The 2019 Boston Pride parade is winding its way through the South End at the moment. The transformation of Boston Pride over the years is really amazing. In the early years, it can best be described as a political protest and statement to be seen and heard. Later it became an opportunity to celebrate our lives and advocate for AIDS funding. Now Boston Pride seems quite sedate with a mind-numbing stream of schools, churches, companies and politicians marching, While many will bemoan the Pride of yore, from a civil rights perspective, what the LGBTQ community has accomplished over the past 50 years is amazing.
So even if we find ourselves in scary times and let’s face it, when the President of the US jokes that his Vice President, Mike Pence, “hates gays so much he’d like to hang them” that qualifies as scary times — we should take great pride in the progress that has been made. There is still more to do so this week and always, be loud and be proud.