Boston Pride and the City of Boston announced that the annual Pride events scheduled for June 2020 will be postponed to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Boston Pride and the City of Boston announced Tuesday that they are postponing the 50th anniversary of Boston Pride Week and the Boston Pride Parade until June of 2021 over coronavirus concerns.
The Boston Pride Festival had been scheduled from June 5 to June 16, and the parade was scheduled for Saturday, June 13.
Organizers said the joint decision was made due to concerns over the health and well being of the community.
NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston and NECN are the official broadcast partners of Boston Pride.
“I know this was a very hard decision to make and I know it’s very hard news to hear, but it’s the right decision. As we fight the coronavirus pandemic, everyone’s safety and health is our top priority,” Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement. “To our LGBTQ community, we may not be able to celebrate Boston Pride 50th Anniversary this summer, but once we are able, we’ll have the biggest and strongest Pride to date. The partnership between Boston Pride and the City of Boston has never been stronger, and I look forward to joining everyone to commemorate the many years of fighting for equality.”
“Our foremost concern is for the health, safety, and well being of the LGBTQ community and allies. We cannot afford to put anyone at risk. There will be time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Boston Pride and recognize not only the struggles that our community has faced over the years, but also celebrate our strength and resiliency which we all need during this difficult time,” added Linda J. DeMarco, president of Boston Pride. “We appreciate the City of Boston’s support of our community during this difficult time.”
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Boston Pride said it is focusing on maintaining communication with its year-round volunteers who plan and execute its events and programming, sharing resources for LGBTQ people, and working alongside community partners who need support during this time. The organization said it will continue to develop programming to commemorate its 50th anniversary and to connect with the community leading up to Pride events in 2021. These will include conversations with different leaders throughout the Pride movement, a series of photographs and images and other virtual events. Programming announcements will be made on the Boston Pride website and social media platforms.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has issued a stay-at-home advisory and ordered the closure of non-essential businesses in the state until May 4, and it's still possible that could be extended. Schools in the state have also been shut down.
In addition, Walsh implemented a curfew this week forcing residents to remain indoors from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
There are currently almost 14,000 coronavirus cases in the state, including 260 deaths.
