Boston Pride Dissolves Amid Inclusion Criticisms

The Boston Globe reports:

Boston Pride, the organization that for decades has organized the city’s annual LGBTQ parade, is dissolving amid a controversy over inclusion, the group’s board of directors said. The announcement, posted to the organization’s website Friday afternoon, came one month after Pride board president Linda DeMarco said she would resign this summer in response to complaints that the organization excluded people of color and trans people, which led some to boycott the group.

Here’s the board’s full statement:

For years, we have volunteered our time with Boston Pride because we care about and are passionate about the LGBTQIA+ community. We strived to foster an environment of diversity and unity within our organization and the community. Over the past 50 years, Boston Pride has facilitated programs and events that have changed our society and promoted equality, but we know there is still work to be done.

Over the past year, we have invested time and energy to address the concerns of the community, both with our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access work with Dorrington & Saunders and by forming the Transformation Advisory Committee comprised of members of the LGBTQIA+ community to help bring change to our organization. We are grateful for all who have been involved in this process.

It is clear to us that our community needs and wants change without the involvement of Boston Pride. We have heard the concerns of the QTBIPOC community and others. We care too much to stand in the way. Therefore, Boston Pride is dissolving. There will be no further events or programming planned, and the board is taking steps to close down the organization.

We know many people care about Pride in Boston, and we encourage them to continue the work. By making the decision to close down, we hope new leaders will emerge from the community to lead the Pride movement in Boston.

This decision was made with a heavy heart, out of love and hope for a better future.

I’m sure we have some locals among the JMG crowd that can provide some insight into this development.