Boston Pride Kicks Off
Boston Pride kicked off more than a week of festivities on Friday with the raising of the rainbow flag at City Hall. The event introduced the 2009 parade marshals, which include Grand Marshal Pathways to Wellness, a non-profit holistic health center; and Honorary Marshal former Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.
The Boston Pride Honorary Marshalship is a posthumous award given each year to a person to honor their work on behalf of LGBT people.
Jordan, who died in 1996, was a lesbian who lived with her companion of more than 20 years, Nancy Earl. She was also the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention. Her speech in New York in 1976 ranks fifth on the "Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th century" list. And it was considered by many historians to have been the best convention keynote speech in modern history until then state Sen. Barack Obama delivered the DNC's 2004 keynote in Boston.
Kristie Helms of Boston Pride said this parade promises to be the largest ever with 127 groups and 10,000 marchers. An estimated 500,000 people are expected to attend this year's festival.
The 2009 Boston Pride theme is "Trans-forming our Community." Boston Pride said on its Web site it hopes to build "upon last year's theme of sustaining the LGBT community and working together for change, but also focuses on the important issue of supporting and advocating for our transgender families, friends and colleagues."
The Boston Pride Festival will begin on Saturday, June 13, at noon at City Hall Plaza. This year's entertainment headliner is singer Taylor Dayne, who had several hit singles in the 1980s that include"Prove Your Love", "Love Will Lead You Back", and "I'll Be Your Shelter."
Other entertainers include singer Brian Kent, and comedians Marga Gomez and Ian Harvie. Additional entertainment will include local entertainer Danielle Lessard, as-seen-on-Logo, artists Ariel Aparicio and Magdalen Hsu-Li, and singer Lori Michaels. Miss Coco Lopez will also return to Boston for one day.
In addition, there will be many special events throughout the week.
Fanueil Hall will host Pride Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 6. Judah Dorrington will serve as emcee. Entertainers will include DJ Harry Fullerton, Salsa Y Control, Julie Sweeney, Between Us Bois, Big Moves, and Gays for Patsy.
Popular entertainer Linda Eder will evoke Judy Garland at Symphony Hall on Tuesday, June 9.
The King and Queen of Boston Pride Pageant will be held on Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m. at the Estate.
The Boston Dyke March will take place on Boston Common on Friday, June 12. An after party will be held at Milky Way at the Brewery in Jamaica Plain.
The parties will continue after the festival ends. On Sunday, June 14, there will be the Stuart Street Block Party featuring DJ Joe Gauthreaux, the Jamaica Plain Block Party, and Hot Mess Sunday - Official Closing Party at Underbar on Tremont Street.
Log onto www.bostonpride.org for a full list of events.