Boston is a city brimming with history. The world sees us as a land of Puritans, revolutionaries, Kennedys, and sports fanatics; but what they may not know is that we have a rich tradition of queer people here, too. Historical evidence suggests that the area’s Indigenous Shawmut people, who lived here before Europeans colonized the area, valued queer members of their communities. Well-documented scholarship also suggests that Boston was a haven for queer thinkers and creatives in the 19th century, including prominent naturalist and writer Henry David Thoreau, and famed gender-bending stage actress Charlotte Cushman. By the start of the twentieth century, “Boston Marriages” were a widespread phrase to describe a co-habitating lesbian couple. And after World War II, the city’s South End neighborhood swelled with a population of gay veterans looking to start their post-war lives anew.
But Boston is not just a city of acceptance; it’s also a place for political action. In 1975, Elaine Noble became the first only gay person elected to any state legislature, and just last year, in 2022, the state elected Maura Healey as governor, the first openly lesbian person in the country to hold that office. In 2004, Massachusetts broke ground in becoming the first state to allow same-sex marriage. Boston has held Pride parades since 1971, when the first was attended by about 300 people; and in the almost 50 years that followed, those annual attendance figures swelled to about 750,000.
The pandemic, unfortunately, made celebrating Pride a challenge and curtailed the city’s June festivities for not one, not two, but three consecutive years. Finally, this year on June 10th, Boston’s Pride Parade is back in full force, in addition to a month-long explosion of celebrations across the city. And there’s something truly unique and poignant about experiencing this progressively modern community juxtaposed with the city’s centuries-old streets and architecture; underscoring the idea that history is not just something you look at, but something in which you can participate. If you’re looking to celebrate Pride in Boston this year by making a little history of your own, here’s how to do it.
Where to watch the 2023 Pride parade in Boston make its return
The Boston Pride Parade makes its triumphant return this year on Saturday, June 10th. The Parade route kicks off from Copley Square at 11:00 AM, traveling down Clarendon Street to the South End, hooking over to Tremont Street and doubling back up Berkeley Street, before turning right on Boylston, left on Charles Street, then right up Beacon Street before concluding atop Beacon Hill at the State House. That means the best way to travel to the parade will be taking the Orange Line to Back Bay Station, then the Green Line to Arlington Station, and following the crowds from there. The parade concludes near not one but two separate festivals, both running from noon to 6:00 PM: There will be an all-ages Main Stage on the Boston Common that includes local performers and speakers; a 21+, adults-only festival will take place on City Hall Plaza.
And outside these two official festivals, the city’s bars, from Fenway to the North End, will swell with activity. Nash Bar & Stage is doing a “Daisy Dukes Mechanical Bull Party” complete with prizes and giveaways. Popular PRIDE Bar Fest block party will take over Landsdowne Street; the ticketed event includes a number of drag shows and live performances, as well as a queer artists’ market. And if you’re still standing come nightfall, Baja-inspired Mexican restaurant Citrus & Salt will throw a “Love Out Loud Late-Night Fiesta” in partnership with 818 Tequila.
Where to eat and drink during Boston Pride Month
Speaking of tequila, take a look at any given bar or restaurant menu in Boston this month and you’re likely to find a Pride-themed cocktail dedicating a portion of proceeds going to an LGBTQ+ charity. Charlestown neighborhood haunt Waverly Kitchen & Bar is serving rainbow ice cream chipwiches and a rainbow spritz, and Harvard Square eatery Source will offer Proud Piña Coladas with a rainbow sparkle rim, all in support of the Trevor Project. The Banks Fish House is pouring purple “Miss Frizzle” beer, and Saloniki Greek is pulling rainbow frozen yogurt—both for BAGLY, the Boston Alliance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth. And Greek fast-casual eatery Greco’s warm rainbow Loukoumades Greek donuts are a delicious way to show some allyship.
There is also an enormous number of parties, drag shows and brunches throughout the month. The Liberty, a Luxury Collection Hotel, has a full roster of events scheduled the week leading up to the Parade, including a “Yappier Hour” in the outdoor Yard space for pets and their owners on June 7th. Drag Bingo on June 8th and June 9th at Brownstone promises to be a fantastic South End night. And for Swifties: the Moxy Boston Downtown is doing a Taylor Swift Rooftop Drag Show on June 10th.
June 13th marks Fenway Park’s annual Pride Celebration; purchase Red Sox tickets through the MLB official website and you’re entitled to a limited edition Red Sox Jersey with rainbow coloring. For more, the Meet Boston website maintains a thorough calendar of most events happening in the city this month.
Historical and cultural Pride events in Boston
Culture vultures and bookworms will have plenty to choose from, too. The Boston Public Library has over thirty Pride-related events happening this month across the Central Library in Copley Square and the various neighborhood branches, ranging from Special Collections curations of LGBTQ+ items, to small-scale craft activities for children; peruse the full calendar here. At the Museum of Fine Arts on June 9th, a series of informal Spotlight Talks held in the galleries will highlight several of the museum’s current queer-inflected exhibitions. The following week, on June 16th, 17th, and 18th, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus will perform “Whitney & Friends,” inspired by the music of Whitney Houston and fellow divas Maria Carey, Aretha Franklin, and Alicia Keys.
Throughout the month of June, swing through City Hall Plaza to see Portraits of Pride, a photography installation depicting numerous public servants, entrepreneurs, legal luminaries, and activists, sponsored by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Meet Boston, and private members club The ‘Quin House. And whether you’re a local or a visitor in town this month, consider doing a “Boston’s LGBTQ Past” walking tour with Boston By Foot, which traces the city’s queer history from the 1840’s through today.
