In recognition of Pride Month, a historic Quincy church will raise the Progress Pride Flag on Sunday, May 31, at 6 p.m.
United First Parish Church in Quincy Center, the “Church of the Presidents,” will host the city’s fifth annual flag raising, and Quincy’s LGBTQ+ community will present the second annual “Flag Raisers” Awards. The awards recognize those who have supported the LGBTQ+ community.
This year’s honorees include:
- Gayle Carvalho, Quincy Teachers Association
- Beth Ann Strollo, executive director, Quincy Community Action Programs
- Cameron Porter, Major Theatre Equipment Corp.
- David Bousquin, United First Parish Church
The event will be hosted by LGBTQ+ Commission Chair Jim Petosa, Commissioner Nina Liang, and Commissioner John McDonald.
“The flying of the Progress Pride Flag on the historic façade of the church that houses the crypts of two American Presidents and their First Ladies is a powerful symbol of visibility, freedom, and the continuing fight for civil and human rights,” said the commissioners in a joint statement. “Now more than ever, it is important that communities publicly stand together against hate, division, and discrimination while affirming the dignity and humanity of every person.”
The outdoor ceremony will include live music by members of The Quincy Choral Society and an interfaith invocation and blessing led by the Rev. Rebecca Froom and members of the Quincy Interfaith Network.
Speakers will include Petosa; Liang; McDonald; and Ward 2 City Councilor Richard Ash, president of Quincy Pride.
History of the Progress Pride Flag
The Progress Pride Flag was first introduced in 2018 by artist Daniel Quasar, expanding upon the traditional Pride Flag by incorporating black and brown stripes representing LGBTQ+ communities of color, along with the pink, blue and white stripes of the Transgender Pride Flag. In 2021, designer Valentino Vecchietti added an intersex-inclusive symbol featuring a purple circle over a yellow triangle.
Other South Shore Pride Month events
- When: Sunday, May 31; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Where: Watson Park, Gordon Road, Braintree
The 4th Annual Braintree Pride Festival promises a day filled with music, local vendors, food and family friendly activities that honor and uplift the LGBTQ+ community with something for everyone. This year’s festival promises an lineup of community resources and interactive experiences that highlight inclusion, acceptance and pride. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their most colorful attire.
- When: Saturday, June 6; 3-9 p.m.
- Where: Hull Yacht Club, 5 Fitzpatrick Way, Hull
Hull’s free Pride celebration kicks off with a performance from Mad Jupiter, a trans/nonbinary Boston-based artist whose music fuses neo-soul and funk with rock grooves, followed by a performance from drag queen Missy Steak. The day then moves into a DJ dance party with Hull Pride’s in-house DJs, Jason and Suzy. The event will also feature food trucks and a return from the team at Such Fun Photo Booth.
- When: Sunday, June 7; 1-4 p.m.
- Where: King Oak Hill Park, Emery Lane, Weymouth
Now in its sixth year, Pride in the Park is a free, family-friendly LGBTQIA+ event with live performances, DJ Brendan Howard, dancing, games, Just The Dip Food Truck, Ellie’s Treats and more. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Weymouth Cultural Council, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
- When: Sunday, June 7; noon to 2 p.m.
- Where: Carousel Family Fun Center, 1055 Auburn St, Whitman
Sponsored by MSC Strength & Conditioning and Ritual Yoga Studio, the disco raises money for BAGLY (Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ youth) and supports LGBTQ+ youth in the community. Tickets are $30 for one adult and one child, $40 for one adult and two children. Admission includes skates, pizza, cupcakes and soda.
- When: Saturday, June 13; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Where: Blue Hills Trailside Museum, 1904 Canton Ave, Milton
The free Mass Audubon event features a scavenger hunt, meet live animals, get your face painted, take a guided hike, grab some food from a food truck and make art with the Museum of American Bird Art. Appropriate for all ages.
- When: Saturday, June 20th; noon to 6:30 p.m. (Doors open at 11:30 a.m.)
- Where: South Shore Conservatory, 1 Conservatory Lane, Hingham
This multi-act concert features The Femmes, Catie Curtis, Kemp Harris, Happy Little Clouds, Three At Home, DJ Christina, Keith Price and Tret Fure, as well as special opener: Stained Glass Window. Event also features food trucks, a beer garden and local Vendors. Early Bird discount tickets are $15.
- When: Saturday, June 20; 3-7 p.m.
- Where: Forge Pond Park, 245 King St., Hanover
Join the town of Hanover and Hanover Pride, rain or shine, for the sixth annual “Don’t Hide the Pride” event. The event will feature food trucks, a beer and wine garden, vendors, guest speakers, two bounce houses and fun for everyone. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs, food and non-alcoholic beverages for a picnic.
- When: Sunday, June 28; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Where: Nelson Memorial Park, 235 Water St., Plymouth
Plymouth Pride is returning to Nelson Park for a festival featuring music, entertainers, drag performances, a beer garden, craft and retail vendors, resources, food trucks, a pet contest and more. Nelson Park has direct beach access and a splash pad and playground for the kids. There’s also a large, grassy lawn area if you want to bring a chair to watch the entertainment.
What is Pride Month?
Pride Month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York and celebrates the LGBTQ community and the fight for equal rights.
The Stonewall Uprising began on June 28, 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a prominent gay bar in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. The protests that followed are credited with a shift in LGBTQ+ activism in the U.S.
The following year saw some of the first Pride parades in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Despite the pivotal role transgender people and women of color played in the riots, including trans activist Marsha P. Johnson, they were largely excluded from early Pride celebrations.
“The reality is that most of the folks on the front lines at the Stonewall uprising were trans women, trans women of color, other people of color, butch lesbians,” Cathy Renna, Communications Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force, told USA TODAY in 2022. “And yet somehow, the power that was coming together … to put together Pride events was from cisgender, gay white men.”
Today, Pride Month presents an opportunity for visibility and community. In addition to celebrating LGBTQ love and joy, it’s also a time to highlight important policy and resource issues the community faces. In 2021, NYC Pride banned law enforcement presence at Pride events through 2025 because of escalating violence “against marginalized groups, specifically BIPOC and trans communities.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.patriotledger.com ’
