‘Be yourself’: Thousands march in Boston’s Pride Parade

BOSTON — Thousands of people marched Saturday in what has become a decades long tradition of empowerment, celebration, commemoration, and education in Boston.

Boston’s Pride for the People Parade kicked off at 11 Saturday morning with 300 different organizations participating.

Governor Maura Healey, Senator Ed Markey, Mayor Michelle Wu, and Pride for the People organizers marked the official start of the parade with a ribbon cutting.

“This is a place that has always stood up for truth, for what we need in the future, and for doing what’s right,” Mayor Wu said.

The parade began in Copley Square and finished at the Boston Common.

“It’s the best day of the year,” participant Joseph Rinaldi said.

Rinaldi and his friend Wyatt Boyd said they’ve been riding on their real estate company’s float for the last couple of years, raising money for the LGBTQ+ community.

“We’re here raising money for an organization called Breaktime, it’s an LGBT youth homelessness prevention center,” Rinaldi said.

This year’s theme was ‘Pride as Protest Since 1776’ and organizers said it’s to pay tribute to America’s upcoming birthday, while honoring 250 years of LGBTQ+ representation and those who have fought for the freedoms people have today.

“Protesting is how this country was founded and so those of us who are queer, black, women, people with disabilities, everybody who has a claim that something unjust is happening, should protest” organizer Gary Daffin said.

“There are so many threats against our community to exist, to get the care that affirms who they are, to love who they want to love, so there’s very much threats continued against the community and it is our right to stand up and protest and be our authentic selves and have pride in who we are,” organizer Adrianna Boulin said.

Whether it’s their first pride parade or their tenth, the reason people come is the same.

“For me, it’s about being visible, it’s about showing up for the community and showing the next generation that you can be yourself,” spectator Nicole Down said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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