his bright red mohawk. The signature hairstyle started as a dare in graduate school and continues to turn heads, along with Sam’s characteristic stilettos. As the Clean Energy Fellow at Third Way, Samuel is concentrating on a year-long project near and dear to his heart: nuclear energy policy. From advanced nuclear reactor guides for Congress to education on nuclear waste storage options, he is bringing a fresh perspective on licensing, investment strategies, and policy improvements in the field of atomic energy and waste management. Before joining Third Way, Samuel was a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology studying nuclear science and engineering and technology policy. The busy life of Boston was a big change from Samuel’s undergraduate years, surrounded by the wheat fields of Kansas. When not intently studying nuclear physics papers, Sam is an ardent activist against the dangerous and discredited practices of conversion therapy. His work consists of weekly trips to universities across the country to share his experiences and to educate on how to pass legislation banning the practice. He has spoken before the United Nations, Google Headquarters, and Congress, and has also been featured in interviews with TIME, MSNBC, Huffington Post, Washington Post, The Guardian, New York Daily News, and many others. You might not expect a nuclear scientist from Kansas to have a bright red mohawk, but that is part of the reason Samuel has it. Having a chat on preconceptions is right up his alley. Whether it’s on technical topics or social issues like supporting LGBT survivors of conversion therapy, Samuel is always willing to have the tough conversations with an open mind.

PRIDE WEEK

MARSHAL Ellyn Ruthstrom Ellyn Ruthstrom has been deeply involved with the national bisexual movement and LGBTQ community for over 20 years. Most recently, Ellyn was President of the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) for ten years and is the current Treasurer for the organization. In 2013, Ellyn co-facilitated the first White House Roundtable on Bisexual Issues that convened 33 bi activists from around the country to meet with the Obama Administration. Her efforts also helped to establish the Bisexual Leadership Roundtable, an online organizing and support network for bi leaders around the US. For nine years, she edited the Bi Women’s newsletter, a national bi-focused publication published by the Boston Bisexual Women’s Network. Ellyn regularly speaks at colleges, national conferences, and public forums about bisexuality and the bi movement. Ellyn served as a state commissioner with the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth for two years while she was also the Editor-in-Chief of Teen Voices, a national feminist magazine and website created by, for, and about teen girls. She is currently the Executive Director of SpeakOUT Boston, the oldest LGBTQ speakers bureau in the nation. Ellyn is also a writer and editor and has published in a variety of print and online publications, including the Women’s Review of Books, The Review Review, Huffington Post, and Bilerico.com.

MARSHAL Woody Glenn Woody Glenn has been committed to civil liberties throughout his life. In Boston, he was actively involved in three of the four BGLT community centers over the years, and helped establish bisexual organizations to improve the visibility and integration of bi people in the larger queer communities, developing what has become one of the most vibrant and supportive bisexual communities in the country. Born in 1950 in New York City, Glenn grew up in a family dedicated to social change. He began his career in social work in 1968 at Head Start in Trenton, New Jersey. As a result of the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969, he came out as bisexual to family and friends. In 1972, he moved to Boston to be part of a developing queer community and did his first radio interview about bisexuality for the National Organization for Women (NOW). In 1973, he first marched in Boston Pride and organized a men's support group. He enrolled at UMass Boston in 1976, majoring in Sexual Health Education and Community Social Change and earning a BA in Social Work in 1979. While at UMass, he worked in the University's Health Education Center doing peer sexuality counseling with college students, and ran support groups and a film series on human sexuality. In 1985, he co-founded what is now the Bisexual Resource Center with life partner Alan Hamilton. Four years later, they incorporated the organization as a non-profit and Glenn served as its president through 1995. In 1991, he attended the first International Conference on Bisexuality in Amsterdam and helped organize several conferences thereafter. As a consultant to Fenway Community Health's BiHealth Program from 1999 to 2004, he organized and ran volunteer trainings and support groups. From 2001 to 2003, he served on the board of what is now Marriage Equality USA. He retired from active leadership in civil liberties and social change work in 2004 and since 2003 has lived with his family in Somerville.

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Proudly wearing his Boston Pride button, Mayor Menino marches in his customary position at the head of the 2008 Boston Pride Parade. Credit: Marilyn Humphries

H O N O R A RY MARSHAL Mayor Thomas M. Menino (1942-2014) In Memoriam Thomas M. Menino was Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 53rd Mayor, serving from 1993 to 2014. A strong and committed supporter of Boston Pride and the LGBT community, Mayor Menino instituted the raising of the rainbow flag as an official City event heralding the start of Boston Pride Week. Over his tenure as mayor, he consistently led the Pride Parade in the streets of Boston, and joined the community at many marquee events. His leading position in the Parade year after year is an apt metaphor for his decades of work on behalf of the LGBT community: never one to drag his feet or simply to follow trends, Mayor Menino insisted on being at the forefront of the Pride movement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether it took the form of a parade or the struggle for equal rights, acceptance, and inclusivity. During his twenty years at the helm of Boston, Mayor Menino ensured that our city was a safe, fair, and welcoming place. Boston Pride will always be grateful for his friendship and proven leadership.

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PRIDE WEEK

Boston Pride Festival

E V E N T D E TA I L S

Saturday, June 13 11:00AM-6:00PM , rain or shine City Hall Plaza, Boston Park Street (Red & Green lines), Haymarket (Green & Orange lines), Bowdoin (Blue line) Free and open to the public

For up-to-date information, including a list of vendors, visit www.bostonpride.org/festival

The Boston Pride Festival, one of Pride Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship events, has experienced many changes since its beginnings in 1971 as a manifestly political postmarch rally on Boston Common, complete with a closet smashing demonstration. A world-class celebration for the LGBT and ally community, the Festival will enjoy an attendance of over 150,000 in 2015. Our 45th anniversary event will provide you with a great way to get in touch with members of the community and to connect with friends, both new and old. Over 100 vendor booths will offer a scintillating assortment of rainbowthemed merchandise along with a diverse mix of supportive community businesses and organizations. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll encounter a unique array of products and ideas; vendors come from all over the country to participate in the Boston Pride Festival! With a variety of vendors serving sweet and savory fare, the Festival has something for every taste, from classic options like hamburgers and sausages to vegetarian and Mexican cuisine. A free concert featuring live performances from local and internationally known artists will run on our main stage from noon to 6:00PM. For more information on the entertainment lineup, see page 38. Our wildly popular openair Festival Bar (21+ to drink) makes a return, affording attendees a direct, elevated view of the main stage and an opportunity to kick back in a shaded area. So come watch the Parade and, afterwards, follow the marchers to City Hall Plaza, where a fantastic day at the Festival awaits you!

Exciting talent lineups draw multitudes of merrymakers to the Festival main stage each year. Credit: Marilyn Humphries

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PRIDE WEEK

Boston Pride Festival Main Stage

Grammy Award-winning British songstress Estelle burst onto the music scene in 2008, with her double-platinum, international chart-topping hit song “American Boy” featuring Kanye West, transforming her into a pop and R&B sweetheart, and earning her a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Now Estelle has set out to conquer 2015! In January, Estelle headlined the first-ever Skyville Live concert in Nashville, along with her idol Gladys Knight and country superstar Martina McBride. She then released her fourth studio album True Romance in February, via her own imprint, Established 1980 Inc./BMG, including her inspirational Top 20 radio hit “Conqueror”. The album, anchored by four themes – passion, courage, true romance and the BS –, has garnered her praise from the likes of Elle, Oprah Magazine, Cosmo, InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, VH1, and Billboard. Estelle then guest starred on the hit FOX show Empire in March, which featured “Conqueror” sung in duet with Jussie Smollett. Estelle will cap off this dynamic first half of 2015 by headlining Boston Pride in a not-to-be-missed performance on Saturday, June 13, on the Pride main stage at Boston City Hall Plaza. In addition to making music, Estelle runs her foundation All of Me, which focuses on educating and expanding the horizons of young people through college scholarships and volunteer opportunities abroad. She has also ventured into the world of animation, voicing a lead character, Garnet, on Cartoon Network’s hit show Steven Universe. In the world of fashion, her Scarves by Swaray line is yet another outlet for Estelle’s endless creativity. Estelle truly conquers it all. Credit: Sophy information Holland For more

about Estelle, visit her website at www.estelledarlings.com. For more information about Estelle, visit her website at www.estelledarlings.com.

38 | Boston Pride 2015

MARY LAMBERT

Billy Gilman burst onto the national stage in 2000, releasing the hit single “One Voice”. His debut album was certified double platinum in the United States, and he was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest singer to ever reach #1 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts. He has sold five million albums worldwide and garnered awards and nods from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, Billboard Magazine, and the American Music Association. Now 25, Billy Gilman is eager to come back and to share his new music and his new sound with his fans. “It took me a good while to figure out exactly who I was, musically speaking. As a little kid, sometimes I was just told what to sing. But now I have enjoyed coming into my own and discovering what it really is that I want to sing. And I think that my fans will be pleasantly surprised with what they hear.” In 2012, Gilman made waves by recruiting 18 fellow country superstars to collaborate on a charity single called “The Choice” to benefit Soles4Souls. Proceeds from the song, which included Keith Urban, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Josh Turner, and Rodney Atkins, placed shoes on tens of thousands of barefoot children around the world. In November 2014, Billy Gilman released a YouTube video in which he came out as gay.

For more information about Mary Lambert, visit her website at www.marylambertsings.com.

052003

For more information about Kevin Yee, visit his website at www.kevinyee.com.

Before Mary Lambert achieved “quasi-stardom” (as she puts it in her typical self-deprecating way) for writing and singing the hook on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ marriage equality anthem “Same Love”, the Seattle native was an aspiring singer-songwriter who also worked as a brunch waitress and bartender. After years of struggling both financially and personally, Mary Lambert suddenly found herself signed to Capitol Records, releasing an EP (Welcome To The Age of My Body), getting nominated for two Grammy Awards (for “Song of the Year” and “Album of The Year”), and making history performing on the 2014 Grammy telecast with Macklemore, Lewis, and Madonna, while Queen Latifah memorably married 33 couples. That same year, The Advocate included Mary Lambert in its “40 under 40” list and she took part in a United Nations panel for the promotion of diversity within families. In October 2014, Mary Lambert's debut album Heart on My Sleeve was released and included the hit "Secrets", which peaked at number one on the US dance charts. “I wanted to write a pop album that had profound emotional depth and interesting language, while being accessible and catchy,” she explains. “I wanted the songs to be poignant and raw, but I want to hear them on the radio. I like to describe Heart On My Sleeve as a pop album with a conscience.” The album is an honest depiction of where Mary Lambert is now: “[2014] has been the best [year] of my entire life, which is not to say it hasn't come with its fair share of hurdles, heartbreak, and harsh lessons,” she says. “I can only write about the experiences I've had. I signed to a major label. I went through a break-up. I figured out how to be an independent person. I have been terrifyingly honest to the public about traumatic events in my life. I met the woman of my dreams. I have been on the road nonstop, away from those I love, but with the opportunity to sing about gay rights to hundreds of thousands of people. This album is inspired by the depth of all of that love, and the journey that it takes to get there.”

Meete& Gre t

052003

Super-gay-Asian comedian Kevin Yee and his original comedy songs have been making people giggle across America and beyond! With frequent appearances at clubs, colleges, and festivals, he most recently made the stage even gayer at Brooklyn Pride, San Diego Pride, and Capital Pride DC. A recovering Broadway chorus boy (Mary Poppins, Wicked, and Mamma Mia) and a former member of Quincy Jones’ boy band Youth Asylum, Kevin Yee has produced several viral YouTube music videos including the controversial “Sochi Olympics (un) Official Theme Song”, and recently made the front page of Reddit with his “Ask Me Anything: I am a former member of a failed 90s boyband”. He shares his sassy coming out story in the official It Gets Better book, published by Penguin Books and created by Dan Savage.

ets for s e t ic k & G r e e t s ” a h c r u P rt eet iv e “ M Lambe e x c lu s s t e ll e , M a r y a n ! w it h E n d B il ly G il m / t i c k e t s a .org npride bosto

For more information about Billy Gilman, visit his website at www.billygilman.net.

45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 39

Johnny Blazes and the

Pretty Boys

Nhojj With a force that exudes his passion for love and life, a tone that resounds in both whisper and wail, and a consciousness that – without being preachy – speaks truth to power, Nhojj has spent more than a decade becoming what some regard as an acoustic soul “genius of joy”. Nhojj’s beginnings are in Guyana and Trinidad, where, as a preacher’s kid, his humility, deep spirituality, and passion for music can be traced back to singing in his father’s church in Georgetown. He has since shared the stage with such iconic figures as Norah Jones, Regina Belle, Taylor Dayne, Crystal Waters, and Out Poet Activist Staceyann Chin. In the summer of 2010, his music led to an International Pride Tour that culminated in Munich, Germany. Amongst Nhojj’s most notable accomplishments include his being the first gay Indie artist to reach #1 on the MTV Music chart with his same gender loving video, “Love”. In late 2009, Nhojj opened doors when he became the first Black male to win an OUTMusic Award: the Alliance of LGBT Recording Artists & Performers voted “Love” OUTStanding R&B/Soul Song of the Year. In spite of the perceived and actual homophobia in communities of African and Caribbean descent, Nhojj has been uncompromising in his message, leading to high praise by Black media groups like BET’s Centric Soul Sessions who congratulated him, “…for delivering high quality JazzySoul for nearly a decade… for being a Black history and a gay history first!” With new projects, such as the forthcoming video for his provocative single “Adam & Steve” (a song which marries spirituality and sexuality), the desire to “make the world better one song at a time” is evidenced by an unfailing optimism that is as contagious as his melodic falsetto runs. Says Nhojj, “There is a deep spirituality that flows through my work. I like to think that it creates a sanctuary for my listeners.”

Meet & Greet

Estelle 40 | Boston Pride 2015

Purchase tickets for exclusive “Meet & Greets” with these artists! bostonpride.org/ tickets

052003

For more information about Nhojj, visit his website at www.nhojj.com.

Mary Lambert

Billy Gilman

Formed in 2011 by vaudevillian performer Johnny Blazes as a way of bringing the traditionally pre-recorded, karaoke or lip-synching art of drag into the realm of live music, The Pretty Boys give audiences classic soul and funk songs with an unapologetically glittery flamboyance. The band also uses its powers of soul to cover songs in other genres, including artists that range from Frank Zappa to Spinal Tap, and to re-define those tunes with their own horn-heavy sound. In their first year of existence, The Pretty Boys have been honored to perform at the first ever North Shore Gay Pride Festival in Salem, Massachusetts, at The Hynes Convention Center as part of First Night Boston, as well as at clubs, theaters, and fundraisers throughout the Boston area. For more information about Johnny Blazes and the Pretty Boys, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JohnnyBlazesPrettyBoys.

Formed back in 2012 after meeting at Suffolk University, Jack Romanov has tried packing as many basements as possible. Made up of Nick Aikens on vocals, Michael Mirabella on guitar, Esteban Cajigas on bass, and Nico Renzulli on drums, the band first started practicing at the school’s practice rooms. Jack Romanov self-released their debut Get Some Sleep EP in 2013 and followed that by signing with Naked Ear Records the next year. Their collaboration with producer Zach Bloomstein led to the band’s first album Sincerely, Jack Romanov. The album featured heavy blues and garage rock influences, with “Words” serving as the first single. After parting with original guitarist Luke Bergamini and replacing him with Mirabella, the band went straight back to the studio and, after signing with Wax on Felt Records, began working with Ben Coflan on their sophomore album After Ignorance, Before the Start. This time, Jack Romanov featured several songs with programmed drums and different instrumentation. Although the band did not completely leave their garage roots, they tried to use the studio as part of the song writing process. For more information about Jack Romanov, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JackRomanov4.

A R T S & C U LT U R E

Trendy Tracks Stay in tune with the season’s hottest music and add these recommended mixes to your Pride playlists. By

DJ Andrea Stamas

Credit: Kristine Koob

Artist:

Title:

Pitbull & Ne-Yo

Time of Our Lives (Noodles Remix)

Madonna

Living for Love (DJ Paulo and Jackinsky Full Vocal Mix)

Hozier

Take Me to Church (The DJ Mike D Mix Extended)

Iggy Azalea

Beg for It (Riddim Commission Remix)

Lillywood & Robin Schultz

Prayer in C (Robin Schulz Remix)

Cazzette feat. Terri B

Blind Heart (Didrick Remix Radio Edit)

Ella Henderson

Ghost (Dave Aude Remix Radio Edit)

Ne-Yo feat. Juicy Jay

She Knows (clean)

Calvin Harris feat. Big Sean

Open Wide (clean)

Maroon 5

Sugar (Steve Smart Extended Mix)

Cash Cash

Surrender (Stadiumx Remix)

Clean Bandit

Rather Be (Discotech Midnight Remix)

Aretha Franklin

I Will Survive (Terry Hunter Club Mix)

Alesso feat. Tove Lo

Heroes (Funk3d Pop Club Mix)

Ariana Grande feat. The Weeknd

Love Me Harder (Club Mix)

Calvin Harris

Blame (R3hab Remix)

Jennifer Lopez feat. Iggy Azalea

Booty (Lewis Martinee Booty Remix)

Beyoncé

7/11

Taylor Swift

Blank Space (Jump Smokers Remix)

Selena Gomez

The Heart Wants What It Wants (Dave Aude Remix)

(Source: Mass. DJ Pool)

Andrea Stamas will be making guest DJ appearances this summer at Mainestreet Ogunquit, Go Out Loud’s Northshore Pride After Party, Sportzgirl Sportz, Provincetown For Women events, KIKI Fridays, to name a few! Stamas DJed at the 2014 Esme Block Party.

45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 41

PRIDE WEEK

Boston Pride Youth Dance

E V E N T D E TA I L S

Saturday, June 13 6:00-10:00PM , rain or shine 1 City Hall Plaza, Boston Park Street (Red & Green lines), Haymarket (Green & Orange lines), Bowdoin (Blue line) 21 and under (alcohol-free event) Tickets $7 until June 1; $10 after June 1 Purchase advance tickets at www.bostonpride.org/tickets

For up-to-date information, visit www.bostonpride.org/youthpride

After the Boston Pride Festival, join Pride’s Youth Team for Neon Sensation, the can’t-miss party of the summer. For the first time, the dance will take place outdoors, under a large tent on City Hall Plaza. Neon Sensation will be a memory-making event, featuring amazing music and drag performances by Crystal Van Cartier and Xiomarie LaBeija, neon body paint, glow sticks, refreshments, and – of course – dancing! Make sure to wear white, black, or neon clothing so that you stand out in the crowd. Back by popular demand will be the photo booth, where you and your friends can take hilarious and fun group shots to commemorate the evening. For the lowdown on this year’s DJ and featured performer visit Boston Pride’s dedicated Youth Pride webpage. We don’t want anyone to miss this night of fun, so tell all your friends! The Youth Team can't wait to see you there.

The Valentine's Day Dance, another of Boston Pride's year-round Youth Pride events, provides a safe, affirming space for queer youth and their ally peers to party. Credit: Boston Pride Credit: TFoxPhoto

42 | Boston Pride 2015

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PRIDE WEEK

Back Bay Block Party The culmination of Pride Week festivities, the Back Bay Block Party draws thousands of revelers each year. Credit: Marilyn Humphries

44 | Boston Pride 2015

E V E N T D E TA I L S

Sunday, June 14 12:00-8:00PM , rain or shine St. James Avenue between Arlington & Berkeley Streets Back Bay, Boston Arlington (Green line) $15 donation suggested upon entry Purchase advance tickets at www.bostonpride.org/tickets

For up-to-date information, visit www.bostonpride.org/backbay

What’s the best way to end Pride Week? To dance the day away at the Back Bay Block Party, of course! Join thousands of fellow community members and allies for the largest block party of Pride Week. The event celebrates its fifteenth year in 2015, and it will be bigger than ever! The Back Bay Block Party returns to St. James Avenue with a larger footprint, more bars, and access to the popular shaded park area, courtesy of our Pride partner Liberty Mutual Insurance. And to top it off, we are extending the party one extra hour, until 8:00PM. To celebrate Boston Pride’s 45th anniversary and the Back Bay Block Party’s 15th, our team is delighted to present a special performance by American Idol and The Voice alumna Frenchie Davis. Come discover her powerful and unique voice, while sipping our special Pride cocktails. The Back Bay Block Party will feature EDM sensation DJ Tatiana, who hails from the Mile High City. While she has rocked the dancefloors at festivals (AquaGirl, EuroPride…) and nightclubs (The Church, Café Del Mar, Nikki Beach…) around the world, this will be DJ Tatiana’s first appearance on the gay Boston scene, exclusively for Boston Pride. Come discover DJ Tatiana’s beats and close out Pride Week with a bang!

45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 45

PRIDE WEEK

Back Bay Block Party Entertainment DJ Tatiana

Frenchie Davis

A former official Billboard music DJ and chart panelist, DJ Tatiana was born in Madrid, Spain and has been making people dance around the globe since 1999. Fueled by her passion for music, this talented Denverbased DJ has been rocking dance floors across the US and abroad with her beautiful smile and energetic vibe. DJ Tatiana has headlined at leading club venues around the world such as The Church, CafĂŠ Del Mar, Nikki Beach, and Body English, to name a few. She has participated in globally recognized parties and events like White Party, Electric Daisy, Pride Fest Aqua Girl, and many more. From her performances in New York City to the sandy beaches of Marbella, DJ Tatiana has shared the stage with renowned performers Chus & Ceballos, DJ Irene, Afrojack, Porter Robinson, Clinton Sparks, and others. Her music doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know any boundaries, and her connection to people, wicked skills, track selection, and unmatchable energy have made her a one-of-a-kind performer. DJ Tatiana incorporates many styles into her sound, from popular Top 40 remixes to tribal house, with musical favorites from all genres coming together in her sets. Her passion and energy have created demand, making her one of the most sought-after new female DJs in the game.

America took notice of Frenchie Davis and her amazing singing talent in 2002, when she auditioned for the second season of American Idol. She blew all three judges away with her sultry audition rendition of â&#x20AC;&#x153;And I Am Telling Youâ&#x20AC;?. Davis made the cut, went straight to Hollywood, and sang her way to the semifinals. Shortly after leaving Idol, Frenchie Davis joined the Broadway cast of the Tony Awardwinning musical Rent and, throughout her theatre career, Davis has starred in many other hit Broadway musicals such as Dreamgirls, Mahalia: A Gospel Musical, Cinderella, and Ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Misbehavnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, which earned her a Grammy nomination. Her television credits include voice-over work for the hit Nickelodeon cartoon Wonder Pets and most recently a role on OWN Networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wanda Sykes Presents: Herlarious! In 2011, Davis was asked to audition for The Voice, joined Christina Aguileraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team of elite eight, and finished in the competition as a Top 5 Finalist. Following in the footsteps of legendary performers such as Donny Hathaway, Debbie Allen, and Phylicia Rashad, Frenchie Davis recently graduated from Howard University. Currently, Frenchie Davis is touring the country with her musical comedy cabaret act The French & Kat Show, of which she is the cocreator, co-producer, and co-star. The show has received rave reviews and continues to sell out audiences, who are amazed by Frenchie Davisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unique singing voice and raw whit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to live my life and create art that inspires people to be brave and courageous,â&#x20AC;? she says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;to believe in themselves and never take no for an answer.â&#x20AC;?

For more information about DJ Tatiana, visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/djtatiana.

For more information about Frenchie Davis, visit her Facebook at www.facebook.com/OfficialFrenchie.

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46 | Boston Pride 2015

Don’t just celebrate Pride,

Live it.

If you’re 50+ and LGBT… celebrate every day! Fill up your social calendar with new friends from Stonewall at OLLI, part of UMass Boston’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

Expand your circle of friends to a welcoming group of LGBT folks: W Go out to plays, concerts and brunches in Greater Boston and beyond. W Choose from over 100 non-credit courses and 80 lectures at UMass Boston in the

Spring and Fall semesters. W Enjoy travel in the U.S. and abroad with new friends from Stonewall. W Use your UMass Boston Student ID for a host of discounts throughout Massachusetts. W Use UMass Boston’s library, gym, swimming pool and more at no cost.

Log on to www.olli.umb.edu or call us at 617-287-7312 for more information. A National Historic Landmark... An American Masterpiece Discover the secret staircase. Stroll the three seasons garden. Shop for unique gifts and books. Open daily. Visit 7gables.org for hours and information.

115 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970 978-744-0991 | 7gables.org

45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 47

PRIDE WEEK

E V E N T D E TA I L S

Sunday, June 14 2:00-8:00PM , rain or shine

JP Block Party Boston Pride teams up with Dyke Night™ to host the 2015 installment of the JP Block party, which will feature six hours of non-stop entertainment. What can you expect? Over 1,200 LBT women and allies of all ages taking over Perkins Street for an afternoon of outdoor amusement. The first hour will feature face painting for kids and two acoustic acts by Crys Matthews and Triana Wilson. Crys Matthews’ music was recently described by Rachel Shatto of Curve magazine thus: “Fans of Tracy Chapman and Ani DiFranco will find plenty to love…Matthews shares their gifts of telling simultaneously intimate and relatable stories, all while continuing to refine her own unique brand of R&B folk.” Triana is an acoustic solo artist with the voice of an angel singing blues (covers and originals). The highlight for many will be the third annual Divas, Dogs, and Drag Show. The show features adoptable rescue dogs from PAWS NE, showcased by Boston’s celebrity drag queens and kings. This year’s emcee is Sapphira Cristal, former queen of Boston Pride and current Miss Gay New York. After the show, the street morphs into one giant dance floor with DJ LeahV, aka “The People's DJ”. Her signature open-format mixing and seamless genreblending sets have won her the Boston Music Awards DJ Artist of the Year, Improper Bostonian’s Boston's Best DJ, and a feature at the 2015 Dinah Shore Weekend. With several cash bars (21+ to drink), bites, vendors, rescue dogs, a drag show, and dancing, the block party is sure to nourish your body, mind, and spirit! All ages.

48 | Boston Pride 2015

Corner of Perkins & Centre Streets Jamaica Plain, Boston Jackson Square (Orange line) $10/$15 (after 5:00PM) suggested donation upon entry

For up-to-date information, visit www.bostonpride.org/jp

Rhonda Bout introduces an adorable adoptable dog to the crowd. Credit: Marilyn Humphries

Below: From face painting and tasty food and drink to stage performances and dancing, the JP Block Party offers something for everyone. Credit: Marilyn Humphries

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45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 49

PRIDE WEEK

Black Pride Latin@ Pride Orgullo Latin@

E V E N T D E TA I L S A variety of events have been planned throughout Pride Week Una variedad de eventos se planificaron a lo largo de la semana de Boston Pride.

For a complete schedule, including times and locations, visit www.bostonpride.org/calendar Para ver el programa de actividades, incluyendo horas y locales visita www.bostonpride.org/calendar

Black and Latin@ Pride are programs of Boston Pride, whose purpose is to celebrate the contributions of queer communities of color in a trans-generational manner, through educational programs, cultural events, and entertainment. For Boston Pride’s 45th anniversary, Black and Latin@ Pride have joined together to present common events with a theme that resonates with both communities: Carnaval, a celebration of culture, life, and Pride. Our year-round programming will include educational panels on diverse topics, beginning on Tuesday, June 9 with a focused discussion on artificial insemination. We will also hold regular tea dances, social gatherings held traditionally between 4:00PM and 7:00PM that provide safe spaces for queer people to meet and to enjoy refreshments and entertainment. The Pride Week Carnavalthemed tea dance will take place on Saturday, June 6 in Provincetown during Women of Color Weekend. Numerous club and bar nights and the monthly Bounce LGBT Roller Skating Party (Thursday, June 4) are further offerings for our community to socialize with each other in a supportive and affirming environment. Join us for a Pride Brunch on Sunday, June 7 at Norvia’s Place. And, of course, march with our Black and Latin@ Pride Parade contingent, which will feature a Carnaval float and costumes.

Orgullo Latin@ y Black Pride son programas de Boston Pride, que tienen como objetivo celebrar las contribuciones de las comunidades LGBT de color de una manera ‘transgeneracional’, a través de programas educativos, eventos culturales y entretenimiento. Para el 45 aniversario de Boston Pride, los comités de Orgullo Latin@ y Black Pride se han unido para presentar eventos con temas que resuenen con ambas comunidades: Carnaval: una celebración de cultura, vida y orgullo. Nuestro programa anual incluirá paneles educativos de diversos temas, empezando el martes 9 de junio con una panel enfocado en inseminación artificial. De igual manera, vamos a tener horas sociales, las cuales son horas que tradicionalmente son entre las 4 y 7 de la tarde (después del trabajo); estas proveen un espacio seguro para personas LGBT en donde reunirse y disfrutar de refrescos y entretenimiento. Durante la semana de Boston Pride, esta celebración de horas sociales tomara lugar durante el sábado, 6 de Junio, en Provicetown con el tema de Carnaval durante el fin de semana de Mujeres de Color Queer. Ademas tendremos numerosas noches en clubes y bares mas la Fiesta de Patinaje mensual con Ritmo LGBT (jueves 4 de junio). Estas son algunas de las actividades adicionales que nuestra comunidad tendrá para socializar en un ambiente de apoyo y afirmación. Ven al ‘Brunch' de Orgullo el domingo 7 de junio en Norvia’s Place y obviamente, marcha con nuestra contingencia de Orgullo Latin@ y Black Pride durante la parada de Boston Pride - esta vez tendremos una carroza y vestidos tradicionales.

This year’s Black and Latin@ Pride Week programming comprises more than a dozen official events, from educational panels to late-night dancing.

El calendario de actividades de la semana de Orgullo Latin@ y Black Pride son diversos; estos eventos oficiales comprenden paneles educacionales y fiestas. Créditos

Credits: Marilyn Humphries, Star Shotz, and Boston Pride

de foto: Marilyn Humphries, Star Shotz, y Boston Pride

50 | Boston Pride 2015

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PRIDE WEEK

52 | Boston Pride 2015

45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 53

A R T S & C U LT U R E

TRANSforming the Stage From Broadway to Boston, new works are transforming transgender representation in theatre. By

Kimberly Alleyna Koplow

Coloring the stage with artistry and powerful expression, the dynamic young thespians of The Theatre Offensive's True Colors troupe educate and entertain at one of their community performances. Credit: Ivy Maiorino

54 | Boston Pride 2015

If you’ve seen a play or musical recently, you know the contemporary stage has become a haven for work that is pushing the envelope with entertaining, truth-seeking, reality-heightening material. Today’s theatrical works extend beyond the social norms of yesterday, expressing the diversity of our ever-changing world, including the hardships and challenges we face in a technology-driven, optionfilled, over stimulated, sexually saturated, materialistic, faster-thanfast-paced culture. So, how do playwrights translate the important issues and nuances of today’s complex world, bring them to life on stage, raise awareness, and effect social change? Today’s playwrights are creating works that are more honest, humanistic, and thought-provoking than ever, especially when it comes to portraying the LGBT community on stage. Gracing the Broadway stage are hits such as the Tony Award-winning Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell’s musical about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgender singer, and the popular musical Kinky Boots, written by Harvey Fierstein with music and lyrics composed by long-time LGBT activist and pop singer Cyndi Lauper. Kinky Boots examines the unlikely friendship that forms between Charlie Price and drag queen/cabaret performer Lola, as they join forces to develop a line of high-heeled boots to save the dying shoe factory that Charlie inherits from his father. Beyond these enormous commercial successes, more and more theatrical works with transgender roles and LGBT representation are emerging around the country. Boston is no exception. From community and experiential theatre, to the early development of touring and Off-Broadway plays and musicals, Boston’s theatre scene is alive with diversity. The rainbow of work that colors the innovative theatrical scene in the Bay State expands from original LGBT plays emerging out of the theatrical programs at the Five College consortium in Western Mass to the ever-funny and fabulously entertaining drag queen reviews in Provincetown. At the forefront, and pioneering the Boston LGBT theatre community is The Theater Offensive (TTO), a nonprofit organization, whose mission is “to present the diversity of LGBT lives in art so bold it breaks through personal isolation, challenges the status quo, and builds thriving communities”. One of TTO’s performance troupes, True Colors: Out Youth Theater, has had an overwhelming impact on helping youth and teenagers become aware of and understand the issues that trans people face, including transphobia, discrimination, assault, and even suicide. The troupe is so impactful that surveys reveal approximately 85 percent or more of the audience feels they can make more supportive choices toward the LGBT community after viewing a True Colors show. TTO has witnessed first-hand how open and receptive youth and teenage students are toward the material and proudly boasts that 200-300 students each year make the transition from acting as bullies to adapting a “stand up to bullying mentality” after viewing these performances. That’s an astounding number of lives impacted in a positive way, as a result of this organization’s phenomenal work in the community. A new film debuting in Spring 2015, The Year We Thought About Love, featuring TTO’s True Colors troupe, is a 68-minute documentary by filmmaker Ellen Brodsky that celebrates this diverse troupe of LGBTQ youth. The film documents how the troupe members transform their personal struggles into theatre for social change. One

Alesandra of The Theater Offensive’s True Colors Troupe. Credit: Joel Benjamin

of the notable central characters in the film and an important member of True Colors since she was a teenager is Alesandra, a young adult trans woman of color. Abe Rybeck, TTO’s Founder and Executive Artistic Director, commented, “It is so important to have the full variety of transgender experiences expressed on stage… To have a public voice is crucial.” TTO has been exhibiting work with transgender characters since the late 1980s. In the early 90s, TTO empowered its first works by trans artists, like gender non-conforming playwright and performance artist Kate Bornstein. Recent works showcased in partnership with TTO, include Sean Dorsey Dance Company’s The Secret History of Love, combining modern dance, music, theatre, and media to tell the story of the underground ways LGBT people managed to survive and find love in decades past, despite tremendous obstacles. An upcoming work by Sean Dorsey Dance Company, entitled The Missing Generation, a dance theatre piece exploring the contemporary impact of the loss of part of an entire generation of gay and transgender people to AIDS in the 1980s and 90s, will showcase in Boston in October. 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 55

A R T S & C U LT U R E

The way in which transgender roles are portrayed on stage and screen has become a hot topic in our culture. Much controversy exists: Is the role stereotypical or demeaning? Does the script paint a picture of the real struggles that trans people face? Is the playwright coming from a skewed cisgender viewpoint? When it comes to works about fictional characters, how true are the trans voices?

Rybeck feels passionately that the theatrical community needs to step up so that trans voices are heard on stage. It certainly seems as though TTO is stepping up and has been for many years. We applaud them for providing an amazing outlet for LGBT voices to be heard in such an eye-opening, creative, and beautifully artistic way. The way in which transgender roles are portrayed on stage and screen has become a hot topic in our culture. Much controversy exists: Is the role stereotypical or demeaning? Does the script paint a picture of the real struggles that trans people face? Is the playwright coming from a skewed cisgender viewpoint? When it comes to works about fictional characters, how true are the trans voices? As a fellow playwright, producer, and human rights supporter, I take these questions seriously. My newest work is a disco era jukebox musical featuring African American and transgender/drag characters. You might ask how my experience as a heterosexual Caucasian Jewish female qualifies me to paint a cast of characters so colorful. My answer would contain two words: divine inspiration. As a writer, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always know why ideas are put into my head or inspiration placed in my heart. I certainly did not set out to create some grandiose work about the plight of transgender people, nor did I strive to make a statement that would gain favorable attention and praise from the LGBT community. I simply created a story about the journey to selflove, and I let the characters flow in, in whatever colors, shapes, sizes, and voices they needed to be to mold the central themes of the play. What I ended up with is a beautiful and magical story about the transformation we experience when we free ourselves from the judgment and expectations of others, connect with our inner spirits, and open up to the unlikely yet magical friendships that help guide us and illuminate our journeys. The diversity of the characters surprised even me, but it also caused me to open my eyes, to educate myself, to

become more compassionate and empathetic, and to dig deeper to understand why these important supporting characters showed up as six transgender/drag prostitutes and what my responsibility is in showcasing these roles. After all, it is stereotypical to create trans characters that fit roles of prostitutes and criminals, as so many plays, televisions shows, and movies so ignorantly do. I am, however, confident that my characters defy these stereotypes and reflect the expressive individualism that emerged from the 1970s gay liberation movement. They each embody the femininity, emotionality, strength, courage, self-love, and comfort within oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own skin that the protagonist lacks in her life. Ultimately, they provide her with the support she needs to conquer heartache, find her true voice, and become the star of her own life, and they enhance the heartfelt story line with tremendous vibrancy, sentiment, and hilarity. From turning True experiences into theatrical performances for social change to creating fictional works that defy LGBT stereotypes and convey beauty in personal expression and individualism, the theatrical community from Broadway to Boston, is Act by Act, TRANSforming the stage. Kimberly Alleyna Koplow has worked extensively as an actress, writer, producer, director, and choreographer. She founded a successful Detroit-based marketing, PR, and advertising agency that catered to clients in the fashion, arts, and entertainment industries. In 2013, Koplow formed KIALKO Productions and is currently developing several new musical theatre productions in Boston/Provincetown and NYC. For updates on workshops, readings, and performances, follow her on Twitter @KIALKO.

So al, Educational, and Supportive Soci Programs for Middle & High School Youth

Current Meeting Siteses Framingham & Wellesley

www.outmetrowest.org

56 | Boston Pride 2015

508.875.2122

info@outmetrowest.org

45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 57

PERSPECTIVES

A drag delight, the Prime Timersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homage to La Cage aux Folles took home Best Float in the 2008 Pride Parade. Credit: Frank LaPiana; courtesy of the Prime Timers

Marching through the Years A Prime Timer reflects on his decades of participation in Boston Pride. By

58 | Boston Pride 2015

Dick Bourbeau

It’s February 6, 1970. I have just been discharged from a fourIn Summer 1987, Woody Baldwin, a retired Simmons College year tour of duty with the U.S. Army Security Agency (USASA). I’m Department Head, and his partner, Sean O’Neil, founded an organin the parking lot of my apartment building on Aberdeen Street, just ization for mature gay and bisexual men, which became known as a couple of blocks away from the main campus of Boston University. Boston Prime Timers. Being a founding member of this organization Since my last 18 months with the USASA were based at Ft. Devens, added a whole new dimension of intrigue and fun to Pride Week. I took the opportunity to complete the remaining two years of college We marched as a group proudly bearing our handmade Boston Prime that I put on hold to enlist in the USASA. I enlisted to avoid the Timers banner in the 1988 Pride Parade and have marched in all the draft, which would have taken me to Vietnam for sure. I went to class parades that have followed. that evening and, like I did so often afterwards, I took a walk on the There was a four-year period (2005-2008) when we entered a Esplanade. Only, this time, I met a man who offered to take me to a float in the Pride Parade. In our first year of competition our entry gay bar. I was surprised and exwon Best Float (tropical theme), cited at the same time. Coming and the second year’s entry By participating in the parade and making a from a small town in Southeast(“Napoleon Room”) received ern Connecticut, I had never Honorable Mention, perhaps begreat showing, we were combating ageist heard of a gay bar! Sure enough, cause our float, which had quite he took me to Sporter’s on a bit of foam board on it, did mentalities, showing people – young and old Cambridge Street. It was gay not bode well in the torrential alike – that aging as a gay person does not alright. I thought I had died and rains of the day. Our third and gone to heaven. Walking fourth year entries (“Over the mean that one stops enjoying life, having around the bar, I found some Rainbow, Not Over the Hill”, gay publications and learned “La Cage aux Folles”) also won fellowship, or being an energetic and about all sorts of places and Best Float. We stopped producevents to go to as a gay man. ing floats because we lost access productive member of the community. One year later, ads began to a donated flatbed and insured appearing that were announcdriver, the cost of which, on top ing a gay pride march to be held in late June. Now that intrigued me. of the costs of designing and building the float, were just not in our How lucky I was to land in Boston in time to march with pride in budget. the first of what would become an annual event. I was not going to Winning those awards made the Prime Timers a contingent miss that. I got a couple friends to agree to march with me. Pride Day that parade watchers were eager and excited to see each year. By came but I did not march because I was recovering from hepatitis, participating in the parade and making a great showing, we were but made a commitment to participate in the second Pride March in combating ageist mentalities, showing people – young and old alike 1972. I recall in particular the excitement of marching down Charles – that aging as a gay person does not mean that one stops enjoying Street with people not only lining the sidewalks but also hanging out life, having fellowship, or being an energetic and productive memof their windows and off their rooftops. It was like being in the North ber of the community. Indeed, our award-winning floats showed End. We ultimately spilled onto the Boston Common, where there the community just how vibrant its older adult members are. Maybe was a Pride Rally at Parkman Bandstand. There were vendors selling it’s time for the Prime Timers to find donors that will afford us the items of interest to gay folk and a stage with live performances. I opportunity to reintroduce our much-beloved floats into Boston never even dreamed of something like this back in my high school Pride’s annual Parade. days. It made me wonder just who was responsible for planning and Dick Bourbeau is a retired civil servant who spent 29 organizing this event. I wanted to thank them and to encourage them years working with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to plan others. I would certainly participate. Over the years, more and four years with the United States Army Security events became part of Pride. One of my favorite Pride events was Agency. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Pride Lights at the Cyclorama, probably because it brought Pride to Boston University. Bourbeau was born in a small town where I lived, on Tremont Street. I really liked seeing the businesses in SE Connecticut and has been living in Boston's South competing for the grandest Pride Lights display in their windows End since 1970. His years as a Prime Timer have been and adorning their outdoor café areas with lights as well. Individual the best of his life. residents also got hooked into this expression of one's Pride and lit up their own windows, gardens, and roof decks. My buddies and I looked forward to Pride festivities each year, and each year our group grew larger.

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NEWS Bolstered by the company and voices of fellow protestors, activist Bamby Salcedo demands â&#x20AC;&#x153;intentional, meaningful investmentâ&#x20AC;? in the trans community and its efforts to end anti-trans violence. Credit: National LGBTQ Task Force

Mile High Creating Change Demonstrations at the 2015 conference of LGBTQ activists highlight issues targeting trans people of color. Activists urge solidarity. By

60 | Boston Pride 2015

Sherri Rase

Last October, Janice Thom of the National LGBTQ Task Force, activists and activists from Ferguson took the podium to remind us one of the leading organizations fighting for equal rights for all peo- that while all lives matter, people of color are most endangered right ple regardless of color, gender or sexual orientation, addressed Inter- now, today. Follow #blacklivesmatter on Twitter for more detailed Pride, the international association of LGBTQ Pride Coordinators, information. at its annual world conference in Pittsburgh. Thom formally invited Rea Carey, Executive Director of the Task Force, spoke elothe representatives from Prides around the globe, whose events reach quently about what we accomplished this year, what our setbacks have more than 13 million people, to consider attending Creating Change been, and where our opportunities for success remain. Several times in February 2015. A group led by Boston Pride and including mem- Carey became emotional, giving greater impact to her words. “What bers of Palm Springs would it take for you Pride, New York City to be fully you, to be “[W]ith every change we make, with every law we pass, with whole? What would Pride, Jersey Pride, it take for you to feel Inc., and others, anevery heart we open, we ease the pain of discrimination just whole?” Carey’s closswered the call. ing words resonate C r e a t i n g a little bit, making it that much easier for someone else to most. “The work of Change is the brainbeing you is never child of Sue Hyde step forward and join us in this work.” done. It’s being you and Urvashi Vaid. in exactly what each What is now an annual meeting in its 27th year was launched by these veteran activists day brings... And with every change we make, with every law we pass, to channel the tremendous energy of the 1987 March on Washington with every heart we open, we ease the pain of discrimination just a to where it could do the most good – our homes, schools, and neigh- little bit, making it that much easier for someone else to step forward borhoods – to reduce violence, promote equality for all, and leverage and join us in this work...This speech is not the State of the Movethe power that LGBTQ people were beginning to realize as a com- ment...You are the state of this movement. And the state of this munity. The first conference was organized the old-fashioned way: movement is energized, passionate, strong, and ready for more.” Now via telephone calls, posters, and word of mouth; 300 people from all that’s encouragement to continue the fight! over attended. This year, more than 4,000 delegates convened in DenWe all have the capacity to change the world around us. When ver, some from as far away as Taiwan, with a common desire: to create you hear ignorance around the water cooler, start a conversation. change where they live and work so that there is equality for all. You’re not holding out for a hero. The hero is you. Make change; be The first evening, Russell Roybal, Deputy Executive Director for change. Create change wherever you are. External Affairs of the Task Force, and Sue Hyde, Director of the Creating Change 2016 will meet in Chicago. Care to join me? Creating Change conference, welcomed everyone and introduced Kate Clinton as the Mistress of Ceremonies. Clinton’s opening reSherri Rase is an award-winning activist in New marks were unexpectedly interrupted by the sound of air horns blarJersey’s LGBTI community. Her writing ranges from ing from the back of the packed ballroom, followed by people op-eds to LGBTI history. She is Special Events Director marching down the aisles and waving signs painted in the pale pink for Jersey Pride, Inc. and also manages their Rally stage. and blue of the transgender movement. “Trans Lives Matter” and Rase is active in appreciation of the arts and is happy to “Jesse Hernandez RIP”, among other messages, let us know why our contribute to the websites of FIQNews, NYQNews, brothers and sisters were outraged. Nine days previously, Jessie Herand QonStage, as well as The Jersey Gaze and Out nandez, a 17-year-old gender non-conforming woman of color, was in Jersey magazines, and now the Boston Pride Guide. killed by the Denver Police. This brought the targeting of trans women, trans men, and gender non-conforming youth to the immediate forefront for the assembled delegates and gave us a quick education about how different life may be, especially for people of color. Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock was scheduled to greet us, but decided to cancel his appearance out of respect for the group. The protestors took over the microphone in order to demand an immediate change in how police approach all people and an end to the use of deadly force, disproportionately directed at gender non-conforming people and trans people of color. Their biggest ask was for us, their brothers and sisters, to ally with them to amplify their presence and voice. Keynote speakers Rinku Sen, President and Executive Director of Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation, and Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorOfChange, engaged in a dialogue on Ferguson and what it means for us all. Cutting across gender, race, and politics, we are poised for change. Rather than waiting for a fabled “Someone” to lead us, both Sen and Robinson encouraged us to look within ourselves to be that leader. The Boston Pride team (from left to right: Sylvain Bruni, Staci Stift, Anna Dubrowski, At the session on the State of the Movement, activists who and Michael Anthony Fowler) steals a moment between workshops for a group passed in 2014 were honored and young trans women and trans men photo. Credit: Boston Pride 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 61

A R T S & C U LT U R E

The First Taste An exclusive sneak peek from the forthcoming young-adult novel Backyard Beasts By

Jeremy Jordan King with watercolor illustrations by the author

It was a big old house on an even bigger and older piece of land. The original structure had been built by colonists before this country was a country. Since then, several generations of Brooks men put their stamp on the property with additions, updates, and renovations. Grampa Willy improved the kitchen, his father added the garage, and his father’s father tacked on the porch. Most people would suspect all the family’s energy was devoted to the constantly changing house, but it was the grounds that required the most attention, the most love. In the middle of the always-emerald lawn was the prop62 | Boston Pride 2015

erty’s heart, the garden. It lay at the bottom of a small hill, just before the yard’s grass turned into the forest’s brush. A circular white picket fence protected the more delicious plants from wandering animals, and a majestic Japanese maple protected the more delicate ones from harsh sunlight. Grampa Willy shielded his eyes from the late summer glare to look for autumn’s first turned leaf. “I think I’ve found one,” he said. “Up there on the left.” Jake scrunched his face and squinted. “I don’t see it, Grampa.”

Grampa tried to kneel, but his bad knees prevented him from fully getting to his grandson’s level. He pointed. “There.” The wind blew and moved a branch, revealing what seemed to be the world’s smallest, most solitary orange leaf. Jake giggled. “How’d you see that? I’m young and I couldn’t see that little thing.” “Are you saying old men like me can’t see?” “Well, you wear glasses sometimes.” Grampa narrowed his eyes. “I just wear those to make your grandmother think I’m smart,” he said. “These seventy-year-old eyes are as good as your six-year-old ones. Maybe even better.” Jake shrugged. There was no arguing with his grandfather. “Whatever.” “Whatever what?” asked Grampa. “Whatever, my boy, does not a sentence make.” He groaned as he stretched to standing. “Now climb up there and bring it to me.” Jake shrieked with delight and darted to the tree. That maple

was his favorite, his “climbing tree” as everyone called it. Its trunk was short and its branches plenty, like a naturally-occurring jungle gym. He scaled as high as he was comfortable going, but the leaf was still out of reach. He glanced at his grandfather with a pained expression. “Oh, come now. You’re barely higher than your father’s shoulders and you have no problem riding around on those like a circus performer. Scoot out and fetch that leaf for this old man.” Jake knew he was right, but that tree was not his father’s shoulders. His father couldn’t snap in half and drop him into a bed of rutabagas. Or could he? Jake shook the thought away and sat on a sturdy-looking branch. He clamped his hands around another for extra security. He slid his rear first, then his hands, then his rear, then his hands until the orange leaf appeared to be within reach. Then he panicked… He was further out than he’d ever been. Maybe higher, too. What 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 63

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if the branch fell—no—what if he fell? What if when he reached out “I think it’s about right,” he said. He held the leaf to the garden gate, for that stupid little leaf, he lost his balance and tumbled into the gar- which was painted the same color orange. “Yes, it is.” He sounded den below? And what if he landed on something sharp, like one of proud. those pointy little shovels Grampa used for planting? Or, just as bad, “Why’s the gate this color and the rest of the fence white?” asked one of the signs scrawled with the words beets or carrots or sage that Jake. were attached to very pointy sticks. One could go through his eye “Oh, nothing you need to worry about now,” Grampa said. He and then he’d have to wear an eye patch to school. And everyone laid the leaf on the fence and swung open the gate. “Also helps me would make pirate sounds when he walked by. Or what if he— remember when to harvest my favorite plants. When the leaves turn “Jake,” Grampa said, “I can see the worry machine running in the color of the gate, it’s time to go through it and get to work.” that little head of yours. Turn it off.” Jake eyed the leaf to confirm the color was exact, and it was. “I Jake tried to look brave for him, but his mouth started to zigzag guess this means it’s time for a harvest,” he said, eyes twinkling with like he was about to cry. excitement. He darted into the garden. “Which ones? Which ones?” “It’s okay if you don’t want to, bub.” Grampa stepped in after him “I want to,” said Jake. His eyes were and wobbled. That was the funny thing about fixed on the maybe-sharp things be“Whoa!” Jake ran to Grampa’s neath him. “I just...I just...” side and took his arm. Even though he Grampa Willy; he always made Grampa stepped over a row of powas much smaller than him, Jake’s prestatoes and moved into Jake’s sight line. ence added stability. the impossible seem possible. “I’m right here. Don’t worry.” He raised “Thank you, bub. Walk Old his brow and grinned, making the wrinMan Willy over there, to the center.” kles on his face deepen. Jake did as instructed. He moved slow and steady and made sure The worry in Jake’s chest lifted and he found himself smiling the to avoid any large bumps or holes in the path. “Nana will be mad if same kind of smile as Grampa. A minute later he was standing on she sees you out here without your cane.” solid ground waving the leaf triumphantly overhead. “Bah!” Grampa said, swatting the air. “Canes are for old people. That was the funny thing about Grampa Willy; he always made Instead I have a nice grandson.” He winked. the impossible seem possible. Whenever Jake felt the big world get Jake grinned a jack-o-lantern grin. small around him, which was happening more and more often, all he “There. At the end of the path.” Grampa pointed to a patch of had to do was turn to his grandfather for a smile or a word, for help. dark blue leaves in the center of the garden. He snapped his fingers Grampa took the leaf from Jake’s hand and hobbled to the fence. at a small milking stool that Jake quickly retrieved for him to sit upon. Grampa leaned in to the plants and gently rubbed one of their giant leaves. “I think you’re about ready,” he whispered. Grampa grabbed one by the stem and wiggled it to loosen the surrounding dirt. With a deep breath and a tug, the plant was freed from the ground. The root vegetable was a few shades darker blue than the sky Grampa held it against. “Here you go,” he said, handing it to Jake. When the veggie landed in Jake’s hands, several clumps of dirt fell from it and onto his shoe. He grimaced, discreetly kicked his sneaker clean, and teetered from its weight. It was much larger than he thought. “Go on,” Grampa said, “give it a try.” “I don’t know about this.” “You tried a radish yesterday. And a purple carrot the day before.” “Yes...” “And you liked those, yes?” Jake peeked through the stem’s giant leaves. “I did but”—he sniffed the root—“it smells funny.” “Pishposh. I bet you smell funny to it, too.” “But Mommy says we shouldn’t eat things that smell funny to us.” Grampa huffed. “Your mother also says her green bean casserole is edible. I beg to differ.” “Susan only says positive things to me,” said a voice behind them. Jake careened his head to see the orange garden gate swinging from a recent entry. 64 | Boston Pride 2015

A mane of dark curly hair popped up in front of him, followed by the bright and goofy face of Scottie, the neighbor boy. His teeth were as crooked as the limbs of the tree overhead. “Who’s Susan?” Jake asked. “My mom,” Scottie replied. “Aren’t we talking about moms?” Grampa grumbled. “I’ve got to get a lock for that gate.” “Anyway, Susan says, ‘Always go with your heart.’ That’s why she bought me these.” Scottie turned around and wiggled his shoulders. A pair of iridescent blue pieces of fabric dangled from two straps on his back. Grampa’s eye widened. “Well, Scottie…those are quite the… a…” “Fairy wings!” Scottie said, jumping. “They’re fairy wings!” Jake eyed the costume. The wings looked like the kind belonging to a butterfly. But the black patterns he was used to seeing on insect wings were replaced with glittery swirls of silver and pink. They were definitely not something his parents would let him play with. “But aren’t all fairies girls?” Jake asked. “No.” Scottie stared at him blankly. “There are boy fairies. How else do you think they make baby fairies?” Jake turned to Grampa for an answer. Scottie turned to him for affirmation. “That’s a question for your parents, boys. I’m here to talk about vegetables.” Grampa plucked the blue plant from Jake’s hands and pulled out a pocket knife. He sliced into the root with little effort. Jake watched his grandfather’s fingers darken from its juices. It reminded him of the time his father’s new jeans left puddles of blue water all over the house after being caught in a rainstorm. His mother was not happy about that. Grampa handed a slice to Jake. “This one’s very good for you. I eat some every day.” He handed another to Scottie. “So should you.” Jake felt his eyeballs bulge from disgust. And even Scottie, who Jake knew to be adventurous, had a gruesome look on his face. Grampa leaned in. “On the count of three…” The boys exchanged nervous glances. “Wait,” Scottie said. “We don’t even know what this is. Susan and I are vegetarians “But aren’t all fairies and we’ve never eaten anything this weird.” girls?” Jake asked. Grampa huffed. “It has a fancy name but our family has always just called it Night Root. Because it’s the color of the night sky.” “Sounds like something a witch would use in a potion,” Scottie said. Grampa grunted and shifted on his stool. “One…two…three!” He popped a slice in his mouth and chewed. He smiled and blue spittle bubbled from the corners of his mouth. The boys burst into laughter. “Try,” Grampa said between closed lips. “Try it!” Even though Jake absolutely didn’t want to eat that slimy blue thing, knowing Grampa was brave enough to do it made him feel better. “Hold your nose,” Scottie said. “It makes the taste go away. That’s how Susan got me to like Kimchi.” “Kim what?” Jake asked. But Scottie was already too busy chew-

ing to answer him. So Jake took a breath, held his nose, and ate his share. They were seemingly proud of themselves for eating something so gross…until the aftertaste settled in. It actually tasted like a handful of mud. Sour mud. They looked at each other and stuck out their tongues—their blue tongues. Scottie screamed. “I told you this is witch stuff!” Jake cracked up. He didn’t like laughing at other people—he just recently knew what it felt like to be the butt of a joke—but Scottie was just too funny. “Quick!” said Grampa between chuckles, “Chew on some parsley and mint. Nature’s toothpaste.” The boys scrambled to find the section marked herbs. Grampa had taught Jake the difference between them all so, for once, he was in charge. He showed Scottie that parsley had jagged edges and mint was shaped like a spear. After chewing, Scottie removed several parsley stems from his mouth. “Okay, okay. Enough bug food. Let’s play.” “Does your mother know you’re here?” Grampa asked. Scottie rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mr. Brooks. She actually asked me to get out of the house for a while.” “I don’t doubt that.” He pushed the boys away. “Go on then. I have work to do here.” The boys ran through the gate and onto the lawn. Scottie ran around the garden toward the tree and found a small fallen branch. “Look, a fairy wand.” Jake scrunched his face. “I want a…a…wizard’s staff!” Scottie peered around the ground. “None of those here.” He picked up another stick and tossed it. “You can be a fairy, too.” Jake tried to catch his new wand, but he ended up just slapping the air. It fell to his feet. “Fine. But I want to be a boy fairy.” “Okay,” said Scottie. He raised an eyebrow. “I never said you couldn’t be.” He pointed his wand to the tip of Jake’s nose. “Zap! You’re it!” They zoomed around the yard, yelping and screeching and never really knowing what the rules of the game were. The pretend magic coming from their wands didn’t really do anything besides dictate who was being chased and when. And Scottie had wings, which meant he could blow air through his lips to make sounds as if he were flying. “Wait!” Jake yelled. “I want to fly, too.” Without hesitating, Scottie slipped one of the straps off his shoulder and yanked on the spot where it was connected to the other strap. A ripping sound freed the wings from each other. He held it out to Jake. “Now you can.” There’s a precious age of childhood before kids become good or bad and everyone generally gets along. Yes, there’s a fair share of teasing and silly name-calling, but nothing extreme enough to cause 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 65

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major stress. Problems are easily forgotten with a hug or after school treats. Jake was exiting that phase. The world was becoming clearer and personalities sharp. In recent weeks he noticed when fellow classmates noticed him, if they looked at him a certain way or commented about a particularity. His feelings could get hurt and that hurt wasn’t remedied by his mother’s hugs or by her peanut butter cookies. Fears were developing and sometimes, just sometimes, he felt life. He was beginning to understand how it could be hard, like how he heard his parents talking when they didn’t think he was listening. But that moment with Scottie wasn’t like that. It was golden and warm and different than how he felt around his playmates at school. Scottie was a friend, a good friend…a good boy. And he’d chosen to be that good. The thought made Jake beam. Maybe he could be as good as Scottie? “Now, to the fortress!” Scottie shouted, pointing to the Japanese maple. He darted in its direction. Jake snapped out of his I-have-a-real-friend-haze and followed, awkwardly wrapping his broken wing around his waist. “Come on! Last one there turns into a gob—” Scottie’s foot caught on one of the tree’s gnarly roots. He fell to the ground and rolled, head over heel, beyond the garden and into the place where the yard met the forest. Jake slid to a halt next to him. “You okay?” Scottie raised his head and shook the grass from his hair. He stared in front of him, entranced by something. His eyes even appeared to twinkle. “Don’t fairies live in the woods?” he asked. Jake peered into the forest. The large trees blocked most of the sunlight. It seemed too dark in there for games. “I don’t think we should,” he said. cold, but Jake quickly began to feel warmth radiate from where Scot“It’s fine,” Scottie said, dusting himself off. “Susan won’t let me tie’s fingers met his palm. It almost made him forget about the— play in there. But I’m sure your gramps will.” He started in. SNAP. “Scottie, no,” Jake said in a hush. He looked back to see if Jake held Scottie’s hand tighter. “What was that?” Grampa had noticed how far they’d wandered. He didn’t want to get Scottie shushed him. He pointed straight ahead. into trouble. Scottie kept tromping over small bushes. Jake held up “I can’t see anything,” whispered Jake. his wand. “Zap. Stop.” Scottie looked around like he’d lost something. “They’re gone.” Scottie turned to him with a grin that seemed to eat his entire “Who?” face. “This place has real magic. I can tell.” He motioned for him to Before Scottie could answer, the dark spot he’d pointed out began join. “And two wings are better than one.” He shook his shoulders to to make more noise, a shuffling. And the sound became greater and flutter his fairy wing. “Come help me explore.” seemed to get closer and closer. Jake liked the prospect of magic. But more than that, he liked Jake stepped backward. “Let’s leave.” feeling wanted. He took a breath and quickly hopped over the brush The rustling sounded very near. All Scottie did was hold his hand to meet Scottie near the forest’s first tree. It was unlike the trees in tighter and tighter. He murmured, “Jake…” Grampa’s yard. This one was rough and twisted and weary-looking. Jake’s heart rose into his throat as his body rose into the air. He glanced to Scottie for guidance, Grampa had come up from bewho gave him a reassuring nod and led hind and grabbed them, one under “This place has real magic. I can tell.” each arm. “No!” he hollered. His him around more trees and over mounds of dead leaves. Scottie’s eyes voice echoed deep into the forest. He motioned for him to join. “And two were wide, constantly appearing to For a moment, all was still. focus on things to pursue. Jake wonThen several birds flew away overwings are better than one.” dered what he found so interesting, for head, their caws just as frenzied as his own eyes were only landing on Grampa’s eyes. creepy stuff, like shadows and rot, which he certainly didn’t want to Jake stared in awe of his grandfather’s strength. Just minutes ago investigate. “What are we looking for?” he’d had to help him down the garden path. Now he was holding two “I think I see a fair—” boys like giant grocery bags. He turned and quickly hauled them back SNAP. through the thicket and dropped them onto the perfect lawn. In addiJake gasped. Scottie was gripping his hand. At first his touch was tion to their bodies, he’d been gripping a Night Root in each hand. The 66 | Boston Pride 2015

veggies dangled from his fists like weapons. “You can’t go doing things like that,” he finally said to them. He panted. His superhuman strength was draining. He shuffled to the garden and leaned on the gate. Jake scurried to his feet. “I’m sorry, Grampa, I—” “The woods…these woods…they’re dangerous.” Scottie joined Jake. “I just wanted to show him—” “No,” Grampa said, sternly. He composed himself and spoke more softly. “You must be careful near that forest. You hear?” He was focused solely at Jake. “Let me hear you say it.” Jake was embarrassed. There was nothing worse than getting in trouble in front of a friend. “I’ll be careful,” he said, his head held low. “Alright,” said Grampa brightly to change the atmosphere. “Let’s get you washed for dinner.” He looked to Scottie. “You should head home.” “Yes, sir.” Scottie waved at Jake and bounced away, his eyes trying to steal a last glance at the woods behind them. Grampa didn’t appear mad, but the way his hand shook as he patted Jake on the back exposed that he was frightened. Before going inside, Jake saw him eyeing the forest with the same intensity he’d yelled at whatever it was they encountered in there. He didn’t like seeing Grampa that way. So, before closing the door to his greatgreat-grandfather’s back porch, Jake silently vowed never to step foot in those woods again. Over dinner, Mom and Dad broke the news to the family that Dad got a new job. Nana and Grampa were excited for a while, until they learned it was in California. They didn’t understand why he,

Mom and Jake had to go all the way out there. “Surely there’s something here on the East Coast,” Nana said. But Dad explained that there wasn’t. He went on and on telling them all the good things about the move. Eventually they stopped trying to convince Dad to change his mind and instead pretended to be excited. They smiled and gave Jake lots of encouraging squeezes on the shoulder. But he could recognize they were sad. Really sad. And that made him feel just rotten. He’d always lived so close to his grandparents. What would life be like without seeing them every weekend? He went to bed that night where he slept every Saturday when he visited, in his father’s old bedroom. His mind should have been focused on logging details of that room to recall when he’d inevitably get homesick, or pondering what exactly was with them in the woods that afternoon. Instead, he wondered if he’d ever see Scottie again. As he fell asleep, his eyes were fixed on the fairy wing draped over a chair in the corner, and his hand was held tight around the memory of his friend’s touch. Finalist for the 2014 Rainbow Award for Fantasy, Jeremy Jordan King is a strong new voice in LGBT fiction. His young-adult book series, Immortal Testimonies (Bold Strokes Books Soliloquy), is recommended reading by the American Library Association’s GLBT Round Table, the Advocate, and Foreword Reviews. In addition to writing novels, he is the librettist of the upcoming new musical, Eighty-Sixed.

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NEWS

A Promising Future Creating place, making space for homeless queer youth in the Bay State By

Michael Anthony Fowler

ulation, a staggering 33.4 percent identify “It’s not about me; it’s about the kids.” as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or unsure. Any who have invited Boston Pride These days, youth feel comfortable comGrand Marshal Erica Kay-Webster to dising out at younger ages than ever before. cuss her tenacious efforts to open a resiWe now find pre-teens telling their famdential school for LGBTQ homeless ilies that they are queer. Unlike their youth on the Cape have likely heard her young adult counterparts, these youth are utter this refrain. Having experienced firstnot at an age at which they can live indehand the anguish and hardships of living pendently. As Reed Christian and Anya as a rejected transgender teen on the streets Mukarji-Connolly pointed out in a 2012 of 1960s New York City, it’s easy to underarticle, “The mainstream LGBTQQ stand why Kay-Webster’s personal story is movement organizations generally enoften a focus in these discussions: she lends a prominent face and voice to a group of Erica Kay-Webster and super volunteer Youth Ambassador Kegan courage young people to come out, usually people who have long gone unremarked. In prepare backpacks of clothing and supplies for the Foundation for with no real comprehension of the hostile the end, through her own resilience and the International Justice’s weekly unaccompanied youth drop-in cen- forces they are likely to confront, and ter. Like Kay-Webster, Kegan experienced homelessness as a youth. without strong material commitments to compassionate support of two strangers Credit: David Webster addressing their needs.” Herein lies a bitwho would become her adoptive parents, she was given a second chance. And it is this chance that she wishes ter irony: as our youth are coming out in greater numbers and at earlier ages, responding to signs of growing acceptance of LGBTQ people to pay forward to today’s homeless and runaway queer youth. The available statistics on homelessness among LGBTQ youth on a societal level, they are met with rejection and mistreatment at are alarming: while queer people account for roughly five percent of home and end up on the streets without the means to support themthe US population, among the nation’s homeless youth they represent selves. This unfortunate fact is borne out by the National Homeless as much as 40 percent (Williams Institute 2012). The reality is stark: Youth Provider Survey (2012), which found that seven out of every Homelessness is disproportionately experienced by queer youth in this 10 queer youth cite family rejection of their sexual orientation or gencountry. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency der identity as the reason why they are homeless or runaway, while Prevention (2002), each year there are between 1.6 and 2.8 million half report abuse or mistreatment at home. Moreover, after fleeing rejection, hostility, or outright abuse at runaway and homeless youth on the streets. Among these youth, around 600,000 identify as LGBT or gender non-conforming. This home, our youth seek out shelters, foster homes, and related service “epidemic” of queer youth homelessness, as the National LGBTQ providers, where they frequently experience similarly motivated misTask Force aptly characterized it eight years ago, continues unabated. treatment and discrimination by staff or peers. For example, at many And it is taking its greatest toll on youth of color (Center for American shelters, trans and gender non-conforming youth are assigned to beds, Progress 2012), who suffer the twofold iniquities of systemic homo- bathrooms, and other facilities based on their sex rather than their gender, placing them at greater risk for physical and sexual abuse by /trans-phobia and racism. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts – despite being a trail- their peers. Situations like these make queer youth much more likely blazer in LGBTQ rights – has not fared better than other states in than their straight counterparts to stay with a stranger, to “couch surf ”, curbing the rates of youth homelessness. The Department of Housing or to squat. Youth in unstable housing situations are preoccupied by the exiand Urban Development recently determined that, from 2007 to 2014, Massachusetts experienced the nation’s second highest increase in gencies of day-to-day survival, which expose them to great hazards: homelessness. In the same study, Massachusetts ranked fourth for the sexual exploitation, drug and substance abuse, and HIV and STIs, largest increase in unaccompanied youth population from 2013-2014, among others. In fact, 44 percent of homeless queer youth report havwith a sobering 25.8 percent growth. Furthermore, a representative ing been propositioned by a stranger for sex in exchange for money, sample of high schools in Massachusetts (2012) suggests that one shelter, food, drugs, or clothing (Van Leeuwen et al. 2005). Some of quarter of lesbian and gay teenagers and 15 percent of their bisexual the activities to which our youth resort for survival, such as sex work, peers are experiencing homelessness; among the homeless youth pop- are illegal, which leads to their introduction into the correctional sys68 | Boston Pride 2015

tem, where they encounter further discrimination and abuse. Holding a youth in the juvenile correction system for one year can be 10 times as expensive as getting this youth into permanent housing (Van Leeuwen 2004), thereby removing the need for illegal survival activities. Investing in transitional housing is therefore not only lifesaving, but also cost effective. According to Jeff Krehely of the Center for American Progress, fundamental needs at the shelter and service provider level include cultural competency training for staff, multipronged service packages which address the particular struggles that queer youth have, and curbing the mistreatment of queer youth. Such improvements would encourage youth to avail themselves of institutional resources. But inspiring the trust and confidence of homeless queer youth is only part of the equation. We must also commit resources to the creation and expansion of programs designed to remedy chronic queer youth homelessness. On this front, there is cause for hope: people have begun to talk more and more about youth homelessness and how best to address it. For instance, the True Colors Fund recently conducted a hugely successful social media campaign (#40toNoneDay) to raise awareness about the issue and to invite people to take action. Additionally, there have been some encouraging changes in legislation, policy, and services, both at the national and state level. The federal government has outlined a five-point strategy (Opening Doors), including low barrier housing, education/training geared toward employment, sustained support services, preparation for independent living, and creating support networks. And the annual policy recommendations of the Massachusetts’ Commission on LGBTQQ Youth – still the only state agency in the US solely dedicated to this segment of the population – outline practicable steps to help chronically homeless youth acquire

safe, stable housing, counseling and medical attention, education and training, and employment. Beginning in fiscal year 2014, the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance was granted a line item in the annual budget for a pilot initiative within its Home & Healthy for Good program that provides up to 32 units of low-barrier housing for chronically homeless queer young adults, aged 18-24. Promise Place School, Kay-Webster’s creation, is another Massachusetts-based initiative. It aims to promulgate a long-term solution to chronic homelessness, through the establishment of safe living and learning environments for queer youth between 12 and 24 years old. In addition to permanent housing, education, and vocational training, students will also have access to nutritious meals, seasonal and gender-affirming clothing, health care, and recreational activities. This innovative approach places education at the center, so that graduates are prepared for success and independent living. The first school is set to open on the Cape in time for the autumn 2015 semester and will initially accommodate up to 50 youth. With efforts like these, the Bay State is poised to create spaces and places, where our homeless queer youth feel safe, affirmed, and supported. To paraphrase Erica Kay-Webster, when our queer youth are given the skills and opportunities to succeed, anything is possible. To these youth, who exhibit such resilience, such potential, let’s make a promise and keep it. Michael Anthony Fowler is Editor-in-Chief of the Boston Pride Guide. Among his other volunteer commitments, he is Vice President of the Foundation for International Justice, the non-profit organization working to open the first Promise Place School for LGBTQ homeless youth.

Cong at$lations On Another Successf$l Boston Pride Event

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What You See Outside Your Front Door Is Impor"ant To Us 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 69

B O S TO N P R I D E

Gala •

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45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 71

PERSPECTIVES

People of Color Prides Party to a Different Beat A critical view on Pride Month By Rev. Irene Monroe For example, Black Pride plays an important role in the larger gay Pride parades will be taking place all over the country this month. As we all rev up for this year’s festivities, so, too, will the fault lines of rights movement, but cultural exclusion and social isolation were just race, gender identity, and class emerge. In addition to Gay Pride a few things gay revelers of African descent experienced in Pride events. events, there will be a segment of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgen- Racism is the other. And so after decades of Pride events, where many der, and queer (LGBTQ) population attending Black Gay Pride and gays of African descent tried to be included and were rejected, Black Gay Pride was born. And what started out in Los Angeles in 1988 as Latino Gay Pride events, to name a few. Pride is about the varied expressions of the life, gifts, and talents the only Black Gay Pride in the country has grown to over 35 gatherof the entire (LGBTQ) community. But the divisions in our commu- ings nationwide. Sunday gospel brunches, Saturday night Poetry slams, Friday nity during Pride also show us something troubling and broken within ourselves. Unlike the revolutionary decade of the 1960s, during which evening fashion shows, bid whist tournaments, house parties, the the air bred dissent, we LGBTQ people appear to be residing in a smell of soul food and Caribbean cuisine, and the beautiful display sanguine time — rebels without a cause, a context, or an agenda. Many of African art and clothing are just a few of the cultural markers that of us would argue that we have moved from our once urgent state of make Black Pride distinct from the dominant queer culture. The themes and focus of Black, “Why we can’t wait!” to our presAsian, and Latino Pride events ent lull state of “Where do we go At its core, Pride events are an invitation for are different from the larger from here?” Some in our community contest that we are in a holdcommunity. They should highlight the multi- Pride events. Prides of communities of color focus on issues not ing pattern while other argue that cultural aspect of joy and celebration that solely pertaining to the LGBTQ we are ready to assimilate into but rather on social, mainstream society. And here are symbolizes not only our uniqueness as indi- community economic, and health issues imsome reasons why: With advances such as hate viduals and communities, but also affirms our pacting their entire communities. For example, where the crime laws, the repeal of “Don’t varied expressions of LGBTQ life in America. primary focus and themes in Ask, Don't Tell”, the legalization white Prides has been on marof same-sex marriage in many states, anti-homophobic bullying becoming a national concern, we have riage equality, as in the larger community, Pride events for LGBTQ come a long way since the first Pride marches four plus decades ago. people of African descent have had to focus not only on HIV/AIDS With the AIDS epidemic no longer ravaging our entire community but also on unemployment, gang violence, LGBTQ youth homelessas it once did – an epidemic that galvanized us to organize – and with ness, and immigration, to name a few. Boston’s LGBTQ people of color Pride theme for 2014 was the Religious Right becoming more of a political liability than an asset to political candidates these days, our backs appear not to be slammed health. Flyers and pamphlets about HIV/AIDS prevention were disas harshly up against a brick wall like they used to be. And, with the seminated at the LGBTQ people of color Pride Picnic - known among LGBTQ community being the fastest disenfranchised group to touch us folks as BASK, which is organized by the Hispanic Black Gay the fringes of America’s mainstream since the Stonewall Riots in 1969, Coalition’s (HBGC) HUES program. Going on its third year, BASK draws LGBTQ people of color from all over New England. And as an some contest the only thing holding ourselves back is us. But many who oppose the LGBTQ community driving forth all-day extravaganza showcasing musicians, poets, artists, poetry jams, an assimilationist agenda are waving a cautionary finger, saying to us dancers, and, of course, our beautiful selves, you are advised to “bring a “not too fast now”. And the cautionary finger waving is because not blanket, pop a squat, and stay awhile!” “It’s a way to celebrate our lived everyone in the LGBTQ community is accepted. And Pride events experiences and to take up space in our community, a space that feels can be public displays of our disparities. So, as we hit the streets all like us and is for us,” activist Nichole Herring told me last year. And month, going to various celebrations, let’s query who's missing from it’s that feeling of belonging and being in our own space that BASK successfully creates among its revelers that it will also be showcasing these Pride festivities and why? 72 | Boston Pride 2015

Members of Boston Pride’s Black and Latin@ Pride Team are hard at work in planning an exciting slate of events for Pride Week 2015. Credit: Boston Pride

healthcare workers to talk about HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex. And these healthcare workers will look like the attendants. But for Boston’s LGBTQ people of color Pride begins weeks before Boston Pride. Last year, its kick-off event was the HBGC health expo “Our Health Matters, Too!” The gymnasium of the Epiphany School in Dorchester that Saturday was filled with health booths, workshops, exhibits, and screenings. There were workshops on sex positivity, anal and prostate health, trans health, domestic violence, and LGBTQ depression, to name just a few. And there were screenings for the following: STDs, vision, hypertension, and HIV/AIDS. And, needless to say, the community came out. While it might seem odd that LGBTQ people of color would prefer going to a school gym or a Pride picnic for health check-ups and information than to a hospital, the reasons are unfortunately rooted in systemic healthcare disparities due not only to race discrimination, but also to gender identity and sexual orientation. Massachusetts is known across the country as queer friendly and for its outstanding hospitals. People travel from other states and countries to be cared for. But adequate, culturally competent, and compassion healthcare for its LGBTQ population is gravely lacking. The growing distance between our larger and white LGBTQ community and LGBTQ communities of color has a historical antecedent. Many LGBTQ people of African decent and Latinos argue that the gulf between whites and themselves is also about how the dominant queer community rewrote and continues to control the history of Stonewall. The Stonewall Riot of June 27-29, 1969 in Greenwich Village, New York City, started on the backs of working-class African-American and Latino queers who patronized that bar. Those brown and black LGBTQ people are not only absent from the photos of that night, but they are also bleached from its written history. Because of the bleaching of the Stonewall Riots, the beginnings of the LGBTQ movement post-Stonewall is an appropriation of a black, brown, trans, and queer liberation narrative. And it is the deliberate visible absence of these African American, Latino, and API LGBTQ people that makes it harder, if not near impossible for LGBTQ communities to build trusted coalitions with white LGBTQ communities. Boston Pride in recent years has turned over a new leaf, working indefatigably to build trust and partnership with LGBTQ communities of color. But the community building has not been easy. And to date only one person of color is on Boston Pride’s five-person board. “We have reached out to dozens of people of color to invite them to join our board. In every single instance, those invitations were declined…I add that we are currently looking at the candidacy of two people of color,” Sylvain Bruni told me. He notes, moreover, “We are a working rather than solely a governance board, which makes it difficult in general to recruit members.” Bruni, a native of France, was appointed President of the Board of Directors of Boston Pride in January 2014 and has been involved with Pride for over a decade. He proudly acclaims that Boston Pride Week has become the city’s most diverse public event because some real changes have been made to bring in communities of color. “I attended the working meeting of our Black and Latin@ Pride team. About a dozen folks showed up, and we reviewed a series of possible

events branded as ‘Black Pride’ and/or ‘Latin@ Pride’ during Pride Week and beyond. Several black organizations were represented and said that they want to continue working with Boston Pride year-round to expand this programming, which is very encouraging,” Bruni beams with pride. But Bruni realizes more successful outreach needs to The coronation of the 2013 Pageant Queen be done in order to keep the of Boston Latin@ Pride. Credit: Boston Pride doors open in LGBTQ communities of color that are receptive to working with Boston Pride. “I would welcome any advice or feedback on how to make Boston Pride even more diverse and welcoming to communities of color,” Bruni stated. Views on Pride are mixed – and not just along lines of race, class, and gender identity. For many, Pride represents a bone of contention. Once many thought the celebration was too political and had lost its vision of what it means for people just to have a good time. But others now think of it as a weekend bacchanalia of drugs, alcohol, and unprotected sex, desecrating the memorial of the Stonewall Riots and the chance to make a political statement. Pride need not be viewed as either a political statement or a senseless non-stop orgy. Such an either/or approach artificially divides the integral connection between political action and celebratory acts in our fight for civil rights. At its core, Pride events are an invitation for community. They should highlight the multicultural aspect of joy and celebration that symbolizes not only our uniqueness as individuals and communities, but also affirms our varied expressions of LGBTQ life in America. While Pride events are still fraught with divisions, they nonetheless bind us to a common struggle for LGBTQ equality. And our diversity not only affirms our uniqueness as LGBTQ people, but also broadens America’s understanding that a democratic society is a diverse one. But as long as LGBTQ communities and cultures of color across the country continue to be absent each June, Pride month is an event not to be proud of. Rev. Irene Monroe is a Huffington Post blogger and a syndicated religion columnist. She writes a weekly column in the Boston LGBTQ newspaper Bay Windows. Monroe does a weekly Monday segment “All Revved Up!” on WGBH (89.7 FM) Boston. Monroe was selected for the 2015 Top 25 LGBT Power Players of New England, 2013 Bayard Rustin Service Award, and GLAD 2012 Spirit of Justice Award. [Boston Pride reached out to HBGC for photos of its events to accompany Rev. Monroe’s discussion, but this request was declined. – Ed.] 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 73

FEATURE

In opening their doors to asylum seekers Whitney Reid (center) and Andre Folkes (right), Bill Kadish (left) and his wife Marie were proud to give their historical home, once a station on the Underground Railroad, renewed purpose. Credit: Jessie DeStefano

Boston Harbor LGBT asylum seekers speak with Pride about life back home and around the Hub. By

Jessie DeStefano

It is illegal to be LGBT in more than 70 countries. And in seven, homosexuality is punishable by death. Many LGBT people are forced to flee persecution in these countries and seek refuge in the United States. The United States may grant political asylum to foreign nationals, if they fear persecution in their home country because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Since 1994, the United States has recognized sexual minorities as a social group eligible for asylum. While the sta76 | Boston Pride 2015

tus of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals is less clear, there have been several non-precedential cases in which transgender identity was accepted as grounds for seeking asylum. It is uncertain how many LGBT people have sought asylum in the United States. As LGBT asylum cases are filed under the â&#x20AC;&#x153;particular social groupâ&#x20AC;? classification, their number is aggregated with those of other recognized groups. Furthermore, many undocumented LGBT people qualify for asylum, but are either unable to access the

legal process in order to apply, or do not feel safe self-identifying as LGBT upon arrival in the United States. Such individuals find it difficult to meet the one-year deadline for filing for asylum. The asylum process is long and grueling. Asylum seekers must wait 150 days before they can even request a work permit. About one month later, they receive authorization to work and can begin to apply for jobs. Until they secure employment, they are left without a means to support themselves and with little to distract them from worrying about their asylum case. Boston Pride was fortunate to sit down with three local asylum seekers, who generously agreed to share their personal stories. John Abdullah Wambere, also known as Longjones, is an activist from Uganda. A gay man, he is the co-founder of Spectrum, an organization that fights for LGBT rights in Uganda. Longjones is featured in the documentary Call Me Kuchu, which calls attention to the persecution faced by LGBT Ugandans. John, a fellow gay man from Uganda, declined to provide his last name or other identifying information because he has reason to fear for the safety of his loved ones back home, if his identity were made public. Whitney Reid is a gay transvestite from Jamaica. She was forced to flee the country after participating in We are Jamaicans, a video campaign designed to show that LGBT Jamaicans exist and deserve to be accepted. The interviews were conducted separately.

What was it like for you growing up in your home country? John: Growing up in Uganda is fun. It’s very, very fun. The community is family based. You grow up being respected and you respect your elders. You play the usual ways that kids play. We don’t have the ice, but we do have abundant sunshine. We’d play football, round ball, “bladda” [a rope skipping game], “kasonko” [a game similar to hopscotch], all the games we could think of that kids would want to play. It’s an awesome thing to have grown up in a land where it is basically summer all throughout the year. And every time it rained, it was time to go out and bathe, to just go dance in the rain. But also, given the situation that I am in, it was challenging. Sometimes it was hard for me, but as a kid you try to brush that off. You don’t get stressed that much. But as you grow, it gets to you. Sometimes you can snap. Sometimes you feel lonely. Sometimes you feel you’re not on the right track, but you also try to be as social as you can be. I was so involved in church and found comfort in my religion. Whitney: Oh my God. So, life in Jamaica: When I was a teenager, in my hometown where I grew up, it was pretty much ok. It’s simple to say ok, because, of course, at that time, I had no barrier; so I was ok. I had a peaceful life. I had a peaceful friendship with community members. When somebody expresses that there was no barrier, it means that life was good! Life was no worries! It was all about happiness, eating, playing with your friends, and socializing.

John sports his Boston Pride volunteer gear and assortment of LGBT-themed buttons. The topmost one says KUCHU, a neologism derived from Swahili and initially created as a codeword for queer people. John's face has been blurred to protect his identity. Credit: John

What do you think is one thing that Americans might be surprised to learn about your country? Longjones: I think what Americans would find surprising about Uganda is how the American religious fundamentalist evangelicals came and sowed hate, and the Ugandan community took it up, believed it, and adopted this very high level of rejection and hate towards their own people. John: Lack of freedom, even though freedom is not really free as should be. It is known, but the definition of freedom [in the United States] is far better. I agree with the saying that “America is a free country” and that means a lot, especially now that I am here. In Uganda, lack of freedom as an LGBT person would cost you your life, but here it is quite different. Lack of freedom, especially for LGBT folks.

How do you identify? Longjones: I identify myself as a gay man. I’m out. I’m proud. I’m just happy for who I am. John: I identify as gay, and I would love for everybody back at home to know that this is not just a mere choice. Whitney: I really have not identified myself in any way in particular, for an understandable reason. I’m not accustomed to transitioning to be accepted. In my home country, I would just be a normal child. So, for example, I would try to be a man in my own way, and when I’m in my circle, I’d be feminine. That’s something I had to work on, being around a society that wasn’t accepting. So being in America now, it’s hard for me to be classified, to say I’m going to be called female. I just go with the flow. I’m ok, for now. Because I don’t know where my future lies right now, in terms of my identity – if I’m going to stick to being a transvestite. I’m just sticking with transvestite for now, because I’m growing into my transitioning, and how I become who I want to become and be comfortable. It’s a process for me. I just go with the flow. I’m just happy. 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 77

FEATURE

When did you realize you identified that way? Whitney: This whole transitioning – learning different terms – is really a whole lot of information. I didn’t really have the time to do research, to learn about who I am. I knew that I was gay, but I didn’t know there was a process of transitioning to become who you are. For me, a transvestite is basically a person who’s confident in themself to dress the way they want to dress, the way they feel. I use transvestite because I’m not a transgender...I just want people to understand that I am not going through the process [of gender transition]. I am comfortable with the way I am right now. Longjones: I grew up looking and admiring a couple of guys who used to pass and play around the neighborhood. Right from childhood I felt attracted to men.

Could you tell us about the LGBT community in your country? Longjones: The LGBT community of late has come out to accept

[David] Kato, who was murdered, Frank Mugisha [the Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an LGBT advocacy organization in Uganda that is currently suing Massachusetts’ Scott Lively for his work in implementing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda], John Wambere [Longjones], Pepe Onzima, among others. Those are the folks who are always out there, on television and all over, fighting hard for our rights. Still, when you are back home in Uganda, it’s like they’re nowhere, because even the local media ignores their great work. But when you come to the international community over here, they are well known. Personally, you would never hear about me, and there are lots of people who are just like me, even here. Not being able to express yourself is painful and heartbreaking. There’s nothing so hard to deal with as not being able to express yourself, because it drains you softly and explodes you horribly. I wasn’t involved in activism, because it was risky, but since coming to the United States I have given speeches enlightening people about the situation in Uganda and my personal experience.

who they are. Growing up, we heard rumors, but there wasn’t anyone who came out openly to say they were gay or lesbian. As time went What about the social aspect of the LGBT community? by, the newspapers in the early years would publish pictures of same- Longjones: Events are held. Of course, they may not be to the sex weddings taking place in the city Kampala. We saw police ar- level of what people enjoy in the Western world, but we had some resting male sex workers and charging them with “idle and disorderly small, in-house drag queen shows. This is the third or fourth year conduct”. People didn’t totally understand or believe that homosex- running of the Uganda Beach Pride, which is equivalent to the gay uality was within the community or was a reality. It was assumed pride here, and we’ve seen it continue annually. that people were cursed or they were mentally sick. But, generally, no John: No, I haven’t been to LGBT community events [in Uganda]. I spent most of my time in school. I one ever attacked anybody for who just hung out with friends. I was they were or for their sexual orienta“There’ s nothing so hard to deal with as afraid of going to gatherings, because tion in the early time. at the end of the day, these are also The early years, the community was not being able to express yourself…” the places people are targeting. Peojust people on their own individually. ple come in to see who is there and Towards the end of the 1990s, the you never know what will happen to you next. LGBT community started organizing. There were other organizations At the same time, it was challenging because during my struggles, that began earlier from the University at Makerere, but these were stufriendly organizations were taking precautions to confirm whether peodent organizations. Right from about 1998 to 1999 and onwards, there ple seeking help or assistance really needed help or were a person or was more formal organizing that started with colleagues like Kasha police officer trying to investigate and do an undercover job. [Nabagesera, the founder of Freedom and Roam Uganda, which provides Whitney: It’s a big thing. Listen, when you go to a party, oh my direct services and engages in policy advocacy within Uganda], Victor God! You see guys rush out, in their glories, in their numbers. It’s Mukasa [Executive Director of Kuchu Diaspora Alliance, a U.S.-based also a big thing for masculine guys who tend to not be out in public organization that supports LGBTI Ugandans in Kenyan refugee camps], myself, the late David Kato [a Ugandan LGBT rights activist who was during the day, but in the club, oh my god! They are fierce and they murdered in 2011], and others. Some were focusing on litigation and are fabulous. advocating for decriminalization of the penal code in Uganda’s constitution, which criminalizes same-sex relationships: Penal Code 145, “Car- What’s the current legal situation in Uganda? There has nal Knowledge Against the Order of Nature”. Other organizations been a lot of news about how they recently overturned the decided to focus on and advocate for inclusion of LGBT people in the act banning homosexuality. policies and programs of the Minister of Health. Spectrum Uganda, the Longjones: In August of 2014, the Constitutional Court of organization I cofounded with my colleagues, focused on health, but also Uganda threw out the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which had been on the issue of property eradication. Then we began networking and signed into law by the President in February of the same year. They connecting with the international community, and we started getting in- didn’t challenge it constitutionally, based on the abuse of human vited for trainings and workshops, and we grew up to what we are today. rights; the major thing that came up was a technicality. So it was So it has been a journey, and while it started silently, it grew and today terminated based on technical grounds, how the process [of enactwe are at the forefront of pushing the government to respect us and grant ing the bill] was handled in Parliament. When it was thrown out, we saw the anti-gay groups reorganus rights as enshrined in the Ugandan constitution. izing themselves and beginning to come up with a new draft. A John: The main thing about the community is they’re so hidden. It’s couple of the MPs [Members of Parliament] led others, collected hard for them to come out. You can see a few here and there: The late 78 | Boston Pride 2015

´, DP KRQRUHG WR EH DEOH WR OHDG WKLV \HDUV· parade as Mayor of the City of Boston and look forward to many more in the years to come. Thank you for your commitment to making XV SDUW RI RQH %RVWRQ µ Mayor Marrtin J. Walsh Paid for and Authorized by the Committee to Elect Martin J. Wa alsh.

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over 260 signatures, and presented it to the speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, calling on her to bring back the bill so that it can be re-tabled and sent through the right procedures so it passes into law again. They want to ensure that this bill comes back to protect, what they call, the family and the children. It’s not over yet.

What’s the current legal situation for LGBT people in Jamaica? Whitney: It’s illegal [to be gay]. There’s not a punishment. It’s not

reason, you question not. You question not. I was sure when I was leaving, I was going into good hands. I came here and I realized it was cold, and I said, listen, I have to work with it. I’ve met great people. Great, great people. John: I don’t think I did decide. I needed to further my studies, and now I’m grateful for the LGBT Asylum Task Force, an organization that helps LGBT asylum seekers in Massachusetts, that took me in when my life was upside down.

like a country like Uganda, which will burn people, but things happen. They will beat you. They will destroy your house. Depending on where you are, they will kill you. There’s a risk, but it’s a punishment that’s not given by the State, by the government, but by [community members]. It’s given by people who say, “You’re in my territory, I’m going to do this. I’m going to destroy your family. I’m going to beat you to scar. I’m going to make a scene.” I’ve never heard about the country giving a punishment because you’re gay.

What led to you leaving your country? Whitney: There was an opportunity for me to do a campaign, We are Jamaicans. The campaign was put in the media to tell people that we are human, and that gay people should be respected the way heterosexual people are respected. I did that campaign. I did a video, and I went away to Trinidad that same year and came back and my video had become public to different people who were really ignorant. And it just became out of control. I didn’t want my family destroyed or my house to be destroyed. So I reached out to my resources and said, “Listen, I’m in trouble.” And they were happy to assist me! They took me out of my house and kept sending me to different houses for me to be safe. The minute, immediately after I got accepted for a visa, I left Jamaica and I didn’t return. Longjones: I didn’t leave Uganda because I wanted to. I had just come here to do a speaking engagement. Unfortunately, three or four days later, the President signed the [anti-gay] bill into law, and the newspapers outed us with our pictures and my family and friends were concerned for my safety. It took me a couple of months to come to terms with what they were telling me, because even while they were telling me it wasn’t safe, I was smiling over it and knowing that I was going to do what I do and be able to go back home. It became so hard, with the news that was coming in everyday, and the reality on the ground. Having been there and having faced the persecution myself – being arrested, having money extorted, being blackmailed – it is really hurtful and depressing. I had to think so much about it and I had to consider my own safety, as risking my life wouldn’t be worth going back. Yes, you can become a hero, but “hero” when you’re gone doesn’t make much sense. So then I had to make a decision to stay.

Why did you decide to come to Massachusetts specifically? Longjones: My speaking engagement was here, so that’s how I found myself in Boston. At the end of the day, it was the place where I was able to be hosted, so that’s how I ended up in Massachusetts. Whitney: Listen, that’s a trick question. I had no control. When you are running, when you are fleeing from your country for some

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With the much-awaited work permit in hand, Whitney plans to get a job and to start saving toward an apartment and vocational training. Credit: Jessie DeStefano

Have you received your asylum yet? John: No, I haven’t. It’s a tedious process. I don’t know what’s going on right now, but I did apply for my asylum, and I’m still waiting. I do have my work permit, finally! Now I can legally work, support myself, and look forward to a brighter future. But trust me, getting it was wearisome. To get the permit, I had to wait 150 days. I counted each one of them by finger. I was just crossing off days on the calendar. Every day that went, I was like “now I have 140, now I have 100,” until I had one. I counted each day. Longjones: In September, my asylum was recommended for approval, and in November, it was approved. So basically, I’m currently granted an indefinite asylum to stay in the US. Whitney: No, but I’m currently close to my work permit. I can launch my career and save up money to get an apartment and go back to school, so I can go further, further, further in my career development. I want to become a CNA [Certified Nursing Assistant]. You always will have a job with that. And then I want to do cosmetology, because I want to be certified so I can travel the world to do my hair. I love my dreads. Listen, girls, if you have dreadlocked hair, hit me up. Listen, I do crazy dreads.

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Longjones (left) participates in the Boston Pride Parade with GLAD, which provided representation in his asylum case. Credit: Courtesy of GLAD

Have you gotten involved with LGBT organizations here in Massachusetts? Longjones: Yes, it has been tricky how things work here and how things work where I come from. The fact that there is a lot of progress going on, I think a few things are taken for granted. There isn’t radical activism here, unlike back home, and right now the level that things have gotten to in this country is more about litigation. It’s more about equality and equal justice, which is totally different. Here people are recognized and protected by the law, unlike where I’m coming from. The government has tried its best to ensure that there’s no discrimination based on sexual orientation. You can get services; companies are now employing people without factoring in sexual orientation, which is way, way ahead. There’s been a lot of progress. If there is anything that is left out, I would say they are small, small things to pummel, beat, and polish. But I think the greatest part has been achieved.

Have you participated in any of the Boston Pride events? John: Oh my God! Oh my God! Yes. Trust me, that was really awesome. It was the biggest I have ever been to and I couldn’t believe my eyes. On one hand, I was so, so, happy and excited, but on the other hand, I was very sad, because it was just me out there, and I was looking at all these people, so free, so fun, all different colors, expressing themselves. I wish this was everywhere, but it isn’t. But I wish this was everywhere. It was awesome. I just had tears in my eyes. That’s all I can say, tears of joy, tears of sadness. I was just so happy, so excited, but at the same time, sad. I volunteered. Unluckily for me, all the good spots where I probably would have wanted to volunteer were taken. So I ended up doing clean up and stuff. But I didn’t mind it, you know? I did it, and I was doing it with passion, with excitement. One of the ladies, I think one of the or-

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ganizers, she was so appreciative, and said I was doing it with a lot of energy. And I responded, “I’m loving it!” Just do it with your heart. Longjones: Yes. Last year was my first Pride event in my whole entire life. I was so impressed and excited. I participated with GLAD [Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders], who represented me in my asylum case, and it was a great and amazing experience. I wished I could ferry everyone in Uganda to just come and witness. Perhaps they could learn a few things – to accept and let people be who they are. I felt so much pain about how my colleagues at home cannot express themselves to be who they are and have the freedom to do what they do and work freely, dress how they want, celebrate their pride. It was challenging. I felt like flying and screaming. I was very anxious and very excited. Seeing how not just the people who are [LGBT], but partners, allies, big institutions and companies were part of the event, to me, it was like diversity has come to the climax.

What are some things that people here in Boston can do to help LGBT asylum seekers? Longjones: I think that people in Boston need to be very considerate and need to fully support organizations that are helping asylum seekers. When I say fully support, the greatest challenges are two things: shelter and finding pro bono attorneys. At the end of the day, it is people giving out of their pocket. I think a lot of support is needed for the organizations like Refugee Immigration Ministries [an organization in Greater Boston that provides housing and community services to asylum seekers]. [While seeking asylum] you’re not allowed to work. You cannot earn, but you need to live and survive and wait for this process that takes ages. I think stepping up and identifying organizations that are really doing a great job, to channel support to them is a great thing.

Whitney: One of the big things we find is that hosting is a problem. It’s not easy to open your home to a stranger. But if you are sensitive enough and know how LGBT people are treated back home – if you can feel our pain – you have to take that chance. Once you can open your door to accommodate one person and learn something about these people, you’ll be thrilled. You’ll make a difference. Perfect example: Marie and Bill [Whitney’s host parents], who are not gay, but they have a gay person in their family. If it weren’t for their child, I would not be here in this house. Because of their one daughter who said, “Reach out,” they opened their door to accommodate me. You’re not allowed to work through the process of asylum until you get a work permit, so it’s about accommodating and hosting that person through that period, to allow them to have some place to rest at night, have someone to talk to as family, and build that relationship. What are some things that people in Boston can do to help LGBT people who are still on the ground in your country? John: Advocacy is the key. Getting the word out there, donating

As far as activism is concerned, do you find that it helps when people from the United States put pressure on politicians in Uganda to try to make things better for LGBT people there? Longjones: We know that the pressure was good in the beginning because it helped draw attention. Trying to prove to the Ugandan government that some of these things could be challenged was a good idea. Now, it’s good to continue the back door diplomatic mediation without throwing things in the media, because sometimes the information gets distorted and angers others. It’s important to avoid a backlash for those who remain on the ground; otherwise we may lose the movement in Uganda.

It becomes clear from speaking to asylum seekers, that no two stories are identical. Even those who hail from the same country can recount wildly different experiences. While some asylum seekers make it their life’s goal to change the situation for LGBT people in their home countries, others just want to be free to live their own lives in peace. It is important to keep this diversity of experience in mind when engaging in advocacy for those still residing in their home countries and supporting those seeking asylum in the United States. Asylum seekers in this country do share some experiences in common: they are not permitted to work while they go through the legal

where it is possible, and also helping with diplomacy. There are a couple of organizations still back in Uganda that help LGBT folks. There is SMUG [Sexual Minorities of Uganda] that helps LGBT folks in Uganda. We also have our own John Wambere [Longjones] who is within the Boston area. He is always looking for ways to help people back in Uganda. You can approach him and you would be able to help and save a life back home in Uganda. Longjones: For people back in Uganda, Spectrum has been on the lead, and we still continue to fight and strug“On one hand, I was so, so, happy and excited, but gle. Even when the law was passed, our offices were still working from underground. We’ve been able to establish on the other hand, I was very sad, because it was just a toll-free line to help people. And it also creates an element of safety and keeps you anonymous, but you are able me out there, and I was looking at all these people, to access services and get referrals for services. If people want to support, they can do that, and I’ll be so free, so fun, all different colors, expressing themvery grateful. It’s my honor to still be in this country and selves. I wish this was everywhere, but it isn’t.” be able to do my work from here and see progress on the ground. Whitney: The Caribbean Alliance has been raising funds to help people back home, like homeless MSM [men who have sex process, and thus must rely on the kindness of strangers to survive. Despite the persecution that the three interviewees faced, they with men]. They work with people who will cook for them and feed still remain optimistic. John speaks of Uganda wistfully and has exthem on a daily basis. tremely fond memories of his childhood there. Whitney describes JaAmericans sometimes talk about boycotting Jamaica by not maica as the paradise that tourists experience, but with a dark side for going on vacations there, not going to resorts and every- LGBT people. Longjones continues to work tirelessly to engage the international community in the fight to secure rights for LGBT thing. What do you think of that idea? Whitney: It can be good; it can be bad. That’s where the economic Ugandans. None of the three immigrated to the United States by control is, the tourist industry; that’s where the big money comes in. choice; they were forced to flee their homes because their lives were With that type of control, if people who would come to Jamaica don’t in danger. The situation for LGBT people in the United States is not pergo, that would probably teach them to look at a strategic plan and decide how to fix the problem so they can get money again, so they fect. Marriage equality is still not the law throughout the country. can get those resources to come back. That’s a big issue and it can be According to the Human Rights Campaign, a person can legally be difficult, because people who travel don’t understand. People hear fired for being LGB in 29 states, while 32 states still allow employers that Jamaicans are nice people; they don’t hear that if they support to fire someone for being transgender. Forty-three states lack LGBT they should not come to Jamaica, because it is horrible the statewide public-accommodations protections, meaning that LGBT people may be subject to discrimination in businesses such as stores way [LGBT people] are being treated.

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“It’s important to avoid a backlash for those crease the danger for, or undo the and restaurants. Because there are so many gaps in the legal protecwork of, those still on the ground. who remain on the ground; otherwise we tions, it can be easy to lose sight of While 2015 marks the 45th occasion of Boston Pride, Longjones’ just how far this county has come. may lose the movement in Uganda.” and John’s own stories remind us While we should not stop fighting that this year’s Pride will also be until LGBT people have full equality, we should not take for granted the protections we enjoy, par- someone’s first. Longjones described his first experience of Boston ticularly here in Boston. Even as we make enormous strides in the Pride as an event where “diversity has come to the climax”. The joy United States, we must remember, to invoke the words of Martin that he and John experienced at Pride was bittersweet, giving them a Luther King, Jr., “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” taste of a collective love and acceptance that is unavailable to their In fact, we only have to look to our own backyard to find one of the friends and loved ones back home. Unfortunately, we cannot “ferry greatest threats to justice, Scott Lively, the former candidate for gov- everyone in Uganda to just come and witness”, as Longjones would ernor of Massachusetts, who was one of the architects behind wish. But we can use the visibility of our Pride to raise awareness about the struggles of LGBT people living in hostile environments and to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. All three interviewees urged people to support organizations that encourage the creation of new Prides where they are gravely needed. help LGBT asylum seekers. Longjones mentioned one such group The importance of the international Pride movement cannot be overin the Boston area: Refugee Immigration Ministries. To find other stated. organizations engaged in this work, visit http://www.lgbtJessie DeStefano is Human Rights and Education Chair fan.org/community-support. To help people who are still working on for Boston Pride. She currently serves as Treasurer of the ground in Uganda and Jamaica, you can reach out to Spectrum Center Global, an organization in Washington, D.C. Uganda and Caribbean Alliance for Equality, respectively. All the orthat provides support for LGBT asylum seekers, and is ganizations mentioned that are working to change the laws in a member of the LGBT-Freedom and Asylum Network. Uganda and Jamaica are run by individuals from these countries. As She is a Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of RockLongjones emphasized, it is important that activists in the United land County, NY. States proceed cautiously to make sure they do not inadvertently in-

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Pride Week 2014 saw another milestone in the celebrated and progressive history of Boston Public Library, when its iconic facade was adorned for the first time with rainbow flags. Credit: Courtesy of Boston Public Library

Summer Booking Reserve time for reading an LGBT-themed book this Pride season! To help you get started, the Reference and Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advisory librarians at the Boston Public Library have specially created a list of recommendations to check out.

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B Y B O S TO N-A R E A A U T H O R S The Tolerance Trap: How God, Genes, and Good Intentions Are Sabotaging Gay Equality Suzanna Danuta Walters NYU Press, 2014 HQ76.5 .W35 2014

The director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at Northeastern University examines whether the LGBTQ movement has “settled for a watered-down goal of tolerance and acceptance rather than a robust claim to comprehensive civil rights.” While acknowledging the legal, political, and social gains that have been made, Walters suggests that the persistence of homophobia and discriminatory laws can be traced to the limitations of a “plea for tolerance” that lacks the strength of a demand for true equality. Focusing particularly on biological and religious arguments for the innateness of sexual orientation, Walters argues that the terms and forms in which LGBTQ rights are pursued must be changed if genuine social and legal equality are to be achieved. Finding My Place: One Man’s Journey from Cleveland to Boston and Beyond Judah B. Leblang Lake Effect Press, 2012 PS3612.E2194 F494 2012x

This collection of vignettes recounts the author’s experiences growing up in Cleveland and in his current home in the Boston area. In addition to his experiences living as a gay man, Leblang’s memoir recounts his relationships with his family members, unconventional professional experiences, attitudes towards religion, and his work with the deaf community, which provides him with unique insights into the parallels between the two historically marginalized communities. Combining standard narrative with personal reflections and even some sections written in verse, Leblang’s memoirs are a stylistically unique, locally interesting account of one man’s life and the way his identity has developed over time.

H I S TO RY O F T H E P R I D E M OV E M E N T Victory: The Triumphant Gay Revolution Linda R. Hirshman Harper, 2012 HQ76.8 .U5H57 2012x

Supreme Court lawyer Hirshman ties together social, political, and legal history to provide a comprehensive account of the struggle for gay rights in the United States from the early 20th century to the present. Her extensive archival research is enriched by plentiful interview material to provide readers with firsthand accounts of the most momentous events, experiences, and cases of the period. Hirshman’s account places the Pride movement and the effort to secure gay rights alongside the civil rights and women’s rights struggles as one of the most important social justice movements in U.S. history. LG B T C O M M U N I T I E S O F C O LO R Black Girl Dangerous: On Race, Queerness, Class, and Gender Mia McKenzie BGD Press, 2014 E184.A1 M1486 2014x

The author collects a selection of pieces from her blog of the same name. Focusing on the intersections of race, class, gender, queerness, and systems of oppression, McKenzie addresses current events, pop culture, politics, and personal experiences through her own unique perspective. With topics ranging from Trayvon Martin, the Steubenville rape case, and the Boston bombings to Paula Deen and Stephen Colbert, these pieces represent McKenzie’s effort to “talk about hard, complicated things - the hardest, most complicated things - in a way that’s accessible to non-academics.” For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Still Not Enough Keith Boykin (Ed.) Magnus Books, 2012 HQ76.2.U5 F56 2012x

Troubled by high rates of suicide among young gay men of color, commentator and author Keith Boykin created this collection of 44 accounts by individuals who have experienced firsthand the issues facing this community. The collection’s authors recount their experiences in a variety of forms, including essays, poems, and dialogues, and address such themes as coming out, finding love, coming to terms with religion, and developing their own identities. In addition, the authors address issues such as sexual abuse, homophobia, racism, and suicide, detailing how these challenges uniquely affect members of African American, Latino, and Asian American communities and how they have overcome them to empower themselves. 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 87

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PA R E N T I N G LG B T C H I L D R E N A N D T E E N S This Is A Book For Parents of Gay Kids Dannielle Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo Chronicle Books, 2014 HQ76.25 .O987 2014

In this straightforwardly titled book, written in question and answer format, authors Owens-Reid and Russo address a wide range of issues faced by parents of LGBTQ youth. Early portions of the book deal specifically with coming out, including talking with one’s child about the choice to come out, how and when to tell other people and family members, and how to reconcile a child’s choice to come out publicly with concerns for the child’s safety. There are individual sections on talking with LGBTQ youth about their sexuality and dealing with religious beliefs, as well as a section on gender identity, pronoun use, and transitioning, sometimes overlooked in works focusing solely on sexual orientation. This is a practical, accessible book for parents interested in learning how best to support their LGBTQ children. Coming Around: Parenting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Kids Anne Dohrenwend New Horizon Press, 2012 HQ759.9145 .D64 2012x

The author, a board certified clinical psychologist, aims to inform parents regarding the social, psychological, emotional, and legal aspects of parenting LGBTQ children of all ages. It includes content devoted to reacting to a child’s coming out, understanding and dealing with homophobia and prejudice, and helping LGBTQ children develop into emotionally and psychologically healthy adults. Additional topics covered include sexuality, health care, becoming an in-law or grandparent, and an overview of relevant legal issues. Drawing on examples and anecdotes from the author’s own counseling experience, this is a concise guide emphasizing the importance of being positive and supportive in parenting LGBTQ in their youth and into adulthood.

BEACH AND POOLSIDE READING Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 Francine Prose HarperCollins, 2014 PS3566.R68 L68 2014x

This unusual new novel by the prolific Francine Prose should appeal to fans of historical fiction. It was inspired by the author’s encounter with a photograph of two lesbian women at a Paris nightclub, one of whom, Violette Morris, later became a Nazi collaborator and was assassinated by the French resistance. Prose’s fictionalized rendition of Morris’s experiences in Europe is told through a variety of points of view and a range of stylistic forms, including letters, memoir, and biography, that bring to life the worlds of Paris and Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s. In the process, Prose examines larger questions about the reliability of narrative and the mutable nature of history. The Old Deep and Dark Ellen Hart Minotaur Books, 2014 PS3558.A6775 O43 2014x

The most recent novel from Ellen Hart, five-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery, finds private investigator Jane Lawless examining the case of a body found inside the walls of a historic Minneapolis theater. In the course of her investigation, Lawless determines that the mysterious corpse may in fact be connected to the other case she’s working on, which involves a famous country singer’s familial scandal. Mystery fans should appreciate this latest entry in Hart’s critically acclaimed series.

Councilor Sal LaMattina/DISTRICT #1

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G E N E R A L LG B T N O N-F I C T I O N Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS, and Survival Sean O’Brien Strub Scribner, 2014 BIOG RC606.55.S77 A3 2014x

In this memoir, the founder of POZ magazine and the first openly HIV-positive congressional candidate describes his experiences in Washington and New York during the 1980s and 1990s. Strub recounts the emotional and psychological toll of the spread of AIDS in the early 1980s and documents his turn to radical activism in the face of discrimination and indifference. His experiences with organizations such as the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) illustrate how politics, society, and culture intersected as Strub’s activist work brought him in contact with public figures from the political and artistic worlds, including Bill Clinton, Gore Vidal, and Keith Haring. This is a compelling firsthand account of one of the most important periods of 20th century U.S. history. Forcing the Spring: Inside the Fight for Marriage Equality Jo Becker Penguin, 2014 KF228.H645 B43 2014

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Becker spent five years examining the opposition to California’s Proposition 8 and interviewing the parties involved. She then produced this account of how the challenge of a state ballot initiative was transformed into an issue of national relevance as it brought the issue of marriage equality before the United States Supreme Court. The author describes the development of the alliance against Proposition 8 and the formation of the legal team that challenged it, as well as the role of the Justice Department and the Obama administration and the case’s political ramifications. Moving beyond the courtroom, Becker’s narrative illustrates the broader social and cultural impact of the case and the ways that it contributed to national discussion and a rapid transformation of public opinion regarding marriage equality.

LO V E S TO R I E S All I Love and Know Judith Frank William Morrow, 2014 PS3606.R3826

The life of a happily married couple in Massachusetts is upended when the brother of one of the men is killed in a bombing in Israel. The men must grapple with the Israeli court system and its embedded homophobia in order to secure custody of the brother’s children, face the repercussions of one of the men’s sympathy for the Palestinians, and struggle with the difficulties of parenting the children once they return to the United States. Exploring themes both private and public, familial and political, this novel is a complex exploration of how families deal with grief and attempt to face the most difficult of circumstances. Last Words From Montmartre Qiu Miaojin New York Review of Books, 2014 QIU M

This epistolary novel, originally published in Taiwan after the author’s suicide in 1996, describes a Taiwanese woman’s experiences in Paris and the psychological challenge of the distances, both mental and physical, that separate her from her family and from the woman she loves. In the process, readers are treated to experimental musings on the city of Paris, filmmakers, and on the nature of gender and the difficulties of living in a foreign culture. Despite its difficult subject matter, the work and its author received great critical acclaim in Taiwan and China and can now be appreciated by English readers as well. [In March 2015, the novel was named a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Lesbian General Fiction. -Ed.]

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CHILDREN’S BOOKS Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress Christine Baldachinno Illustrations by Isabelle Malenfant Groundwork Books, 2014 J PICTURE BALDACCH C

Morris loves a lot of things at school: apple juice, puzzles, and singing time. But most of all he loves the dress-up corner and the tangerine dress that reminds him of his mother's red hair. This story of a gendernonconforming child does not moralize. It shows a gentle conflict between Morris and his classmates, and allows the children in Morris' class to learn without adult intervention. Morris' creativity and adventurous spirit, along with the support of his mother, offer a reassuring story of resilience, and the bright orange watercolor splash of Morris' favorite dress against a white background adds a strong visual element to this sweet, sensitive picture book. The Sissy Duckling Harvey Fierstein Illustrations by Henry Cole Simon & Schuster, 2002 PZ7.F479195 Si 2002

Elmer is a special duckling in a pretty average flock. He loves his parents, but also loves to bake, paint, and perform. He expresses himself through lots of creative outlets, mostly by himself. His pursuits make him happy, but the other ducks just want him to fit in. Elmer is proud of himself and his many talents, but has a hard time when everyone is trying to pressure him to be someone he is not. Even his own Dad thinks he needs to be more like every other duck in the flock. Heartbroken, he decides to strike out on his own. Nothing will bring him back, until the story takes a calamitous turn. Elmer’s mother knows that he will amaze everyone, and through courage and determination he shows everyone else how great he is too. Elmer shows the audience that everyone has their own path to pursue and it’s important to listen to your inner voice and be the duckling you were meant to be.

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A Tale of Two Mommies Vanita Oelschlager Illustrations by Mike Blanc Vanita Books, 2011 PZ7.O28 Ta 2011

Everyone has a family, but not everyone’s family is the same. In this light and airy tale at the beach, a little boy answers his friends’ questions about his two moms. His friends pose questions that try to categorize each parent in a specific gender role. The boy tells them how each of his moms helps him every day. Sometimes, one mom knows the right answer, and sometimes he needs them both. Mommy and Momma both serve as loving role models for him, no matter what the situation. He also asserts that there are things that he can do all by himself. This book tenderly illustrates that having a Mommy and a Momma is special because he is loved by both parents, and they protect and support him in just the way he needs and deserves.

Official Boston Pride Merchandise Visit our booths at Pride Day@ Faneuil Hall, the Pride Festival and the Pride Youth Dance or shop online at www.bostonpride.org/shop

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LGBTQ C atholics and Allies Liturgy every Sunday at 5:30 pm St. John's, 35 Bowdoin St., Beacon Hill, Boston

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Serving Boston and Metro Area

After May 31, please join us in our new space: St. Stephen's, 419 Shawmut Ave., South End, Boston www.dignityboston.org

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H E A LT H

Ill Treatments A survivor of conversion therapy speaks out. By

Samuel Brinton

The tears were welling up in my eyes. recently, few even realized it was still ocI kept brushing them away so that I could curring. The National Center for Lesbian see the page while I read my testimony. Rights has dedicated itself to the ambiThis was the very first time the United tious goal of “ending these dangerous and Nations had heard the words of a survivor stigmatizing practices across the country of conversion therapy. I knew that the once and for all” in the next five years room was listening. Looking up at delethrough its #BornPerfect campaign. I am gates from across the globe, I saw tear honored to serve as Co-chair of the after tear run down their faces, too. We, #BornPerfect Advisory Committee, the #BornPerfect community of survivors where I help guide one of the only LGBT of conversion therapy, had done it. We national organizations dedicated to an had brought the voice of the pained and issue on which I’ve crusaded for years. Before an audience including advocates from the National persecuted to an international stage and Just prior to entering middle school, I we weren’t going home until we had won. Center of Lesbian Rights and the Human Rights Campaign, told my parents that I was attracted to my And boy did we win! The next day, not Mayor Vincent Gray signs a bill making Washington, D.C. the best friend, who happened to be male. I one, not two, but three delegates would third jurisdiction in the United States to outlaw the practice was too young to understand why this was take my story and that of survivors like by mental health practitioners of conversion therapy on LGBT wrong or that anyone would have a probme to the United States delegation to ask minors. Credit: Lateef Mangum, Executive Office of the Mayor. lem with it. After beatings from my father how such horrible practices could still failed to work, and at the beckoning of our take place in this country. Their answer was silence. But the ques- church, I was placed in conversion therapy. The therapy began with tion had been posed. what can only be described as mental torture at the hands of what Experts estimate that nearly one in three lesbian, gay, bisexual, may or may not have been a licensed therapist. I was told that I was transgender, and queer youth have undergone some form of conver- alone. I was told that I was sick. I was told that God hated me. The sion therapy. Sometimes it takes the form of a pastor’s “deliverance”. mental pain this caused is something I cannot fathom going through Sometimes it’s a father forcing his son to “man up”. Sometimes a kid again, and yet thousands of youth across the country are placed in this is sent to a residential facility in the hope that God will save them. situation every year. And someWhen mental abuse was not sufficient to change my sexual oritimes conentation, we proceeded to what can only be called physical abuse. My I was told that I was alone. I was v e r s i o n hands were tied down and ice was placed on my hands as I was shown told that I was sick. I was told that therapy en- pictures of men in physical contact so that I would come to associate tails a child the touch of a man with pain. Like Pavlov’s experiments on dogs, this God hated me. sitting in a was torture in its worst form. Later sessions would include electric therapist ’s shocks to my hands as I was shown sexually explicit pictures of men, office, with promises of change whispered in a parent’s ear and the the first pornography I would ever see; again to associate such bepain of not being able to change rending a child’s heart. havior with pain. Conversion therapy (also known as reparative therapy or sexual I would attempt suicide several times. In one of the later attempts orientation change efforts) is a dangerous and discredited practice, I planned to jump from the roof of my house. My sister realized what condemned by every major medical and mental health organization was happening and told my mother. She came to the roof and told in the country, including the American Medical Association, the me if I could just change, she could love me again. In that moment, American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric As- I decided to lie and to tell her I was changed. For a while the torture sociation, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, until stopped and my life returned to some degree of “normality”. 92 | Boston Pride 2015

This torture continues to have repercusI learned to lie and, through that, sursions with youth, but we do not have to sacvived. But many aren’t so lucky. Children I am living proof that what rifice any more children to the conversion are being subjected to these ineffective and conversion therapy can destroy therapy industry. We have the chance to harmful practices every day. Every one of save LGBT youth from ever having to exour country’s leading medical and mental self-acceptance can save. perience what I did. Today, I know who I health organizations agrees that these am. I’m strong in my faith, and I’m strong practices create – rather than cure – physical and mental health issues, especially for vulnerable youth. Research in my identity. And I know that I cannot change what I never chose. shows that LGB young adults who reported higher levels of family re- It means the world to have been selected as one of this year’s Parade jection during adolescence were more than eight times as likely to re- Grand Marshals in a city that took me in when I didn’t have anyport having attempted suicide, more than five times as likely to report where else to call home. Together, let us send the message to every high levels of depression, more than three times as likely to use illegal child, in every city, in every state, that they were #BornPerfect. drugs, and more than three times as likely to report having engaged in Sam Brinton recently graduated from MIT with graduate unprotected sex. While California, New Jersey, and the District of Codegrees in nuclear engineering and technology policy. He lumbia have restricted state-licensed mental health professionals from now advises Congress on advanced nuclear reactor policy practicing conversion therapy on children, kids like me remain undeand nuclear waste management at the centrist think tank fended throughout most of the country, including Massachusetts. Third Way and the Bipartisan Policy Center. When he isn't That's not to say there haven't been victories. This past April, Presworking on nuclear waste containment systems or exploring ident Obama stated his support for state bans on conversion therapy nuclear weapon nonproliferation tactics he passionately enand the Surgeon General warned that the practice of conversion therapy can be harmful to children. The battles are hard fought but slowly deavors to end conversion therapy practices across the country. Just as nuclear energy is sometimes misunderstood, so is the sexual minority community being won. It wasn’t until college that I was able to come out and begin my and as a proud kinky and gender-bending person, Brinton seeks to bridge life being who I am. Once I finally found a supportive community these gaps in understanding that our culture is facing. and started living truthfully, everything got better. I threw myself into school, extracurricular activities, and advocacy. I am living proof that what conversion therapy can destroy self-acceptance can save.

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LGBTQ Freedom Trail For Pride Week 2015 The History Project invites you to revisit important sites and moments in the rich LGBTQ history of Boston. By

Joan Ilacqua and Andrew Elder, on behalf of The History Project

The first official Gay Pride March in Boston was held on Saturday, June 26, 1971. The march, a distinctly political event, followed a week of workshops on issues related to the emerging lesbian and gay community, including coming out and gay spirituality. The march stopped and rallied at four major points: the Bay Village bar Jacques, Boston Police Headquarters on Berkeley Street, the Massachusetts State House, and St. Paul’s Cathedral on Tremont Street. At each stop, a speech was made and a list of demands was presented. The march concluded with a closet smashing and book dumping on the Boston Common. On the 45th anniversary of the first Pride, we are highlighting a few of Boston’s myriad LGBTQ historical sites. Each of these sites represents an aspect of Boston’s LGBTQ history, and you’ll learn something more about the places you walk past every day, about where you live, work, worship, and play.

Jacques Cabaret 79 Broadway Jacques opened in 1938, and became a gay bar in the mid 1940s. After serving as the city’s only lesbian bar from the late 1960s through the early 1970s, Jacques evolved into a venue for drag performers. Boston’s first Gay Pride March began at Jacques, which is now the city’s oldest surviving LGBTQ establishment, to confront a number of community concerns. Of primary importance was the club’s increasing problem with misogyny and the treatment of lesbian patrons.

Charles Street Meeting House - 70 Charles Street The Charles Street Meeting House was once home to several early lesbian and gay activist groups and publications. The Gay Community News (GCN), which ran from 1973 to 1992 as a weekly and until 1999 as a quarterly, published its first issue here. GCN was an influential publication in Boston, across the country, and around the world. The fourth issue of GCN described the Charles Street Meeting House as “best known to the gay community as a gay community 94 | Boston Pride 2015

center.” The Meeting House hosted a multitude of events including Gay Liberation Front weekly dances for gay youth and the gay crisis hotline. The hotline was staffed by volunteers who talked with people who phoned in with no one else to turn to, and was one of the very few gay help resources in the early 1970s.

Public Garden The Public Garden was commissioned in 1837, almost 200 years after the Boston Common was designated a public park in 1634. The three-acre lake in the Public Garden contains a small island that was once a peninsula, but the peninsula proved to be so popular with lovers that it was cut off from the land to prevent “misuse” of the spot. The Public Garden was long Drag queen Sylvia Sidney. a popular gay cruising site in Boston, especially before World War II Credit: Courtesy of The through the 1980s. The Four Seasons History Project (unknown hotel now stands where hustlers once photographer) patrolled opposite the Public Garden, and in the 1980s, the city changed traffic patterns to discourage drivers from circling and cruising “The Block”. The Public Garden is also home to a swan couple, Romeo and Juliet, two female swans who have been nesting here since 2005. The Public Garden is a site for other moments in Boston’s LGBTQ history, too. The Public Garden is where Boston’s most famous (or infamous) drag queen, Sylvia Sidney, received his stage name. Sylvia, who preferred male pronouns, described the moment in an interview with The History Project: “I went down to what they call Queen’s Row in the Public Garden. It was a dirt road. They had benches. Some older queens were there. They said, ‘Oh, hi, honey! How are you? Aren’t you cute!’ I wasn’t really cute at all. They said, ‘What’s your name?’ I said, ‘Sidney.’ They said ‘We’ll call you Sylvia.’ They called everybody a name. There was a Bette Davis; there was a Helen Morgan. There was a queen who looked like Katharine Hepburn. She had a twin brother – the Hepburn sisters.”

Women assemble in front of the State House during the first Gay Pride March. Credit: Courtesy of The History Project (unknown photographer)

Cathedral Church of St. Paul - 138 Tremont Street St. Paul’s Cathedral was constructed in 1818 and was the fourth Episcopal Church built in Boston. It was the first building in the Greek Revival style constructed in Boston, and was expected to be finished with a frieze of St. Paul over the pediment. The Nautilus Sculpture, which now adorns the pediment, was completed in May 2013 as a symbol of spirituality beyond religion. St. Paul’s has a long history of supporting the LGBTQ community in Boston. Some of the earliest public healing services for people with AIDS were held here. The Episcopal faith was one of the first Christian groups to recognize same-sex marriages and to create a same-sex marriage ceremony. The church also allows for the leadership of lesbian and gay bishops. St. Paul’s is also supportive of the trans community in Boston, hosting the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance and providing a space for events for the trans community. Members of the St. Paul’s community have been marching against homophobia and for LGBTQ rights in Boston Pride for years, and generally hold a postmarch celebration for all who wish to attend.

At the first Gay Pride March in 1971, however, it was outside St. Paul’s that a list of demands were presented, denouncing centuries of religious persecution of homosexuals.

Club Cafe’s Napoleon Room - 209 Columbus Avenue The Napoleon Club opened as a speakeasy in 1929 and later operated as a private club with a sizeable gay clientele. It wasn’t until 1952, though, when under new ownership Napoleon’s became a gay bar and eventually a piano bar. Regular crooners were joined by such luminaries as Liberace and the Queen of Queens herself, Judy Garland, who visited the club every night for a week shortly before her death in 1969. The Napoleon’s piano bar was decorated with bold black and red décor, and a collection of Napoleonic artifacts and motifs. The Napoleon Club closed in 1998 and much of the contents of the establishment put up for auction. Its legacy lives on, though, in the Napoleon Room, a piano bar and lounge in Club Café, an LGBTQ restaurant and club on Columbus Avenue. On display in the bar and lounge, on loan from the collections of The History Project, are three large stained glass panels that originally hung over the bar at the Napoleon Club.

DEATH WITH DIGNITY - A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE

LGBT rights and fundamental fairness continue to be embraced throughout our communities. Supporters advocate for equitable and inclusive healthcare because they are HUMAN RIGHTS...Death with Dignity is also a HUMAN RIGHT, and a grassroots movement across the Commonwealth and the nation. In Massachusetts, we are working to expand options at the end of life. Join the Death with Dignity movement. Contact Marie Manis at mmanis@compassionandchoices.org or call 617-379-0033 to get involved today. www.compassionandchoices.org

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29 Stanhope Street 29 Stanhope Street, on the edge of Back Bay and the South End, has been home to a number of LGBTQ organizations over the years, including (to this day) the Boston Living Center. Founded in 1989, the Living Center provides a wide range of services for people living with HIV. Stanhope Street has also served as the home of The History Project for nearly 15 years. Founded in 1980 by a group of activists, archivists, and historians, the mission of The History Project is to document and preserve the history of Boston's LGBTQ communities and to share that information with LGBTQ individuals, organizations, allies, and the public. A number of LGBTQ organizations have occupied space at 29 Stanhope Street over the years, including the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN), SpeakOUT Boston, Dignity, the Prime Timers, the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, and (still today) the Bisexual Resource Center, the Living Center, and The History Project. The History Project is Boston’s LGBTQ community archives. During the month of June, the History Project will run a special Pride tour. For more details, visit historyproject.org. Joan Ilacqua began volunteering for The History Project in 2013, and joined the organization’s Board of Directors in 2015. A graduate from UMass Boston’s Public History program, Ilacqua is an oral historian at the Center for the History of Medicine. Andrew Elder has been an archivist with The History Project since 2006 and has served on the organization's Board of Directors since 2013. By day, Elder is an archivist at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

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H E A LT H

PrEP Schooling The science behind HIV prevention drugs By

Credit: Sylvain Bruni; source images by Joe Photo Studio and Dave Becker.

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James Birtley

The HIV pandemic is still very much amongst us, and this so- helping not only to multiply the HIV genetic material but ensuring phisticated virus is not going away any time soon. The most recent that a copy of it is permanently inserted into the hostâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DNA. This figures from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infected cell will go on to produce new virus particles and initiate estimate that there are currently 1.2 million Americans and 35 mil- further rounds of infection in other cells. As the HIV infection perlion people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, there will sists an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immune system cells die and as a result render be around 50,000 newly infected individuals this year in the US. the host unable to fight infection. These are sobering statistics but the more we understand this virus The biomechanics behind PrEP are simple: the two drugs in and maintain our awareness the greater our chances will be of de- Truvada adhere strongly and specifically to the HIV reverse tranfeating it. scriptase and prevent it from functioning normally. This disruption In the 1980s, being HIV-positive was a death sentence. Although is critical. As a result, the virus cannot initiate key stages of its life there is still no cure and no effective vaccine for HIV, science has given cycle. The odds of clearing the virus swing heavily in favor of the paus all much to be grateful for. Fortunately, the continuing development tient. of more sophisticated testing, new treatments, and technological adPrEP for HIV came about following the ground-breaking iPrEx vances have greatly mitigated this previously grim prognosis. study (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Initiative) in which 2,499 HIV negA new health innovation is underway and it could make a big ative participants were enrolled at 11 test centers on four continents difference to the lives of many: HIV Pre Exposure Prophylaxis, or and six countries. Of these participants, 1,251 were randomly given PrEP for short, is a scheme designed Truvada and 1,248 a sugar-containing to help prevent new HIV infections placebo. Follow-up over a two-year Experts estimate that if PrEP were period determined that there were 36 from occurring and it is endorsed by the World Health Organization implemented globally, we could see new HIV infections among the par(WHO) and the CDC. Many ticipants who were offered Truvada branches of medicine have been using a 20-25 percent reduction in HIV and 64 among those given the placebo. prophylaxis to prevent diseases; being This equates to 44 percent additional incidence amongst MSM, potentially protection against HIV in the Truvada vaccinated against the flu or wearing sunscreen are two common examples. group. However, protection rose to 96 amounting to one million people percent for those who managed to PrEP is a new way for people to arm themselves against HIV â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but it is not take Truvada four times per week and within a decade. for everyone. to 99 percent for those who observed There are currently around 30 the recommended daily schedule. antiretroviral drugs approved in the United States for treating indiPrEP does come with drawbacks. A daily regime will cost in the viduals who are HIV positive. These drugs target different stages of region of $15,000 annually, though insurance plans typically cover the HIV life cycle. PrEP uses two of these potent drugs, tenofovir the costs and Gilead offers assistance for the uninsured. There are and emtricitabine. Only those who are currently HIV negative and also side effects such as upset stomach, headache, and nausea, but the are deemed to be at substantial risk of an HIV infection are recom- reported severity has been mild. mended to take a once-daily pill called Truvada (manufactured by According to a WHO report ( July 2014), men who have sex Gilead Sciences), which contains both these antiretrovirals. High- with men (MSM) are 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV risk individuals include HIV negative individuals who have an HIV than the general population. This fact and the results of the iPrEx positive partner and people engaging in sexual practices that place study form the basis of the recommendation that MSM be targeted them at higher risk for HIV exposure. for HIV PrEP. Experts estimate that if PrEP were implemented Some may argue that PrEP will encourage condomless sex and globally, we could see a 20-25 percent reduction in HIV incidence lead to an increase in other STDs, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, hepa- amongst MSM, potentially amounting to one million people within titis, and herpes. This is certainly a valid concern. Even in the case of a decade. HIV prevention, PrEP is not 100 percent effective. Wearing a conWhile PrEP may not be for everyone, it remains a powerful new dom during sex is still advisable. weapon in the fight against this terrible virus. When someone following a PrEP regimen gets infected, these drugs can prevent the virus from establishing a permanent infection. James Birtley, PhD is a molecular biologist at the An HIV infection begins with a virus particle hijacking a host imUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. mune system cell. It does this first by attaching itself to the cell and His special interests include the structural biology of viral then releasing its viral contents into it. Next, several viral enzymes protein interactions with the human immune system. (that were packaged along with the viral genetic information, including the reverse transcriptase, protease and integrase) get to work,

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Family Recipes

Local gay and lesbian chefs dish out their favorite summer recipes.

Kristen Kish After earning the hard-fought distinction of Top Chef on the tenth season (2012) of Bravo’s eponymous reality competition series, Kish returned to Boston’s culinary scene, serving as Chef de Cuisine at Barbara Lynch’s Menton. Since leaving the restaurant in Spring 2014, Kish has been working on some exciting new projects, and that’s all we can say!

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“An easy chilled soup that requires little prep work and can be made quickly. Perfect for your summer entertaining.”

Chilled English Pea Velouté with Grapefruit, Osetra Caviar, and Lemon Grass Ingredients: Velouté 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots, julienned 1 stalk lemon grass, roughly chopped zest of 1 lemon ½ quart whole milk 1 quart vegetable stock (see recipe at right) salt, to taste 1 ½ quarts shelled fresh English peas Garnish 2 ruby red grapefruit, supremed and cut into small chunks roughly 2 ounces caviar chive blossoms pea flowers or pea tips olive oil Directions: Warm the olive oil in a large sauce pot. Sweat shallots and lemon grass until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add lemon zest, milk, vegetable stock, and salt to taste. Bring to a light simmer. Add the peas, cook over medium heat/medium simmer for 6-7 minutes. Transfer contents to a high powered blender. Start on low and work your way to a high-speed blend. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Once finished, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or chinois. Add more vegetable stock if it is too thick. Re-season to taste. Chill over an ice bath immediately to keep the color as vibrant as possible. The quicker this process is done, the greener your velouté will be. Garnish the chilled soup with the grapefruit, caviar, chive blossoms, and pea greens. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Serve. Note: As the soup chills, it may require more salt.

Vegetable Stock Yields 3 quarts mild vegetable stock Ingredients: 3 onions, quartered 3 carrots, peeled and large diced 2 oranges, peeled and quartered 2 bulbs fennel, large diced 2 Granny Smith apples, quartered and cores removed 2 stalks celery, large diced 1 white part of leek 1 teaspoon fennel seed 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorn ½ teaspoon coriander 2 bay leaves 4 sprigs thyme 5 sprigs parsley Directions: Put all the ingredients into a large pot (enough to hold 3 quarts liquid). Cover with cold water and gently bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil for 6 minutes, shut off the heat and cover the pot. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Strain, cool, and reserve the liquid. Note: Stock can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 1 month.

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Michele Ragussis Ragussis, Executive Chef at the Central House in Provincetown, has appeared on various cooking shows, including Food Network Star, Food Fighters (NBC), and Chopped (Food Network). Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll return for the second season of Food Fighters. Drawing upon her Greek and Italian heritage, Ragussisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cuisine puts a Mediterranean spin on traditional New England dishes.

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“Easy for any home cook and super New England. ”

Little Necks with Sweet Corn and Portuguese Chouriço Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 2 ears corn, kernels removed and cobs discarded 1 stick Portuguese chouriço, cut in quarter-inch slices salt and pepper, to taste 2 dozen littlenecks ½ cup Vinho Verde 2 tablespoons butter ¼ fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped ½ cup basil, julienned slices of crusty bread Directions: Sauté the garlic, shallots, corn kernels, and chouriço for about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the little necks and wine, cover, and let steam for about 6-10 minutes, until they pop open. Add butter and herbs and let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

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Justin Burke-Samson A self-taught pastry chef, Burke-Samson continued to expand his pastry skills in college and graduate school while working front of house for cafes and bakeries in Boston. He went on to work in the nonprofit world, managing special events and development while running his online bakery part-time. In 2014, Burke-Samson made a career change, launching the pop-up series Stacked Donuts and Trademark Tarts with Top Chef alumna Stephanie Cmar. He is now Executive Pastry Chef and co-owner of Party of Two. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @JTBSAMSON.

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“This recipe is really easy and one of my favorites for summer and beach parties. And who doesn't like chocolate? The filling is really versatile and I use it for a lot of different things.”

Chocolate Summer Pie Ingredients: Crust 1 ½ cups chocolate wafer crumbs or graham cracker crumbs ⅓ cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped (pulsed almost to the point of butter; you want to see flakes of macadamia in the crust) ¼ cup granulated sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Coconut nougat 2 cups sweetened coconut, toasted 4 tablespoons unsweetened condensed milk pinch of salt

Directions:

Chocolate filling 4 very ripe avocados 1 ½ cups melted semisweet chocolate ½ cup honey 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup almond milk 6 tablespoons cocoa powder pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toppings 2 cups heavy whipping cream ⅓ cup chopped macadamia nuts caramel sauce

Make the coconut nougat. On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, toast the coconut until lightly golden brown. Regularly mix the coconut for an even toast. Let cool. Combine the cooled toasted coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Set aside.

Make the crust. Use an 8-inch pie pan or spring form pan. Mix wafer crumbs (or graham crackers), macadamia nuts, and sugar until well combined. Add melted butter and mix together. Press crumb mixtures in pan, making sure the crumbs go up the side of the pan. Tip: use a flat measuring cup to press evenly the crust flat and around the edges. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes (don’t let the crust burn). Let cool.

Prepare the chocolate filling. In a food processor, puree the avocados, semisweet chocolate, honey, vanilla, almond milk, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth. Assemble the pie. When the crust is cooled, add an even layer of the coconut nougat. On top of the coconut nougat layer, add the chocolate filling. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Photo credits Michele Ragussis' portrait: James Cunningham Little Necks: Michele Ragussis Kristen Kish's portrait: Mercure Photography Chilled English Pea Velouté: Gina Hamadey Justin Burke-Samson's portrait: Andrew Wang/Andrew Takes Photos Chocolate Summer Pie: Justin Burke-Samson

Before serving, whip the heavy whipping cream in a mixer until soft peaks form. Add the whipped cream on top of the pie and sprinkle crushed macadamia nuts on top. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Note: The chocolate filling is very adaptable. If you don’t want to make a pie, you can simply serve it in a cup topped with whipped cream. It’s also delicious slightly frozen and topped with fresh berries.

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PERSPECTIVES

Orgullo Latin@s Transgenero y Transexual! La incluisión de Latinas y Latinos trans en el movimiento Por

Wilfred W. Labiosa

Se recuerdan de La Loba, de Vicki, de Ms. Coco Lopez, de Mari, de Morovis, haciendo de Yolandita y de tantas otras estrellas Boricuas. de Ivanna, de Ashley, de Diego, o de la “Negra”? Est@s son algun@s Siempre ella representando a mi isla Borinquén en todo lo alto – su de nuestr@s herman@s trans de los 80 y 90 en Massachusetts. Ell@s traje con la bandera de Puerto Rico, wow! Y ella sigue. Me recuerdo fueron (y son) parte integral de nuestra historia Latina LGBT; ell@s cuando lo conocí por primera vez, un muchacho tímido, flaquito rompieron barreras para que tod@s nosotr@s podamos estar a donde (bueno sigue siendo flaquita) y no conocía a casi nadie. Me recuerdo estamos. Al igual muchas nos deleitaron, mientras nos educaban del cuando extendió su mano, sudaba y temblaba. Ahora se transformó VIH/SIDA, en los escenarios locales. Ell@s fueron l@s que se en la mujer que siempre quería ser, profesional y una mujer coronada pusieron al frente de la comu(muchas veces) por sus espectácunidad y dijeron presente por la los y presentación. Ella siempre Ahora es tiempo que nos apoyamos uno al mantuvo su humildad, perseveraceptación de la diversidad y la aceptación. Aunque hubo ancia y timidez pero cuando se otro y que nos unamos a nuestra comunidad sube al escenario, olvídense que much@s mas, estos son l@s que recuerdo cuando me integre a la transgenero para que la equidad trans sea no representa! Por supuesto no comunidad Latina y LGBT en podemos olvidarnos de la gran Boston. Me establecí en Boston Mizery de Panamá, de Ashley solo palpable pero una realidad. ya para el 88 y desde entonces la Montenegro del Salvador y de comunidad Latina trans (y Miss Tish Sterling. A tod@s las mucho antes) dijo presente en todos los ambitos. reinas en nuestra comunidad Latina LGBT, son nuestro orgullo y Ell@s dijeron presente en las actividades de recaudación de fon- siempre parte integral de nuestra comunidad. dos para l@s fallecidos por el VIH/SIDA y que no tenían familia y Diego Sanchez, orgullo Latino trans que se mudó a DC y llego necesitaban dinero para la sepultura; ell@s dijeron presente en las a ocupar el puesto más alto adquirido, hasta ahora, en la adminisprotestas y marchas por la igualdad y equidad. Representaban a la co- tración federal por una persona transgenero (bajo el mandato de Rep. munidad Latina LGBT. Ell@s hacían alcance comunitario para ed- Frank). Él es orgullo Latino LGBT! ucar a nuestra comunidad de temas que nos afectaban (y continúan Le doy gracias a la comunidad Latina transgenero y transexual afectándonos). Me recuerdo que también nos unían presentándonos por haberme enseñando tanto de ell@s y de mi. A ustedes les doy las uno a otro; me recuerdo cuando Vicki me presento a Alvaro y a Rene. gracias por ser parte integral de nuestra comunidad Latina LGBT. Me recuerdo cuando Ms. Coco Lope hizo de la Lupe y me educo de Por el apoyo que me rindieron a mi y a tant@s otr@s en la comunidad. la vida de La Lupe y la cultura Cubana. Se recuerdan de Chaps (en Gracias por integrarse a Boston Pride, Orgullo Latino, Somos Copley) y La Loba haciendo sus shows espectaculares? Latin@s, LLEGO, al Festival Puertorriqueño en Boston y a tantas En los años 2000, Orlando y sus compañer@s compartimos e hici- otras actividades. mos reinados para la comunidad Latina LGBT. Se recuerdan del Miss Ahora es tiempo que nos apoyamos uno al otro y que nos unamos Massachusetts LatinTime y de Miss Massachusetts Gay Latina; me uni a nuestra comunidad transgenero para que la equidad trans sea no solo a ell@s y yo traje “a bordo” a Emily, Evelyn, Diego, Lisa, Cristian, y palpable pero una realidad. Trabajemos junt@s para que tod@s los segmuch@s mas para formalizar nuestra celebración de Orgullo Latino. mentos de la comunidad Latina LGBT seamos un@. Tod@s somos parte Se recuerdan de Ivana Lee haciendo de la J-Lo; y que me dicen integral de la comunidad Latina y LGBT – no se olviden de abogar, ayude Boquita con sus movidas. Y de la gran Alexandra Rosado, Boricua dar y apoyar – en la unidad esta la fuerza! Orgullos@s siempre!

Wilfred W. Labiosa es psicólogo y líder comunitario, ahora residiendo en PR y coanfitrión del show de radio Saliendo del Closet (Univision Radio PR). Wilfred es un ex miembro de la junta directiva de Boston Pride. 106 | Boston Pride 2015

Translated to English by the author, Wilfred Labiosa, psychologist and community leader. He currently lives in Puerto Rico and cohosts the radio show Coming Out of the Closet (Univision Radio of PR). He is a former member of the Board of Boston Pride.

Latino Trans Pride! The inclusion of trans Latinas and Latinos in the Pride movement By

Wilfred W. Labiosa

Remember La Loba, Vicki, Ms. Coco Lopez, Mari, Ivanna, Ashley, Diego, La Negra? These were some of our trans brothers/sisters in the 80s and 90s in Massachusetts. They were (and are) an integral part of our Latino LGBT history. They broke barriers and established themselves as an important segment of our LGBT community. They delighted us, as well as educated us about HIV/AIDS. They represented us (and still do) in diverse events across our state. Although there were many others, these were the ones that I remember when I arrived to Boston in 1988. The Latino trans community held fundraisers to bury those who died alone from AIDS-related complications, when there were no family members involved; they were present in protests and marches for equality and equity. Many conducted outreach efforts to educate folks about issues affecting us as a community. I remember when Vicky brought people together by presenting one to another; like when she presented me to Alvaro and Rene. I also remember Ms. Coco Lopez doing her show personifying La Lupe; she educated me about La Lupe’s tragic life and about Cuban culture. Remember Chaps (in Copley) and La Loba doing her spectacular show? In the 2000s, Orlando and his comrades made me part of their group and we all planned pageants for the Latino LGBT community. Remember the Miss Massachusetts LatinTime or the Miss Massachusetts Gay Latina? After I joined, I brought on board folks that helped us formalized Latino Pride, like Emily, Evelyn, Diego, Lisa, Cristian, and many others. I remember Ivana Lee personifying J-Lo; and how about Boquita with her moves? And the great Alexandra Rosado, Boricua (a Alexandra Rosado, Miss Latin@ Pride 2012-2013. Credit: Miguel Gonzalez person from Puerto Rico) of Morovis (a countryside town in Puerto Rico), personifying Yolandita (Monge, a Puerto Rican singer) and pride and a vital part of our community. Diego Sanchez, a transgender Latino, who moved to DC and hundreds of other Puerto Ricans singers. She always represented Puerto Rico, even with her outfits made to remind us of the country’s came to occupy the highest position gained so far in the federal adflag. I remember when I first met him, a shy, skinny (well she is still ministration by a transgender person (under the leadership of Rep. skinny) and someone who hardly knew anyone. I remember when he Frank). He is Latino LGBT pride! I thank the transgender and transsexual Latino community for extended his hand, sweating and trembling. Now she became the having taught me about this segment of our Latino w o m a n community and about myself. You are all an integral part who she alIt is time for us to rely upon each other and of our LGBT and Latino communities. Thank you for w a y s supporting, not just Boston Pride and Latino Pride but wanted to to join our transgender community so that also LLEGO, Somos Latin@s, Boston’s Puerto Rican be, a profesFestival, and many other events across our city and the sional and a equality is not just palpable but a reality. US. crowned It is time for us to rely upon each other and to join woman (she has won many titles) for her shows and presentations. She always our transgender community so that equality is not just palpable but kept her humility, perseverance and timidity but when she goes on a reality. Lets work together so that all segments of the LGBT Latino stage, watch out! She represents! Of course, we cannot forget the community are recognized as an integral part of the American diasgreat Mizery of Panama, Ashley Montenegro of Salvador, and Miss pora - do not forget to advocate, assist and support - in unity there is Tish Sterling. Our queens in our LGBT Latino community are our strength! Always Latin@ LGBT Pride! 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 107

H E A LT H

Tâ&#x201E;&#x17E;ans

The medical care of transgender adolescents and adults By Carly Guss

Credit: Sylvain Bruni; source image by P_E_A_R_L

108 | Boston Pride 2015

Blockers. TE binding. Packing. These are all terms that may be It is always important to know what the side effects of the medfamiliar to you. But what about GnRH agonist? Or sexual maturity ications are. For those on estrogen, this may entail high risk of a rating? Medical jargon can be difficult to interpret. Transgender in- blood clot or issues with your body’s insulin. Testosterone may cause dividuals wishing to have medical treatment to match their expressed cystic acne, changes in blood counts, high blood pressure, changes in gender may choose to speak with their primary care doctor, a spe- cholesterol, and issues with insulin. Also, for trans men, testosterone cialist, or both. It is important to understand the medical and surgical may impair fertility but should not be used as a birth control method options and the terminology being used. Medical providers may use alone. the expression “gender dysphoria” when exploring medical treatment Gender affirming surgery (previously referred to as sex reassignfor transition. Gender dysphoria is defined as distress that individuals ment surgery) is an irreversible intervention and, for some, may be may experience when their expressed gender does not match their considered the final phase of medical gender transition. For physiassigned birth sex (for example, periods in a trans man). cians, the timing of this procedure is controversial for minors. It is There are a few places that doctors look to for guidelines and important that the patient is able to understand the risks and benefits recommendations on the medical management of transgender youth of the procedure in order to consent. There needs to be adequate genand adults: The Endocrine Society ital tissue for reconstruction and some and the World Professional Associasurgeons recommend that trans men Studies show that gender dysphoria have one year of testosterone treattion for Transgender Health (WPATH). More and more research prior to surgery. Trans men may improves after cross-sex hormonal ment is being done in this area of medicine, desire a hysterectomy due to distress so as time goes on these may guidetherapy and gender affirming surgery. associated with their periods. If a hyslines change. terectomy is done, it is important to The medical management of know and to share with the primary transgender children or adolescents depends on where they are in pu- care provider whether the cervix was also removed; if not, pap smears berty. Medical providers judge puberty development based on a phys- for cervical cancer screening should still be performed. Cross-sex horical exam which determines a person’s sexual maturity rating (also mone treatment continues after gender affirming surgery for continknown as Tanner Staging). If the person is in early puberty, a med- ued feminization or masculinization. ication called a GnRH agonist may be used. These medications are Studies show that gender dysphoria improves after cross-sex horcommonly known as “blockers” because they prevent puberty from monal therapy and gender affirming surgery. progressing. It can be given as a shot or as an implant in the body Unfortunately, there are several barriers to care for transgender that slowly releases medicine. One benefit of this medication is that individuals who desire medical management. One barrier is access to it allows the child to have time to explore their gender identity with- a specialist who has experience in hormone management. Fortunately, out developing secondary sex characteristics (i.e, breasts for girls, facial in Boston, there are several options, such as the Gender Management hair for boys). This medication is also reversible, meaning that once Service clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital or the Fenway Health it is discontinued, puberty will progress. When taking these med- Center. Insurance coverage is another barrier. Here in the United ications it is important for patients to have a good relationship with States, the use of blockers and cross-sex hormones is considered “offtheir physician, as there are certain vital signs and blood work that label”, meaning that their use is not approved by the Food and Drug should be monitored. The medical provider may also monitor bone Administration. Insurance companies can therefore deny coverage of density with the use of special imaging tools. these otherwise costly medications. Luckily, Massachusetts Medicaid If an adolescent presents with gender dysphoria later in puberty, now covers medical services for gender dysphoria. blockers can be used potentially to allow the physician to use lower You may read online about medications that are available in other doses of cross-sex hormones. The age at which cross-sex hormones countries and not in the United States. It is not recommended to will be started varies by provider. The Endocrine Society recommends purchase medications from the internet or off the street, as you may initiating cross-sex hormones around age 16, but some places start receive an unsafe product. It is important to make the decision that earlier with a slow increase of hormones over two to three years. is right for you with regard to blockers, hormones, or surgery, as well Cross-sex hormones are used when individuals want to achieve as to feel that your doctor is on your side and can refer you to a spea feminizing or masculinizing physical appearance, so that it will be cialist, who can discuss these treatments further. more aligned with their gender identity. For trans women, the main medication used is estrogen. This medication can be taken as a pill, Dr. Carly Guss is a first year fellow in Adolescent Media patch, or a shot. Other medications may also be used to suppress cine at Boston Children’s Hospital. As a pediatrics resident, the body’s production of testosterone, such as spironolactone or fishe worked with Dr. Michelle Forcier at Brown Univernasteride. For trans men, testosterone is used. This tends to be adsity, providing primary care and hormones for transgender ministered as a weekly injection into the leg or buttocks. Once the adolescents. She is interested in sexual and reproductive individual is on an appropriate dose of testosterone, it is possible to health, contraception, and health care for transgender and change the dosing to a patch or a gel. gender nonconforming youth.

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FEATURE

Out Looks Diverse expressions of a diverse community

Breck, 27: “Finding my style means finding comfort in expressing myself and losing any insecurities I have along the way. Self-worth starts with confidence and shouldn’t be compromised by social discourse.”

Credits Venue: Upper Rotunda, Historic Quincy Market Photography: Merina Zeller

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45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 111

FEATURE

Sophie, 25: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me, style is about making a statement and expressing who you are. Embracing a style that worked for me helped me gain a lot of self-confidence; if you look good, you feel good. Bow ties have become my trademark, so I'll find a tie I love and build the outfit around it. Plus, I've discovered they are excellent conversation starters!â&#x20AC;?

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Jaylene, 10: “I want people to know who I really am and not to be embarrassed of having two moms. My life may be different than having a mom and dad but it is good - better than good. I want other kids to know that you don’t need the ‘traditional’ family. You can be part of many different types of families and this is what makes our world unique. I hope you enjoy my style. I consider myself urban and hip. I love being free and expressing myself.”

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FEATURE

Kristen, 31: â&#x20AC;&#x153;My style is one that is constantly evolving and changing. I want to be myself no matter what: vivid colors, faux hawk, very bright and unique tattoos. I want my personality to shine through. I want to be an inspiration to LGBT youth. I want them to see my hair, my smile, my bright crazy clothing, and the comfort I walk with, knowing it is safe to be yourself and to be proud of who you are.â&#x20AC;?

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Christopher, 6: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love Mommy. I love Momma. Mommy plays Angry Birds Epic with me and Momma plays video games. I don't really care what the other kids think about my moms.â&#x20AC;?

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FEATURE

Suzanne, 51, and Betty, 63: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is all about love, and the ability to have a frame of mind that is based on love. Through thick and thin...â&#x20AC;?

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PERSPECTIVES

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Credit: Shauna Gorby

Break Free One youth’s coming out story By

Jacob Hall

Although my story is not unique and there are many more like me, I felt very alone in my own world. My name is Jacob. I am 14 years old and I am gay. I came to this conclusion in the sixth grade. I knew that I was different but didn’t quite understand why. I tried to hide the fact that I was gay and told myself, “No, not me.” I thought it was just a phase I’d outgrow. I grew up in a Catholic family and went to a small private Catholic school, where everybody knew everybody and nothing was kept secret. When I started seventh grade, I was scared about everyone finding out my biggest secret. My friends began to question me about my sexuality. I wasn’t ready to come out and denied being gay. I tried dating my friend, Autumn, to stop the questioning. In eighth grade, I decided to keep to myself. I didn’t date anyone and just focused on life and school. Finally, summer came! I could be more myself without friends asking questions. I met my first boyfriend, though not yet being out of the closet made things much harder than I thought. I didn’t like sneaking around and lying to my family, but I was scared of losing them and not being loved. I finally decided that I was ready to break out of my shell and be myself. This sparked questioning from some aunts, uncles, and cousins. I started looking up creative ways of coming out, even though I was afraid of being disowned for not being the perfect child, or being told that I couldn’t be gay or that God wouldn’t love me anymore. Not knowing the outcome was terrifying. I came out to my cousin Jeremy first. I trusted him and knew he would be there to help me through it all. One thing he said which gave me strength is “God doesn’t make mistakes; he only makes perfect”. This inspired me to start coming out to my family. I decided to make cupcakes and frosted each one with a different color of the rainbow. On six cupcakes I wrote individual letters to spell out “I AM GAY”. I showed my sister first and she responded that she loved and accepted me. She helped me tell my mom. That was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but my mom was so proud of me and gave me a big hug and kiss. I asked my mom to tell my dad and he was also very accepting. The hard part of telling my parents was over. I was so happy and thankful to know that my family accepted me being gay. I was happy that I didn’t have that burden anymore. Next I told my friends. Although I lost some old friends, I gained some new ones. When it came to my cousins, aunts, and uncles, my parents helped me come out. They also accepted me. I am thankful to know that my family accepts me completely. Then I came out on Instagram and other social media. I posted a picture of me with “NO H8” written on my chest, which was

That’s when my mom started looking for local youth groups and found a Boston Pride Valentine’s Day dance for LGBT youth. I felt so at home when I walked into the event because I knew it was a judgmentfree, hate-free space. taken during a parade that I was in at my summer camp. All comments on that picture were of acceptance and love; there was no hate. I finally broke out of my shell and was comfortable being myself and being accepted. When high school began, I wasn’t scared to be myself. Most of my new friends were girls, but I also had some guys who also accepted me and didn’t care about my sexuality. Although I was talked about by some, I told myself that they are jealous and have nothing better to do with their lives. My cousin Jeremy was my shoulder to lean on. Eventually, I found it easier to find relationships online and had my first long-distance relationship. However, I soon became depressed because I couldn’t physically see him and chose not to date long distance again. That’s when my mom started looking for local youth groups and found a Boston Pride Valentine’s Day dance for LGBT youth. I felt so at home when I walked into the event because I knew it was a judgment-free, hate-free space. Everyone was nice and I made some new friends. It was fun. I wasn’t ashamed or afraid to be myself. I learned that Boston Pride has other youth events coming up and I can’t wait to go to those too. Any place I can go, have fun, and just be me is a good place to be. I know that I’ll still have struggles, but I will continue to stand strong with the support of my family, friends, and youth group activities. Don’t be ashamed or scared to break free from your shell. Be yourself and don’t let anybody tell you differently. Jacob Hall is a freshman at a vocational technical high school. He is interested in cosmetology. For fun, he enjoys snowboarding and going to theme parks. Hall also loves the ocean and taking pictures of nature. Most recently, he has gotten involved with Boston Pride’s Youth Team.

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PERSPECTIVES

The six-color rainbow flag, a variant of Gilbert Baker’s original 1978 design, has become an international symbol of LGBT pride and solidarity. Credit: Marilyn Humphries

The Legacy of Stonewall A perspective on gay rights 2015 By

Laura Godtfredsen

In four years we will mark the 50th Anniversary of the epic Stonewall Riots in New York City. Like the civil rights movement in the mid-sixties, the gay liberation movement was born in a violent resistance to police. Constant police harassment was an intolerant society’s way of restricting and disciplining the “unacceptable” behavior of gay men, lesbians, drag queens, and transvestites. From today’s perspective, the riots were an unavoidable outcome of incessant police barbarity. It proved to be the spark that inspired the rapid deployment of organizations in demanding full civil and legal rights. Like Selma, civil rights protest movements, in order to rectify long-held grievances, must give rise to sustained political and legal action. As we have seen in recent months, the African-American population has once again taken to the streets to protest years of police brutality. The gains made by the gay liberation movement 120 | Boston Pride 2015

for equal marital rights have demonstrated significant political maturity. But as we know, even success in statutory or constitutional law is never enough. Although Stonewall was not the beginning, the years of police harassment and bullying of gay men, drag queens, transvestites, and stone butch lesbians of the gay rights movement galvanized the disparate parts of gay society to organize and create political and legal strategies that have become an enduring part of gay political action. By understanding the conditions that led to the Stonewall riots in June 1969 and the gay liberation tactics that followed, we may be able to assess the gay movement today and its promise for the future. What have we learned about our movement over the course of almost 50 years that may help us determine our future actions, strategies, and decisions?

Before Stonewall Gay men before Stonewall had to make some hard choices about finding and being in relationships. Some risked hanging out in the bar scene, where they might find another man willing to have a closeted partnership; but many others followed convention, married women, had children and only later when gay relationships were more socially acceptable were divorced and actively pursued same-sex lifestyles. Lesbians, too, chose marriage with men only to realize later that they loved women. The conditions of the pre-Stonewall world encouraged denial and dishonesty. Gay organizations, such as the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Belitis were not active political organizations, and there was no inclination or reason for them to work together. Homosexuality was illegal and there was no protection in employment and public association. The American Psychiatric Association deemed gays mentally ill. As a background to Stonewall, it is important to know that in the 1950s and 1960s, it was routine for the police in New York to back a paddy wagon up to the door of a gay bar, and simply round up those inside, regardless of who they were or how they identified. Lists appeared in the newspapers the following day with names and details of each person arrested. This is evident by police behavior in the years before Stonewall. Police hostility and the prevailing homophobia in society drove both lesbians and gay men to live clandestine lives, in work and in relationships. The inclination was to play it safe and avoid detection in public, family, and work. Drag queens, transvestites, butch lesbians, and gay prostitutes with their high visibility made them more likely to be harassed and arrested just by being themselves. Given the extent of gender, race, class, and generational prejudices in gay society, the potential for concerted and cohesive community without Stonewall is doubtful.

The Gay Rights Movement after Stonewall It is important to appreciate the challenges that the gay rights movement had to overcome over the next four decades: pressuring the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from the list of mental illness; confronting anti-gay campaigns such as Anita Bryant’s in Florida; getting gays like Harvey Milk, Elaine Noble, and Barney Frank elected to public office; overcoming prejudices toward gay men because of AIDS; the struggle to defeat Proposition 8 in California. Gay Pride Day and the parades pushed gay visibility and consistently reminded gays of the battles they faced. Gay men and women became more politically sophisticated as they made use of the courts and legislatures to press for equal rights. Slow at the outset, it varied from city to city and state to state. In Massachusetts, gay marriage became legal by one vote in the Supreme Judicial Court (2003) and by one vote in the state legislature. As recently as August 2013, efforts to revive Proposition 8 in California were finally thwarted and a federal judge struck down a gay marriage ban in Miami-Dade County in January 2015. The Courts became the principle protector of gay rights with the decision to hold the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional in June 2013. Most US Courts of Appeals ruled state laws banning gay marriage unconstitutional. But these important gains under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution still are resisted by 13 states that have legislated to ban gay marriage and eight others that are appealing the overturning of the ban on gay marriage.

What have we learned about our movement over the course of almost 50 years that may help us determine our future actions, strategies, and decisions? The Next Phase and Beyond The next advances in gay rights will depend on how the Supreme Court rules on gay marriage and the Constitution, and, more important, on how well attitudes toward gays will change in the smaller cities and towns throughout America. And that will depend on how effective gays and gay organizations are in pressing for their rights and winning over the “hearts and minds” of mostly small-town and rural America. Red states continue to resist change at every juncture, including women’s rights and racial justice. A number of states still oppose gay adoption and foster care, and 17 states either have not yet formally repealed their laws against sexual activity among consenting adults, or have not revised them to reflect accurately their true scope in the aftermath of Lawrence v. Texas. Transgender men and women are still stigmatized in employment and the use of public facilities. Only 18 states guarantee protection for transgender individuals in employment, relationships, and identity. In California, the gay rights movement succeeded by using one of the most sophisticated issue campaign operations ever deployed and by painstaking grass roots door-to-door and face-to-face conversations. Now it must move beyond the courts and the legislatures into full involvement in society – a full court press. The election of gay representatives in 41 states is an important indicator of this change at work. Pride and gay liberation still have a long road to travel. The recent political reactionary decisions in opposition to gay marriage are somber indicators of the challenge we face. The gay rights movement has succeeded thus far because it has resisted divisive forces within the movement. The older generation of gays set the tone for action that has defined the movement. Lesbians and gay men see each other as partners in this process and have supported initiatives for legalizing sex change for transsexuals, and welcomed in the gay community many who identify themselves as queer. Gay organizations of all types will have to become even more mature politically, especially in guaranteeing gay adoptions and visitation rights. Gay Pride and parades are vital reminders of the work that has to be done. Laura Godtfredsen, 81, is Professor Emerita at Babson College, a US Veteran, and activist for transgender rights since 1961.

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H E A LT H

Fully PrEPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d? PrEP is a fantastic tool in the fight against HIV, but not a silver bullet. By

Credit: Sylvain Bruni; source image by Nito.

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Justin Lehmiller

By now, you have probably heard about the latest HIV-prevenFirst, the decision to start PrEP (or any other medication for tion tool, Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (or PrEP for short). PrEP is a that matter) is a deeply personal one and not for anyone else to dicmedication regimen for HIV-negative individuals that involves tak- tate. Moreover, some would argue that it is unwise to imply that ing the antiretroviral drug Truvada once daily in order to reduce the being a gay or bisexual man automatically necessitates any kind of risk of contracting HIV. Studies have found that, when taken as in- prescription. structed, PrEP can lower the risk of HIV transmission by 90 percent Second, few people realize the financial cost of PrEP, which is or more. The tremendous success of PrEP has generated great interest currently about $1,300 per person per month, which translates to and media attention, and rightly so—but it remains widely misun- $15,600 over the course of a year. Even if you conservatively estimate derstood. The purpose of this article is to correct a few of the most the percentage of the population that consists of adult non-heteropervasive misconceptions about PrEP in the LGBT community. sexual men, this would result in a cost of tens of billions of dollars Perhaps the biggest false belief about PrEP is that if you are on it, per year. This does not take into account all of the extra healthcare condoms are no longer necessary. Consistent with this line of thinking, utilization that such widespread implementation would entail, such some porn producers have even cited as routine physician visits every few PrEP in their decision to abandon conmonths to check for potential drug PrEP therefore should not be viewed side effects (the most serious of which dom use altogether in their films. It is not particularly surprising that so many that PrEP can impair kidney funcas a replacement for condoms, but istioning people leap to conclusions about the in rare cases—another factor need for condoms when confronted that makes the decision to start this rather as an additional layer of with the statistics about how effective medication a very personal one). protection against one specific sexual PrEP is. However, this reflects a funBecause we have limited damental misunderstanding about the healthcare dollars and resources, PrEP infection: HIV. sexual health of men who have sex with is most effectively used in a very tarmen, which is that HIV is the only sexgeted way, directed primarily toward ually transmitted infection (STI) that matters. those gay and bisexual men who are at the highest risk of contracting Condoms provide protection against a wide range of STIs, in- HIV (e.g., those in an ongoing relationship with an HIV-positive cluding HPV, syphilis, and gonorrhea—PrEP does not. Protecting partner, as well as those who have multiple partners and who use conagainst those other infections does matter and should be taken seri- doms inconsistently during anal sex). ously, especially in light of growing evidence that HPV is linked to All of that said, PrEP is most certainly a welcome addition to cancers of the throat and anus. It is not just that, though. We are also the fight against HIV, and there is no doubt that its usage will help seeing a growing number of STIs that are resistant to our primary many in the LGBT community to live longer and healthier lives. treatment methods. It is not a question of if, but rather when we will However, PrEP is a tool that we must all take the time to better unbe confronted with a sexually transmitted “superbug” that resists all derstand and, above all else, use wisely. known antibiotics. When that happens, condoms will be our best line of defense against it. Dr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and author of It is for these reasons that physicians recommend that persons the popular blog, Sex and Psychology (http://sexandpsyon PrEP continue to use condoms. PrEP therefore should not be chology.com). He conducts research on casual sex and viewed as a replacement for condoms, but rather as an additional layer safer-sex practices, and has authored a sexuality textbook of protection against one specific sexual infection: HIV. that is used in college classrooms around the world. Learn Another major misunderstanding of PrEP is that all men who more and receive updates on the latest sex research by folhave sex with men should be on it. Indeed, many of my friends and lowing him on Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex) acquaintances have taken to social media in recent months declaring or Twitter (@JustinLehmiller). something to this effect. While I certainly share the sentiment about wanting to stop the spread of HIV, we need to be careful about saying that all gay or bisexual men should be taking this drug and we need to recognize that giving PrEP to all men who have sex with men is not a practical solution.

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PERSPECTIVES

Claiming Our Place From a whisper to a roar By

your Stonewall Seniors

Imagine for a moment you’re in your favorite bar with friends. threat of closing them down. Politicians saw no downside. There were You stand and proudly announce your intention to ask your same- no repercussions. “Those people don’t vote,” they said. Raids and resex partner to marry you. Two friends look at you as if you had three lentless harassment let their law and order constituents know they heads. The others bolt for the exit. were “protecting the community” from the dreaded gays. One minor detail: It’s 1965. As a result, most male homosexuals lived in fear; many did not Four years before the Stonewall Riots upended the rules of the even use their real names. Over the years, a sub-culture language game, that kind of public display was unheard of. If the wrong person evolved so closeted gays and lesbians could identify one another. Peooverheard you, you could lose your ple whispered that they were a job. Your family might abandon “friend of Dorothy”, a “committee you. Your children could be taken Pre-Stonewall, society had successfully member”, a “bona-fide member of away from you. You could be Club 21”, went to the “West Side hauled off to jail, with your name divided gay men and lesbians into nice Tennis Club”, and other clever euand mug shot showing up in the phemisms for being gay or lesbian. neat groups, playing one against the other. local newspaper for all your friends In the mid-sixties, semi-out and family to see. Entrapment was (i.e. obvious) gay men could expect There was no LGBT community. commonplace. And crimes against employment in very few areas: hair LGBT people were seldom redressers, florists, dog groomers, inported since the victim was always terior decorators, window dressers, at fault because “they asked for it”. Most often, muggings and even ribbon clerks (today’s retail salespersons), bookkeepers, office workers, murders went unreported. file clerks. Most of these jobs were low paying and a safe choice. Pre-Stonewall, society had successfully divided gay men and les- That’s why many of today’s seniors struggle financially. Most jobs bians into nice neat groups, playing one against the other. There was provided no pension and the low pay prevented anyone from building no LGBT community. There were just gay men, lesbians – butch and substantial savings for retirement. There’s little comfort in depending fem –, and drag queens. In Boston, lesbians claimed two bars down- solely on Social Security in what is supposed to be their “golden town where gay men would only occasionally drop in. Gay men so- years”. cialized at several bars which did not readily welcome women of any Gay men who did not take on stereotypical mannerisms of their persuasion. more flamboyant brethren simply “passed”. Even today, some men A bisexual community was nascent at best. The prevailing wear their “straight acting” demeanor as a badge of pride. But before thought was if someone had sex with their own gender and claimed Stonewall, most men acted straight as a means of self-preservation. they were bisexual, they simply hadn’t made up their mind yet. Or Your job prospects – including salary and benefits – were limited only they were afraid to admit the truth. Transgender people? They were by your professional skills. Unless you were found out! just drag queens that made the rest of us look bad. Routine sex reasAnyone who had a profession – and in the 60s it was mostly men signment surgery was waiting years in the future. – often were deep in the closet. There was always the fear of being A symbiotic relationship among many New England club own- exposed or blackmailed. It was difficult to know whom to trust. One ers, police, and politicians kept everyone happy – except for the suspicious move and you could lose your job, your family, your home, “queers and dykes”, of course. Bar owners raked in the money selling and even your life. The sub-group of professionals also had their own over-priced, watered-down drinks. The police demanded payoffs bars and clubs. They were better off than most financially but no less from club owners in return for tip-offs of impending “raids” or under repressed and fearful if their “true” selves were ever revealed.

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Professional women were more of a rarity in these times. First, all women faced discrimination in hiring, in wages, in promotions. So, of course, being a lesbian automatically meant you were many rungs lower on the ladder to success. Among lesbians, women had to declare as butch or femme before they would be accepted. This largely unspoken rule was strictly enforced. Once established, the line could not be crossed without facing humiliation and ridicule. Of course, no one knew how a couple lived privately, but in the bars there were no shades of grey. Ironically, roles in a lesbian relationship in many ways mirrored those of heterosexual couples. One was the “lady”; the other was the “man” of the house. Femmes had their own dress code, demeanor, and role to play. Butch women, likewise. They were expected to be more masculine, more assertive, more dominant. Job opportunities were determined by the dress code, too. Femmes worked anywhere they wanted, but butches were limited to earning a living wherever working in pants was permitted. For self-declared butch lesbians, employment could usually be found in factories, parking garages, gas stations, and related fields. Specifically in Boston, there was one other popular choice: The chicken processing plant across the street from a women’s bar, where the female workers would sit in groups of 12 and spend all day with their hands in a cold-water trough plucking chicken feathers.

And on and on it went. Gay men and lesbians living in fear, living smaller lives than they wanted or were capable of. Never confident that the future held the promise of success, happiness, love, and fulfillment. Then one spring day, June 28, 1969 to be exact, it all unraveled. In front of the Stonewall Inn on New York’s Christopher Street, drag queens refused to follow orders as their club was being raided for the umpteenth time by police. Gay men refused to line up to present identification. Lesbians refused to be led handcuffed into waiting paddy wagons. We just stopped. We refused to aid and abet our own persecution. And the world was forever changed. This story was written by Bob Sessions, incorporating the contributions of Gordon Burns, Alice Fisher, Ed Ford, Sarah Pearlman, Pam Shea, and Rowena Winik.

Over its six-decade lifespan (1938-1999), Playland Café on 21 Essex Street attracted a diverse clientele, particularly of working-class gay folk. In the 50s and 60s, patrons and performers like Ray Kennard (piano) and Harold (singer) gathered under the constant threat of police raids. Credit: Jim McGrath Collection, 1959; courtesy of The History Project (www.historyproject.org)

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A History of Boston Pride Libby Bouvier and Mark Krone, on behalf of The History Project By

with photographs courtesy of The History Project (www.historyproject.org)

Before [Stonewall], I wanted to go around and convince the straight world we were okay. And after Stonewall we told the straight world that we didn't give a damn what they thought. We were going to do what we were going to do and we weren't going to ask their permission.

Latina/Latino LGBTQ A little past midnight, youth and young adults on June 28, 1969, the temwho slept in nearby perature hovered around Christopher Park, the 80 degrees in New York’s Stonewall Inn was their Greenwich Village. On stable domicile.” Therefore, long, hot summer nights in –Martha Shelley, Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), New York Chapter the movement launched by the 60s, the air crackled Stonewall, was started not with possibility, but also violence. It felt like something was always about to happen. Still, no one by the well-connected or well-off, but by young white runaways, drag could have predicted that a worldwide movement was about to erupt queens, trans people, and people of color. The next night in Boston, the hot summer air rushed through the in a dive bar that didn’t even have running water. Fanning herself against the heat, Martha Shelley, a leader in the door at Sporter’s, a gay bar on Cambridge Street. Along with it came New York chapter of the DOB, showed visitors from Boston around news from New York. Bill Conrad, who worked the door that night, the Sheridan Square neighborhood. The Boston women had come recalls, “Sure, people were talking about [the uprising], the place was down to discuss opening a DOB chapter back home. As they turned buzzing about it. They’d walk up to each other and ask if their friends onto Christopher Street, they saw a melee outside the Stonewall Inn. had heard about it.” Until the mid-60s, Sporter’s itself was routinely Years later, Shelley told author Martin Duberman, "We saw these peo- raided by Boston police, who lined patrons up against the walls, yelling ple, who looked younger than I was, throwing things at cops. One of slurs at them and demanding identification. “If you didn’t have ID, the women turned to me and said, 'What's going on here?' I said, 'Oh, they’d arrest you and put your name in the paper,” says Conrad. Police harassment of bar patrons decreased markedly in Boston by the late it's a riot. These things happen in New York all the time.'” But this was different. What looked like a riot was actually an up- 60s, but persisted in New York, especially at the Stonewall Inn. rising. A routine police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a little-known bar that many middle-class gay people would never think to visit, became 45 Years of Boston Pride a pitched battle, when the queer patrons retaliated. Skirmishes between LGBT people and police continued in the West Village over the next While it is impossible to include every event and group associated week. with Pride, with this concise history we offer a peek into each year. Although many of the photographs taken that night were of young Some years, political issues burned at the forefront while in others, the white men, the Stonewall Inn attracted a largely Latin@ and African- weather was the top story. We know that labeling the event a “march” American clientele. According to author and activist Rev. Irene Mon- or “parade” has significant meaning. To avoid choosing a single label, roe, who was there, “On the first night of the Stonewall riots, African we use them interchangeably throughout. Americans and Latinos likely were the largest percentage of the proA widely held misconception about the Boston Pride March is testors, because we heavily frequented the bar. For homeless black and that it began the year after Stonewall. But the first March occurred two

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years later, in June 1971. Even though there was no March in 1970, several events were held to commemorate Stonewall. For Boston queer activists, the Vietnam War still overshadowed other causes; on April 15, 1970, they joined a large march sponsored by the National Mobilization Against the War in Vietnam. Queer people had marched against the Vietnam War before, but this time they would not be invisible. Carrying banners with their organizations’ names – DOB, the Homophile Union of Boston (HUB), the Student Homophile League (SHL), Gay Women’s Liberation, and the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) – they joined the march from Cambridge Common to Boston Common. In June 1970, the Homophile Coordinating Council was formed to inaugurate the annual Lesbian & Gay Pride Celebration in Boston. The first year consisted of a weeklong series of workshops and forums, culminating in a gay dance at the Charles Street Meetinghouse. The flyer “Love is All You Need” stated, “One year ago this week, members of New York’s gay community threw off the yoke of oppression, stood up, and fought back. [The Stonewall Uprising] marked a new trend in the fight for civil rights for homosexuals – not just in New York but throughout the nation.” Publicity about the first Boston Gay Pride event was sparse. WBZ anchorman Tom Ellis mentioned the workshops: “Boston’s homosexual community is holding a two-day celebration this weekend.” Reporter Steve Schatz interviewed two of the organizers, Frank Morgan of HUB and Diana Travis of DOB. When Schatz asked them, “What is there to celebrate?” Morgan replied, “…. It was a question of police harassment that had been going on [at the Stonewall Inn]. One night, the police just went too far...and the homosexual community rebelled – stood up, fought back, and said, ‘no, you’re not going to step on us any longer.’ This is the first anniversary of that event, and it’s what we’re celebrating here in Boston this weekend.”

Credit: Homophile Coordinating Council of Boston, 1970.

The First Boston Pride Marches 1971 The late John Mitzel recalled in a 2012 interview, “the idea for a [Boston Pride] march was in the air” in the winter and spring of 1971. He, Charley Shively, and several others met in an apartment in the Fenway neighborhood to organize the first March. “We knew that if anyone was actually going to [organize a march], it would be us.” It’s very likely that Diane Travis and Laura McMurry were also present that day. When the March took place, it sought to highlight four oppressive institutions in Boston: the police, the government, hostile bars, and religious institutions. The March is believed to have assembled at the corner of Tremont and Boylston Streets across from the offices of the Homophile Health Center. From there, it proceeded to Jacques, a bar in Bay Village. The Rev. Magorah Kennedy, an African-American woman and member of the Pride Committee (hereafter “Pride”), read the list of demands created by many women who frequented the bar: “Because we can’t go anywhere else, because as gay women we have been especially ghettoized here in Boston, and because the conditions at gay bars are by and large determined by the straight world, those in control know they can be as oppressive as they want. Jacques is terribly crowded and a fire hazard on weekends. Women entering the bar were subject to taunts by [straight] men, who not only [took] up badly needed room but also got their kicks leering and propositioning the women here. Sanitary conditions hardly exist at all. We are effectively ghettoized, since dancing between members of the same sex and other behavior, which the law deems to call lewd and lascivious, are illegal.”

Rev. Margorah Kennedy (left) takes part in an International Women's Day march on March 6, 1971. Credit: Cambridge Women's Center

John Kyper Collection, 1971

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Credit: Anonymous, 1974

Gay Community News Photo Collection. Credit: Marge Choset, 1979

The marchers then headed to Boston Police Headquarters at the corner of Berkeley and Stanhope Streets. There, Pride member Dana Kaplan demanded, “1) That all entrapment cases cease. 2) That vague laws, such as those against loitering, disorderly conduct, and lewd and lascivious behavior not be used to harass homosexuals. 3) That the police provide protection, rather than harassment, in areas around gay bars. 4) And that the police meet with representatives of the homophile organizations to facilitate communication and implement the above demands.” The third stop was in front of the State House, where Laura McMurry insisted “1) That all the following laws pertaining to homosexuality be repealed, including Mass. Chapter 272, section 34 and 35, as well as the city ordinance against same sex dancing together. 2) That legislation be enacted to end discrimination against people in employment, housing, and in the use of public facilities because of their sexual orientation.” The marchers continued up Beacon Street and down Park Street to Tremont Street to St. Paul’s Cathedral, where Richard York, a founder and president of HUB, announced the final demands: “1) That the church accept qualified gay persons for ordination and other religious work. 2) That the church recognizes and blesses the love of homosexuals as it does for heterosexuals. 3) That the church lends its support to the reexamination of the institution of marriage and the family, which in its present form legally discriminates against homosexuals. 4) That the church lend its support to the reexamination of roles based on sex, with particular attention to the fact that its support of these sex roles has oppressed women and homosexuals.” The marchers then rallied on Boston Common at Parkman Bandstand. In an article for the Advocate, Mitzel later described a “closet smashing” at the Rally, which was “staged around a large brown closet bearing such inscriptions as ‘What if my boss finds out?’ and ‘What if my family finds out?’ Demonstrators joined hands around the structure, chanting, ‘Come out! Come out!’ Then the closet occupant suddenly emerged and bolted into the arms of someone portraying a waiting lover. The structure itself was literally torn apart amid general hilarity.” Organizers counted 300 marchers; Boston Police estimated 100-150. Turnout would be a constant debate between police and organizers for many years. Once again, there was a dance at the Charles Street Meeting House and, early Sunday morning, those attending the Christopher Street March in NYC returned to the Meeting House to board buses.

1972 The March and Rally on June 24 adopted a new route, starting in Copley Square. Organizers emphasized events over speakers (a thread that would run through Pride’s history), such as movie screenings, workshops, and forums. The workshops included “Being Jewish and Gay”, “Gay Youth”, “Gay People and the Law”, “Gay People vs. Institutions” (prisons and hospitals). Films, such as Mädchen In Uniform, a 1930s German movie about a lesbian in a girl’s school, and I Want What I Want, a film about “transvestites and transsexuals”, were shown. A candlelight march to the Charles Street Jail (now Liberty Hotel) to support gay prisoners also took place during the week. 1973 The June 16th Pride March inaugurated a route that was used

Credit: The History Project, 1980s

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until 1978. It also saw the creation of the first Parade order, starting with the Pride banner. For the first and only time, a non-gay organization, the Braintree Braves Drum and Bugle Corps, was hired to lead the March. Boston Pride crowned Sylvia Sidney, a well-known Boston drag performer, as the first Queen of the Parade. Over the weekend of June 23-24, a fire at the UpStairs Lounge, a New Orleans gay bar, killed 29 people and severely injured many others. Proceeds in the amount of $256 from a Pride event was sent to the victims of the fire. Among the

workshops were “Where Are We in the Gay Movement?”, “Transsexuals and Transvestites”, “Gay Women”, and “High School Organizing”. The first issue of Gay Community News was published in time for distribution at Pride. Participants were given sheets of paper containing chants, for instance, “come out, come out of the park wherever you are”.

1974 The focus of disagreement at the 1973 and 1974 Prides was the inclusion of drag performers, including Sylvia Sidney as Queen of the Parade. The Boston Ledger editorialized: “The parade was no more than an attention-getting device to kick off the week and to draw attention to the gay community. But it was a poorly chosen tactic, because it merely underlined the image that many people have of a homosexual as a one-dimensional drag queen.” At the March, many lesbians wore a woman-made button, “Stars and Dykes Forever”. The 1974 co-chairs were Lois Johnson from DOB and Bernie Toale, who designed the Lavender Rhino as a symbol of gay pride. Toale and two other men incorporated the name “Lavender Rhino, Inc.” as a for-profit organization. A mascot was created named Mache Rhino, who rode on a flatbed truck. The Lavender Rhino theme continued into the mid1980s. Attendance was estimated at over 1,500.

1975 – The Movement Grows The March was led by women and included a “Gay Peaceable Kingdom” float with the Lavender Rhino and other animals gathered in harmony. Another float carried the “Statue of Liberty Twins” holding hands, an image which also appeared on a button. On June 14, members of the Fort Hill Faggots, a gay commune in Roxbury, leafleted in downtown Boston, urging people to “Remember Stonewall”. They exhorted, “Gay Pride Week to reflect the spirit of Stonewall – to publically celebrate and reclaim the right to self-expression of our bodies.” Activities that year included a candlelight march to remember all gays killed during the past year, a night of “Gay History and Herstory”, and a panel discussion on improving press coverage of gay people and their neighborhoods. 1976 – “Gay Unity is Gay Strength” Over 2,000 marchers sweltered in the 93-degree heat. Women led the March again and the Lavender Rhino made its second appearance. A series of workshops were held at Harriet Tubman House on the experiences of black and Latin@ gay and lesbian people. Another workshop focused on racism within and outside the gay and lesbian community and its effects on people of color. Pride decided not to allow any businesses or bars to march because, as Gay Community News editor Lynn Rosen put it, “It was felt that the parade was to reflect the gay community mainly as a political force since gays had suffered so many political setbacks this year.” She cited the failure of the Massachusetts Democratic Party to put a gay rights plank in its platform and state and city failures to pass gay civil right bills.

1977 – “Gay Pride: Celebration. Introspection.” Anita Bryant, singer and spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission, burst onto the national political scene in 1977 by opposing a gay rights ordinance in Florida. Bryant marshaled enough opposition to defeat the ordinance but, in the process, galvanized thousands of LGBT people across the country to come out and become politically active. Pride member John Mitzel recalled years later that the 1977 Parade was noticeably bigger, with onlookers crowding the sidewalks along the route. Charles Shively, a professor at Boston State College (now UMassBoston), was the last speaker at the post-parade Rally at Parkman Bandstand. He strode up to the podium, wearing his Harvard doctoral cap and gown. Activist and writer Freddie Greenfield held up a large wok and lit it on fire. As the flames shot into the afternoon air, Shively

brandished his Harvard diploma and threw it into the wok, condemning his alma mater for its treatment of gay students. He then threw in his draft and health insurance cards, while excoriating the government and medical profession. Finally, with great fanfare, he picked up a bible and read from Leviticus 20:13, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination…” Shively paused, held up the Bible, and tossed it into the fire. Some members of gay religious groups, including Dignity, Integrity, and the Metropolitan Community Church, were “visibly angry” at Shively for casting the Bible into the flames. A few rushed the stage while others shouted at Shively to get off the stage. For the next few weeks, letters were sent to the Gay Community News and Esplanade, some supporting and others condemning Shively. Pride finished in the black in 1977, with $1,355.

1978 – “We Are Everywhere and We Will Be Free” Both the name of the week leading up to the Parade and its route were changed. Gay Pride Week was now Lesbian and Gay Pride Week. The Rally enjoyed a large turnout of over 7,000, but was purposely more sedate than in 1977. Politicians and religious leaders were not invited to speak but some of them, including Mel King, Barney Frank, Elaine Noble, and Larry DiCara, sent letters that were read to the crowd. Three of the speakers were Linda Crawford of the Gay Business Association, Ed Mede of the Boston/Boise Committee, who was arrested in the so-called Revere Sex Ring case, and Kate Gyllensvard from Lavender Resistance. A letter was read from incarcerated activist Susan Saxe. Some marchers, including elementary school teachers, wore bags over their heads to illustrate the danger they faced if they came out. Issues that year included the refusal of the State Department of Public Welfare to provide support to Project Lambda, the oldest gay youth program in Boston, as well as Governor Michael Dukakis’s refusal to proclaim an “Annual Gay Pride Week” or to sign a gay rights bill. 1979 On June 16, the temperature reached 93 degrees, which may have adversely affected attendance, estimated at 5,000. Pride co-chairs Joe Interrante (who helped found The History Project in February 1980) and Kathy Travers were concerned that Pride Week events were too oriented to white, middle-class men, despite the increase in lesbian attendance. Planning meetings were held at Harriet Tubman House as a way to address the needs of working-class gays and racial minorities. The Rally was broadcast on WBCN-FM and 89.9, an MIT radio station. Speakers included Beverly Smith and Ellie Johnson of the Combahee River Collective, a black lesbian feminist group, Gail Bradley of Parents of Gays, and Armando Gaitan of the October 4th Coalition, who urged everyone to attend the upcoming National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

The 1980s – Reagan in Washington and the Specter of AIDS 1980 – “All Our Voices, All Our Visions” Pride co-chairs Tom Chiodo and Beth Kelly held 21 weekly meetings leading up to Pride. Women and men were represented on the committee in equal numbers for the first time. During the week, The History Project hosted slideshows at Boston University and the bars Somewhere and Playland, covering 350 years of gay and lesbian history. Nearly every lesbian and gay organization in Boston was represented in the Parade. An estimated 8,000 people attended the Rally.

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1981 In early June, on the threshold of Pride, Boston Mayor Kevin White dismissed Robin McCormack, the city’s first liaison to the gay and lesbian community. White blamed budget cuts, but many activists questioned how significant McCormack’s $12,000 salary was to the city’s budget. A quickly organized demonstration was held in front of Parkman House on Beacon Hill, an elegant city-owned brownstone favored by White as his “home away from home”. As it happened, the upcoming Parade was slated to march right in front of Parkman House, much to the City’s displeasure. The City went to court to force a lastminute route change but was rebuffed by Judge Paul Connolly, who issued an injunction against the City the day before the March. The City quickly appealed, but Judge Charlotte Anne Perretta upheld the lower court’s ruling. The Parade marched past Parkman House without incident. Members of New York’s Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee were Parade Grand Marshals. A contingent, apparently related to the New York group, carried a sign, “The Original Stonewall Gang: We Started It All”.

Gay Community News Photo Collection. Credit: Susan Fleischmann, 1981

1982 – “It’s a Nice Day To Be Out” The theme proclaimed it “a nice day to be out” but the weather could have been better. Despite the rain, turnout reached 13,000. The mayor’s office brought better news this year, as Mayor White signed an executive order banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. However, the ban would only be in effect during his administration and Mayor White was soon leaving office. In addition, Mayor White re-instated the liaison position by hiring Brian McNaught to replace McCormack. McNaught, Kate Silver of Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth (BAGLY), and David Scondras, out activist running to become the first openly gay Boston city councilor (he went on to win), figured among the Rally speakers. 1983 – AIDS Causes Shock and Fear Though AIDS was be-

Gay Community News Photo Collection. Credit: Debbie Rich, 1984

coming better known in the community, it was not until the 1983 March that the alarm was sounded about the coming catastrophe. Even the surge in attendance to 18,000 was seen as a sign that people wanted to come together out of fear and confusion. Several days before the March, more than 600 people attended an open meeting at Faneuil Hall on the effects of AIDS within Boston’s gay community. At the Rally, Amy Hoffman eloquently expressed the sadness and anger felt by many: “In addition to the fear and horror I feel about the physical danger my gay brothers face, I’m worried about our whole community and movement…We must resist the feeling that AIDS means this exploration, this path to liberation, was wrong. This feeling comes from homophobia: haven’t they always told us we are sick, sinful, and disposable people?” The AIDS Action Committee fielded a large contingent in the March, with a huge green banner commemorating those who had already died of AIDS.

1984 – The Camel Does Not Look Well After polling partic-

Credit: Anonymous, 1985

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ipants, Pride found dissatisfaction regarding the number of speakers at the Rally: “The criticism was leaning strongly toward less speakers and more entertainment.” Pride obtained permission from the City to enclose the ball field on Boston Common for hot air balloon rides and rides on a reluctant camel. They asked for a one-dollar donation to offset the cost of the day. But this did not sit well with everyone. “We’ve already paid to be gay,” Ann Holder told GCN, responding to the festival admission charge. “It’s a depoliticization of the whole thing, making it into a gay trade fair.” Unfortunately, the hot air balloon literally did not get off the ground due to mechanical problems. As for the camel, some people felt it did not look well and was perhaps bothered by the humidity (despite being a camel) and loud crowd noises.

1985 By 1985, it was clear that President Ronald Reagan had no intention of addressing the mounting scourge of AIDS. Government funding for research was slow in coming and there was no cure in sight. This may have accounted for another increase in Pride attendance, this time to over 20,000. Many people knew someone with the disease and for those who did not, every day was a waiting game for signs of the first skin lesion or a persistent cold. Governor Michael Dukakis, prepared for a presidential run in part by distancing himself from the lesbian and gay community. In 1983, he had initiated a policy that required information on the “sexual preferences” of prospective foster parents in order to place children with “traditional families”.

1986 – “Forward Together” After four years in office, President Reagan finally mentioned the word “AIDS”. His friend, actor Rock Hudson, had died of AIDS-related complications the previous October. A crowd of 34,000 turned out for the March. In response to antigay adoption policies of the Dukakis administration, the Gay and Lesbian Defense Committee urged members to place dozens of stickers outside the State House that read, “Foster Equality”. That year, John Bush, a black gay activist, called the Boston gay community “painfully exclusive”, citing incidents at bars like Chaps, which, he said, required multiple IDs from people of color and femme lesbians.

1987 – “Out For Good” A banner with the Lavender Rhinoceros and pink triangle was raised at City Hall with the approval of then Mayor Raymond Flynn. This was the first time in the US that a flag in honor of the LGBT community was raised on municipal property. Pride member David Knauf commented, “The flag is symbolic; we picked a rhinoceros because it has a tough hide but is a peaceful animal unless provoked.” The Flag Raising is a tradition continued to this day, Gay Community News Photo Collection. now using the rainbow Credit: Debbie Rich, 1987 flag based on a design by Gilbert Baker. The starting point of the March was changed to City Hall Plaza, resulting in widespread confusion and, at times, a disjointed parade. An effigy of Governor Dukakis, erected in front of the State House, was plastered with the now ubiquitous “Foster Equality” stickers. Six hundred green balloons were released at the rally in memory of the 600 Massachusetts residents lost to AIDS in the previous five years. A crowd of 40,000 watched Moving Violations Motorcycle Club (MVMC) lead the march. The Parade included groups protesting Governor Dukakis’ ban on gay foster parents: the Gay and Lesbian Defense Committee and Lesbians Choosing Children. Boston City Councilor Scondras excoriated the governor: “By excluding homosexuals from foster parenthood, Dukakis is saying that there is something fundamentally bad about the character of lesbians and gay men.”

1988 – “Rightfully Proud” Act/Up Boston marched in the Parade with a black coffin and black balloons, drawing attention to the needless deaths of thousands, who lacked an effective treatment, much less a cure, for AIDS. At the Rally, Mass Act Out had a carnival game: for a dollar, a person could throw an egg at a photo of Governor Dukakis. Some women went topless during the Parade and Rally, wearing only strategically placed “Foster Equality” stickers. The Names Project had a display of quilts lovingly made for individuals who had died of AIDS at the Park Plaza Castle in Park Square. Among the Rally speakers were Robyn Ochs of the Boston Bisexual Women’s Network, John Manzor from the Alliance of Mass Asian and Lesbian and Gay Men (AMALGM), and John Bush of Men of All Colors Together. 1989 – “A Generation of Pride” Ann Sanders, Mayor Ray Flynn’s liaison to the community, announced that the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center would open at 338 Newbury Street. Some expressed disagreement with Pride’s decision to omit “bisexual” from its official name. Mathew Hayes explained that Pride did not want “an infinite name”, and that “‘bisexual’ was included in lesbian and gay”. Mass Act Out sold t-shirts that read “The First Gay Pride Was A Riot” and hung a large clock on the gates of the State House, inviting people to record events important to them in the last 20 years. Even as a record 60,000 people participated in the March, Warren Blumenfeld perceived a loss of historical knowledge in the community: “There are a lot of young people who have never heard of Stonewall; we are losing our history over a short period of time.” To signify the generations, the Pride March began with youth from BAGLY, followed by the Prime Timers, an older men’s organization, and DOB. Pride Still Matters 1990 – “Proud of Our Past, Looking to the Future” LGBT people were on the defensive in Massachusetts as Pride Week began. State Representative Steve Pierce (R-Westfield) introduced a bill to ban lesbian and gay people from being foster parents. Earlier that year, legislation had also been filed to repeal the lesbian and gay civil rights law by statewide referendum. But Attorney General Jim Shannon disallowed the proposal based on its wording. Pride incorporated as a taxexempt organization in April 1990, calling itself Lavender Rhino, Inc. Notably, Mayor Ray Flynn was one of the Rally speakers. A record 80,000 people turned out to enjoy the March, including a large contingent from BAGLY, who chanted, “Three-five-seven-nine, gay kids are mighty fine.”

1991 – “Together In Pride” In a moving reminder of the gross lack of funding for AIDS care and research, a group of Act/Up Boston activists completed a three-day vigil at Massachusetts General Hospital. At its conclusion, they joined the March. This was part of the “18 Months Campaign” to expose the lack of commitment from the US government to fight the disease, which still had no effective treatment. In a June 1991 issue of Gay Community News, Steve Karpf made the case for a permanent Pride celebration: “One common statement [of attendees] is that Pride is a positive opportunity for our community to speak to heterosexuals about who we are. The diversity of messages delivered during the Pride March – from El Comite Latino y sus Amigos, Moving Violations, Daughters of Bilitis, and Gay Fathers of Boston, to name a few – is by itself a refusal to be neatly categorized under a stereotypical or limited definition of being queer.” Former Boston activist Urvashi Vaid, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, spoke at the Rally.

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1992 – “Pride Equals Power: A Simple Matter of Justice” Despite a major route change in 1992, for the first time over 100,000 attended Pride. For years, the Parade went through Charles Street on Beacon Hill. But the Charles Street Merchants Association, led by a gay man, argued that the March crowded out shoppers. That year, police also wanted the March to bypass a Tremont Street clinic, where antichoice activists were picketing. They feared a clash between Pride marchers and anti-choice protesters. Rosemary Dunn Dalton, board member of the Greater Boston Lesbian/Gay Alliance, argued that the route include the Tremont Street clinic. “I think it’s important that we show support for the clinic.” Ellen Convisser, president of the Massachusetts Chapter of NOW, condemned the route change, as did David LaFontaine, lobbying director for the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The latter suggested that people defy Pride’s decision. In the end, the route change remained in effect, though some LGBT people gathered to support the clinic on the old route.

1993 – “A Family of Pride” On the Friday before Pride, a group Credit: Anonymous, 1990

Assorted Pride buttons, 1970s-1990s

of lesbians gathered at Parkman Bandstand to hear speeches and music. Gunner Scott of the Lesbian Avengers led a group of fire swallowers. At the time, the South End was the unrivaled gay neighborhood in Boston, especially for men. For the first time, the Parade route snaked through the gentrified neighborhood of stately Victorian brownstones. Turning the corner onto Tremont Street, where the crowds were the thickest and loudest, became a memorable moment for marchers, as applause often turned to roars. That year, politics gave way to entertainment, as a weeklong celebration of LGBT achievement in the arts was implemented for the first time. Joe Martini, who, along with Janet Kyle, headed up Pride, said, “The big difference this year is the weeklong celebration of gay community achievements, especially in the arts.” Pride member, Elaine Noble, first openly gay politician elected in Massachusetts in 1974, asserted that after polling the community, it was clear they wanted “less politics and more entertainment”. Still, David Mixner, who had ties to newly elected President Bill Clinton, hosted a Town Hall meeting at Faneuil Hall. Some onlookers bemoaned the large number of businesses in the March.

1994 – “A Global Celebration of Pride/ 25th Anniversary of Pride” Grand Marshals David Scondras (first openly gay Boston city councilor) and Ann Maguire (lesbian activist and Mayor Flynn’s liaison to the LGBT community) represented what little remained of politics at the Parade. For the second year, a Pride Week was held, with a Lesbian Pride Party on City Hall Plaza, a Town Hall hosted by noted author Martin Duberman, and a movie at the Hatch Shell. Only seven speakers were allowed at the post-parade Rally. Jim Baily and Georgia Ragsdale performed.

1995 – “From Silence to Celebration” By 1995, the lack of a

Gay Community News Photo Collection. Credit: Susan Fleischmann, 1991

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political component in the Parade drew louder complaints. In a letter to Bay Windows, Cindy Rizzo argued, “we can have politics and fun.” Attorney and gay activist Don Gorton wrote inThe Boston Phoenix that the growing numbers of out people produced more divergent opinions. “Queer Nation and Log Cabin Republicans vie to guide the agenda (now).” Two major “firsts” occurred in 1995. The Lesbian Avengers’ inaugural Dyke March began in Roxbury and joined the Parade. For years, some lesbians felt excluded from the largely male Pride Parade and alienated from its lack of political focus. “There’s a different energy being all women and all dykes,” said participant Sarah Shreeves. The first Gay/Straight Youth Pride was also held a month before Pride, fea-

turing several speakers and skits performed on the theme of acceptance. It has been held annually since 1995. The Rally was held far away from the Parade that year on Lederman Field, on the east end of the Esplanade. Many participants said the location diminished numbers and visibility. David Van Hoy, in a letter to Bay Windows, urged Pride to return the March to Charles Street, away from the “gay ghetto” of the South End.

1996 – “Pride Without Borders” A turnout estimated at over 150,000 witnessed “bedgate” and “man-on-stilts”, two controversial incidents that would be discussed all summer. A third controversy, the alleged mishandling of Pride funds, would bring change to the Board. Just after Pride 1995, 11 members of Pride sent a letter to the Board demanding the ouster of the Chairman. They alleged that he had mishandled funds, including several thousand dollars raised from an event on the Esplanade, and that he failed to award two vacation packages donated by Five Star Travel. The Chairman resigned, citing personal reasons. An unknown man on stilts marched along the sidelines of the Parade flashing his genitals at the crowd. A group of Lesbian Avengers marched next to a float with a mattress on which two women simulated sex acts. Some of the women did not wear bras. While many onlookers took both stunts in stride, others were outraged. Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who regularly marched in the Parade, was not amused: “… anyone making such displays in the future will be arrested.” Bay Windows editor Jeff Eperly wrote two editorials condemning the Lesbian Avengers and “stilt-man”, as well as “the far left” for “equating their actions with liberation”. But writer E.J. Graff contended that these acts were no more emblematic of the community than “if two straight people flashed at a straight event”. Pride issued the following statement after the Parade: “As Pride is an inclusive family and community event, inappropriate and unlawful behavior will not be condoned.”

1997 – “Stand Out, Stand Up, Stand Together” A couple of days before the March, it seemed that the media, especially the Boston Globe, was fixated on the controversies of the prior year. The Boston Police warned that no inappropriate behavior would be tolerated and that women going topless would be arrested, even though attorney Don Gorton point out in a column that Boston had no law against toplessness. If that wasn’t enough, police warned gay men that a serial killer named Andrew Cunanan may be hiding out in Boston, though there was no reason to believe he was in the city at this time. A record crowd estimated at 200,000 came, some out of curiosity about what they might see. Acknowledging complaints that the Parade had become too apolitical, its name was officially changed to “March”. The History Project’s exhibit “Public Faces/Private Lives” was mounted at the Boston Center for the Arts. The Boston Globe described it as “a 375 year time line that juxtaposes a culture of same-sex affection and sex against the forces of disapproval”. Dyke March attendance surpassed 400.

Libby Bouvier is an archivist with The History Project and a member of the Board. She is the Archivist for the Massachusetts State Court system.

1998 – “Retro Pride: Celebrate the Past; Create the Future” Rain saturated Boston in the spring. Commencements were moved indoors or shortened and, for the first time, Pride was postponed. Sabrina Taylor and other organizers were forced to move the Parade to July 11, but by that time people had made other plans. Pride turnout was significantly reduced. Grumblings were heard around town that maybe Pride had run its course. The Tab published an article, “Pride at a Crossroads”, describing Pride as burned out and deeply in the red. Vincent McCarthy, who had served on earlier Pride committees, said it was being “run into the ground”. Some called for a full-time paid organizer, while others said it was time to shelve Pride altogether. In the end, Harry Collings and other business leaders bailed out Pride, erasing its $30,000 deficit. Pride would go on. On the positive side, the first Miss Massachusetts Gay Latina Pageant was held, initiating a tradition that lasted many years. The event was part of an annual celebration of Latin@ Pride sponsored by Somos Latinos. Unity Pride (disbanded in the mid-2000s), a group organized to represent people of color at Pride, began this year and put on events with Men of All Colors Together. The need for Unity Pride was best summed up by Rev. Irene Monroe in a later article: “Black Pride dances to a different beat. Sunday gospel brunches, Saturday night poetry slams, Friday evening fashion shows…the smell of soul food, Caribbean cuisines and the beautiful display of African art and clothing are just a few of the cultural markers that made Black Pride distinctly different.”

1999 Under blue skies and a warm breeze, newscaster Randy Price and activist Candace Gingrich (sister of Speaker Newt Gingrich) presided as Grand Marshals. A dispute erupted minutes before the start, when a group of Lesbian Avengers attempted to enter the Parade with a bed on a pushcart. Due to the mattress incident three years earlier, Pride and the Boston Police agreed to ban mattresses in the Parade. The Avengers were blocked from pushing the bed along the route. Some of the women ended up taking the bed off the pushcart and carrying it the entire stretch of the Parade with some help from women onlookers. Pride asserted that the Lesbian Avengers never had a permit to march with the bed. A small controversy occurred when minutes before the March began, MVMC attempted to take its traditional spot at the head of the parade. But that year, Pride wanted a group of lesbian mothers at the front. Pride relented when MVMC cited safety concerns. Motorcycles wedged between other marching groups were seen as a hazard, but one Pride member remained unhappy about the last-minute change: “It’s the Pride Parade, not the Moving Violations Parade.”

2000 and Beyond For the unabridged version, including the Prides of the new millennium, visit www.bostonpride.org/history.

Mark Krone is a regular contributor to Boston Spirit Magazine on Boston LGBT history. He has been a volunteer at The History Project for 15 years.

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SISTER PRIDES

Credits: Boston Dyke March, South Coast Equality Pride and Rhode Island Pride.

New England Prides Come out and support our sister Prides in 2015!

Northampton Pride (“Noho Pride”) May 2 | Northampton, MA | www.site.nohopride.org Congratulations to Noho Pride for a successful 2015 celebration at the beginning of May!

Boston Dyke March June 12 | Boston, MA | www.bostondykemarch.com The 2015 Boston Dyke March will gather at 6:00PM at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common. Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the March and Rally will follow at 7PM. ASL interpretation will be available, and the event is fully wheelchair, stroller, and scooter accessible. Additionally, an accessibility vehicle will be at the disposal of those requiring a ride for all or part of the March. The Boston Dyke March is for everyone!

Pride Portland! June 12-20 | Portland, ME | www.prideportland.org Pride Portland! will be, for the second year, the hosts of Pride in Maine’s largest city. They have planned ten days of celebration, in partnership with local organizations such as Outright, EqualityMaine, SAGE, and Maine Transnet, in an effort to make all events accessible to the entire community. This year’s Parade theme is “One World, One Love, One Family”. The Festival will be held at Deering Oaks Park.

134 | Boston Pride 2015

North Shore Pride June 15-20 | Salem, MA | www.northshorepride.org The 4th annual North Shore Pride celebration will adopt the theme “Standing Proud Together”. The festivities will include a luncheon ( June 15), Pride movie nights ( June 17 and 18), and an Interfaith Pride Service ( June 19). The weeklong program will conclude with North Shore Pride’s flagship events on June 20: the Pride Parade, honoring OUTVETS as Grand Marshal, the Pride Festival on the Salem Common, and the Pride After Party!

RI PrideFest & Illuminated Night Parade

(“Rhode Island Pride”)

June 20 | Providence, RI | www.prideRI.com The Rhode Island PrideFest will once again be held on South Water Street in Providence ( June 20), and will feature the Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden, a Kids Zone, and the Vendor Marketplace. On stage, live performances by American Idol 1st runner-up Crystal Bowersox, Pearl and The Beard, RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Shannel, and Sir Ari Gold will delight the 30,000+ festival goers! The Illuminated Night Parade kicks off at dusk after PrideFest, and winds through the streets of downtown Providence. After the Parade, don’t miss out on a robust offering of nighttime block parties all over town!

South Coast Equality Pride Date TBD | New Bedford, MA | www.facebook.com/SouthCoastEquality The South Coast Equality Pride celebration is held annually in downtown historic New Bedford, Massachusetts. While the 2015 date of the celebration has not been announced at press time, the event has typically been held on the last Saturday in June. Join the community in beautiful Southeastern Massachusetts for a day of family fun! South Coast Equality Pride is a project of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts.

Bangor Pride Festival Date TBD | Bangor, ME | www.facebook.com/BangorPrideFestival The Bangor Pride Festival is held annually at Pickering Square, in Bangor, Northern Maine. While the 2015 date of the celebration has not been announced at press time, the event has typically been held on the last week in June. Visit their Facebook page to learn more!

New London Pride Festival August 29-30 | New London, CT | www.outct.org The third edition of the New London Pride Festival will be held on the last weekend of August, with a celebration in Downtown New London (August 29) followed by another at Ocean Beach Park (August 30)! OutCT, the non-profit organization that produces the Pride Festival, also organizes events year round for the LGBT community in Southeastern Connecticut. From art exhibits and educational forums to drag shows and days at the beach, there’s something for everyone!

Pride Vermont September 6-13 | Burlington, VT | www.PRIDEvermont.com The motto of the 2015 Pride Vermont week of events is “Shine”, a theme chosen to celebrate the personal and collective triumphs of the LGBT community. Starting with the Annual High Heel Race on Church Street (September 6), the celebration will include a Gender Pride Speaker Event featuring trans activist Julia Serano (September 9), and an Interfaith Service (September 10). The festivities will conclude on September 13 with the Pride Parade from Church Street to Battery Park, as well as the Pride Festival and the 5th Annual Northern Decadence Food & Travel Expo, both at Battery Park. This year’s local entertainment will include aerial performance group Fierce Circus and special guests The Glamazons, a girl group made famous on America’s Got Talent.

Worcester Pride September 9-12 | Worcester, MA | www.worcesterpride.org “Love Will Keep Us Together!” is the community-selected theme for the 2015 Worcester Pride celebration. The week of events will start with the Kick-Off Dinner (September 9). Then, the Flag Raising ceremony will be held at Worcester City Hall, followed by the Lighting of Union Station (September 10). The next evening, the genderneutral Pageant will return to crown Ms. and Mr. Worcester Pride and Miss Gay Worcester 2015 (September 11). Worcester Pride will conclude on September 12 with a day (and night!) filled with events: the Pride Parade, the Pride Festival on Worcester Common, the Pride Block Party on Kelley Square, the Pride Youth Dance at the YWCA of Central Massachusetts, and the Pride on the Street After Party in the Canal District.

Springfield Pride

Getaway

September 17-22 | Springfield, MA | www.facebook.com/SpringfieldMassPride A grass-roots collaboration between members of diverse Western Massachusetts-based organizations (such as Tapestry Health, Oz/XRoom/Pure Nightclubs, the Imperial Court of Western Mass, Bearhampton), the Springfield Mass Pride Committee produces a diverse series of events. The 2015 celebration will include a Flag Raising ceremony, an LGBT Hall of Fame Reception, a Pride Festival, an Open Mic night, an LGBT film night, the third annual Triple Corona Pageant (held by the Imperial Court of Western Mass), and the fourth annual “Love Unites-Springfield Pride” Interfaith Service.

Providence, Rhode Island shines bright year-round. Whether you want a romantic getaway, a fun-filled friends’ weekend, or a dream wedding, Providence makes your vacation a snap. Plan your trip to Providence and see our Glambassador Haley Star’s tips for a great getaway by visiting GoProvidence.com.

PROVIDENCE THE CREATIVE CAPITAL Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau 1.800.233.1636 | GoProvidence.com | info@GoProvidence.com

Credit: Pride Vermont

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PRIDE WEEK

Meet the All-Volunteer Boston Pride 2015 Team Lucky Belcamino Lucky has been volunteering in many capacities for Boston Pride since 2004. She has served as chair of the JP Block Party and Festival Entertainment. She currently co-leads Pride Day @ Faneuil Hall. Lucky is Founder and Retired National President of the East Coast Biker Chicks, West Coast Biker Chicks, and Gulf Coast Biker Chicks motorcycle clubs. She currently is Owner/Chef at the Belcamino Catering Company and Co-founder, along with her wife Candace, of New England Paranormal Society, an all-female ghost hunting and paranormal investigation team. She is a community activist for many charitable, non-profit organizations, including the LLS of Massachusetts. She is a stepmom of two (Rachel and Rebecca) and mother of four (Olive Tredici Belcamino, Santino Houdini “Boo” Belcamino, Andover Harold Parker “Andy” Belcamino, and Riley Belcamino). Lucky is an avid fan of the Red Sox and Patriots and is a nationally ranked poker player.

Anthony Bovenzi aka Nikita Le Femme Anthony has worked with Prides across the country and is proud to be working with Boston Pride this year. As Pageant Chair, he is proud to reintroduce the Mr. & Miss Boston Pride Pageant, with some great changes. Anthony has been performing since he was 18 and competing in and running pageants for a decade. He has been attending Boston Pride for eight years.

Sylvain Bruni Sylvain is President of Boston Pride. He has been involved with Pride since 2004. Working first as a volunteer for several events, he went on to coordinate the Pride Parade (2005-2006) and the Back Bay Block Party (2007-2009). He joined the Board of Directors in 2007 to supervise the organization’s information technology, security, and communications. Sylvain was Co-chair of the 2012 Annual World Conference of InterPride (the International Association of Pride Organizers), held in Boston. Sylvain is also involved in the French community. In 2014, he was elected Consular Councilor to represent the 15,000+ French citizens who live in New England, for a six-year mandate. Professionally, Sylvain is Senior Human Systems Engineer and leads the Cognitive Systems Integration research area at Aptima, Inc. Sylvain holds an SM in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and a Diplôme d’Ingénieur from the Ecole Supérieure d’Electricité (Supélec, France). 142 | Boston Pride 2015

Malcolm Carey Malcolm joined Boston Pride in 2004. Over the years, he has been heavily involved in the myriad logistical aspects of Boston Pride’s events. In 2007 and 2008, he coordinated the Boston Pride Parade and in 2008 joined the Board of Directors. He now serves as Boston Pride’s in-house bookkeeper and is heavily involved in the finance committee and corporate governance. Malcolm holds a degree in International Relations from Hawai’i Pacific University and has been working as an accounting professional in the Boston area since 2002. Malcolm’s hobbies include weightlifting, gardening, crochet, and video games.

Charlene Charles Charlene is Lead Organizer for the New England Professional Queer Women of Color group. She organizes both fun and educational events within the LGBT community, bridging many of the gaps and divides between organizations and communities. Charlene is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. She’s witty, smart, and can chameleon herself at any gathering. Her background and knowledge of Carnival traditions and customs brings added value to the Carnival theme for 2015 Black and Latin@ Pride. Charlene works as Contracts Administrator for an environmental and economic consulting firm in Cambridge. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Suffolk University and a Master’s in Management, specializing in Research Administration, from Emmanuel College. From 2009 to 2011, she served as Events Coordinator for a non-profit, where she organized its website launch and fundraising artist showcase. Since 2008, she has volunteered with the AIDS Action Committee for many of its key annual events.

Peter Costanza Peter is thrilled to be volunteering for Boston Pride for his fifth year. He currently serves as Festival Stage Manager for the organization, working around the clock with entertainment to bring only the best lineup for the festival. A Boston native, he currently studies at Suffolk University pursuing a BA in Music Business/Management and Theater, with plans to expand his studies on the West Coast. In addition to supporting Boston Pride, he enjoys traveling, being a live music junkie, and language studies.

Credit: Bethany Versoy

Linda DeMarco

Linda has been a member of Boston Pride for over 17 years and a member of its Executive Board for 15 years. Currently, Linda is Vice President of Boston Pride, overseeing many projects. Linda is also Treasurer of InterPride and Vice President of the Merchants Association of Faneuil Hall. Among Linda’s accolades, she received the David Lafontaine Award for Excellence in Commitment to LGBT Youth (Friends of LGBT Youth), a GOAL New England Community Service Award, and the Abigail Adams Award from Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus for her outstanding work in the LGBT community. Linda is the owner of Boston Pretzel Bakery, Inc., a small business in Boston celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Linda enjoys spending time with her wife Anna and family.

Jessie DeStefano Jessie joined the Boston Pride team in 2014. She is Human Rights and Education Chair. She currently serves as Treasurer of Center Global, an organization in Washington, D.C. that provides support for LGBT asylum seekers, and is a member of the LGBT-Freedom and Asylum Network. Jessie is a Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Rockland County, New York. She holds degrees from Georgetown University ( JD) and American University (BA). Credit: Joel Benjamin

Anna Dubrowski

Anna has worked in retail management and in education. She enjoys traveling, meeting people, and spending time with family. She has a voracious passion for knowledge and with that obtained a BA in Economics from Framingham State University and an MEd from Cambridge College. She currently works as a teacher. She has been volunteering for Boston Pride and with other community enhancing organizations. Anna volunteered as crowd control for the Boston Pride Parade for many years until she decided to formally join the Committee in 2001. In her tenure as a volunteer, she has organized and computerized Pride’s archives and worked on various projects and events, including festival registration and the logistics of the block parties.

Lauren Elwell Lauren is 17 years old and attends Whittier Tech High School. This is her second year on the Boston Pride Youth Team. She had tons of fun planning and performing at the Boston Pride Youth Dance last year and is very excited to be helping plan again for this upcoming Pride season. Her goal is for the youth to have a great time during this year to come.

Stacy Elwell Stacy, proud LGBT-supporting mom of Boston Pride’s Youth Team since 2013. She has been supporting the members of the Youth Team by chaperoning dances, assisting in planning dances and events, and bringing in performers to entertain at such events. Her goal is to help these youth have a safe place just to live and to be themselves.

Michael Anthony Fowler Michael has volunteered for Boston Pride in various capacities since Summer 2007. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the organization’s official annual publication, the Boston Pride Guide. Michael was recently elected Vice President of the Foundation for International Justice, whose Promise Place School Initiative aims to create safe, permanent residential campuses for homeless queer youth in the Bay State and beyond. An art historian and archaeologist, Michael was educated at Columbia University (MPhil, MA), Tufts University (MA), Harvard University (MTS), and The Colorado College (BA). He lives in Medford with his partner of eight years, Sylvain Bruni, and their gray tabby son, Torin. In addition to community service, Michael devotes his spare time to cooking, traveling, and the arts.

Ed Hurley Ed Hurley is Manager of the Boston Pride Guide. A new member of the Committee, Ed’s job is to assist in the smooth production of the magazine and to ensure that it is properly distributed throughout New England. Outside of Pride, Ed is Marketing Director at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Previously, he worked as both Marketing Director and Show Director for a series of wine events, including the Boston Wine Expo and the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival. He enjoys his spare time with his partner of twenty-two years, Kenny Elie.

Martha Plaza Martha joined Boston Pride as a Parade Section Leader in 2008. In 2010, she joined the Parade Committee and quickly moved into the role of Parade Chair, a position she has held since then. In the daytime, Martha works at Veristat, a full service CRO that services pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. At Veristat, Martha is Director of Project Management, working closely with clients to manage their clinical trials. In addition to her love for Boston Pride, she also volunteers at Acadia National Park doing trail work and enjoys bringing the skills she learns at Acadia down to Massachusetts, where she volunteers at the Trustees of Reservations as well as the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.

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PRIDE WEEK

Tammy Plaza Tammy has volunteered with Boston Pride since 2008, starting as a section leader. In 2010 she joined the Parade Committee, on which she continues to serve. This year, she has taken on the additional role as Youth Dance Chair. During the day, Tammy serves as Clinical Counselor at You, Inc., working with teen girls. She has turned her passion for kids into an Associate Degree in Human Services and currently attends Worcester State University part-time in pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her wife Martha.

Tina Rosado Tina has been a longtime committee member with Boston Pride, acting as a coordinator and volunteer for several fundraising and social events, including the St. James Street Block Party. In addition to her work with Pride, Tina was a delegate for InterPride. When not volunteering for Pride, Tina works for a semi-private internal medicine practice affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts General Hospital LGBT resource group, which aims to educate the Mass General community about LGBT health issues and to create an environment that is supportive of LGBT employees, patients, families, friends, and allies.

Nikki Sanders This is Boston native Nikki’s first year volunteering for Boston Pride. She has been hard at work on Black Pride programming. A graduate of Wellesley College and Boston College Law School, Nikki worked as a lawyer for a corporate law firm before pursuing her own practice on Beacon Hill for 11 years. She is a proud mom, business consultant, and owner of Afro Puffs Entertainment.

Robin Schubert Bar owner, mixologist, and wife of Board member Staci Stift, Robin got involved with Pride to spend more time with her dedicated partner and to give back to the community. An active member of the United States Bartenders Guild, a BarSmarts Advanced Certified graduate, and a studying Pre-Sommelier, Robin has a passion for the party and all things boozy! She brings a wealth of experience to her work on the Beverage and Entertainment Teams.

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Staci Stift Staci is a member of the Board and is currently Entertainment Director for the organization. Staci has been involved with Pride organizations for over 16 years in several cities, including St. Louis, San Diego, and Nashville. Along with her partner, she is one of the owners of Absolutli Goosed, a lounge in St. Louis; she has been involved in the bar industry for several years and has owned Absolutli Goosed for over seven years. Staci grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She and her wife have been together for eleven years and have a wonderful eightyear-old son. Staci holds a Bachelor of Business from Belmont University and has over 20 years of marketing, business, and fundraising experience.

Marco A. Torres Marco sits on the Board of Directors of Boston Pride. He is a life-long resident of the City of Boston. In 2005, he entered public service by being appointed by the Mayor of Boston, Thomas M. Menino, as Neighborhood Coordinator for South End/Bay Village; then, in 2006, he was appointed City-Wide Liaison to the Latino Community. During his time in the Menino administration Marco also served as interim LGBT City-Wide Liaison. Currently, Marco is Program Supervisor at the BCYF-Blackstone Community Center in the South End. Marco is of Puerto Rican descent. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, and volunteering.

Jhanea Williams Jha D is founder of the “if you can Feel It, you can Speak It” Open Mic, which is the first monthly open mic in Boston dedicated to the voices of the LGBTQIA communities of color. Additionally, she is the dreamer of EN-ER-GY, an annual fundraising celebration of eclectic Boston-based artists. She has been writing, performing and organizing for over 10 years, and is excited to join the 2015 Black Pride Team because she believes in making and maintaining space for the aforementioned communities. Anthony Benham, Youth Team Steven Cullipher, Merchandise Manager and Newsletter Coordinator DJ 2Nyce, Youth Team and Black and Latin@ Pride Team DJ K-Star, Youth Team and Black and Latin@ Pride Team Jacob Hall, Youth Team Angela "EnKore" Haynes, Youth Team Vionet Montano, Black and Latin@ Pride Team Prince, Black and Latin@ Pride Team Eddie Ramos, Black and Latin@ Pride Team Lou Raymond, Video Manager Fern Remedi-Brown, Committee Member Barbara Samulevich, Donations Coordinator Star (Angela Bellamy), Black and Latin@ Pride Team

S U P PO RT E R S

Thank you to our 2015 partners and friends

Sylvain Bruni & Michael Anthony Fowler, Linda DeMarco & Anna Dubrowski, Boston Pretzel Bakery, Malcolm Carey & Russ Deloge, Staci Stift & Robin Schubert, Aptima, Martha & Tammy Plaza, BosGuy, Matthew Van Buskirk, Kristen Porterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dyke Night, Keri Aulita, Harry Collings, Dana Bauer, and Fast Freddy Murphy. 45th Anniversary - #WickedProud | 145

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