A 2025 Pride Celebration on June 4th at Boston City Hall

 Over 45 Boston LGBTQIA2S+ Community Organizations and Boston City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana to host Pride Rally and Celebration at Boston City Hall on Wednesday, June 4th 

BOSTON, MA – A 2025 Pride Celebration is scheduled to take place at Boston City Hall on Wednesday, June 4th, commencing at 10:00 AM. The event is being organized by City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana in collaboration with over 45 local Boston LGBTQIA2S+ organizations, against a backdrop of ongoing national legislative activity concerning the community.

"Visibility is powerful, but it must be matched with action," stated Sal Khan, Co-Host of the Pride Celebration and Founder of OUTnewcomers. ”For many of us—especially LGBTQ+ migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees—Pride is not just a celebration, it's a lifeline.”

Data from a Boston Foundation report released two weeks ago indicates a growth in the LGBTQ+ population within Massachusetts. The report noted that 9.1 percent of adults in the state identified as LGBTQ+ between 2020 and 2022, a 26% increase since 2016.

“Amidst ongoing legislative attacks targeting LGBTQIA2S+ rights nationwide, we’re seeing our Boston residents looking for our city to be a safer place to live, and looking to us to stand together in unwavering support and celebration,” said Councilor Santana. “As elected officials, we must be taking action to address the mental health, youth homelessness, and community space needs of our Boston LGBTQIA+ residents — and finding moments for joy, as well.”

The planned Pride Celebration includes a "Be Visible, Be Loud!" Pride rally outside on Boston City Hall Plaza at 10am, and will then move inside City Hall for a community reception at 11am, a formal presentation during a Boston City Council meeting beginning at 12pm, and a communal luncheon at 1pm.

Highlighting the importance of community support, Connor Schoen, Executive Director of Breaktime said, "At Breaktime, we believe that visibility, affirmation, and community support are essential in addressing the root causes of young adult homelessness—particularly for LGBTQIA2S+ youth, who are disproportionately impacted." He continued, "We are honored to be co-hosting the 2025 Pride Celebration with Councilor Santana's office. It’s a meaningful opportunity to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA2S+ community, celebrate their resilience, and renew our commitment to building inclusive pathways to stability and empowerment for all young people."

The Boston City Council formally recognized June 2025 as Pride Month on May 7, 2025, through a legislative resolution led by Councilor Santana with Councilors Mejia and Breadon as co-sponsors. The Councilors noted that the history of Pride Month is rooted in liberation and resistance, originating from protests on June 28, 1969, led by Black and Brown transgender and gender nonconforming community activists such as Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Stormé DeLarverie.

Boston has its own history within the Pride movement, being the birthplace of Transgender Day of Remembrance, following the murder in the Allston neighborhood of Boston of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman. Hester was killed as a result of transphobia and anti-transgender violence. Her death prompted transgender activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith to begin the Transgender Day of Remembrance as a dedication to Hester and other transgender individuals who died from anti-transgender violence.

The June 4th Pride Celebration will include a wide variety of community organizations and venues, ranging from healthcare providers like Pride & Plasma and Fenway Health; community and advocacy organizations such as BAGLY, the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ+ Youth, and Breaktime; the historic Jacques’ Cabaret drag bar; and over 40 other organizations These entities collectively support Boston’s LGBTQIA2S+ community through advocacy, increasing visibility, providing community spaces, and promoting arts theatre and history.

“Pride events call us to gather together, to be seen and give each other strength, to undermine anyone who may paint us afraid, or a fad, or a dwindling minority,” stated Sister Brother Freddie Anne Willing, Abbess of the Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. “I stand in awe of how many organizations have rallied to this celebration, to celebrate together as one of the first events this June.”

Echoing this sentiment, Community Advocate and Co-host Chastity Bowick emphasized, “With every act of support, we plant seeds of pride and acceptance; together, let us cultivate a garden where every bloom from the LGBTQIA2S+ community thrives.”

The public is invited to participate in this demonstration of unity and support on Wednesday, June 4th, beginning at 10:00 AM outside on City Hall Plaza at Boston City Hall. Additional details about the event are available online: https://partiful.com/e/GNhla4kjqYIlfPw9RBaq 

For interview requests please contact:

Gabrielle Waiter, Communications Manager
gabrielle.waiter@boston.gov 

(617) 635-4205

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WHAT:
Pride Celebration at Boston City Hall with Councilor At-Large Henry Santana and 45+ Boston LGBTQIA2S+ Community Organizations

WHEN:
Wednesday, June  4, 2025, 10am-2pm

WHERE:
Boston City Hall, beginning outside on City Hall Plaza and moving inside City Hall

• 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Pride Rally
  Location: Boston City Hall Plaza (outside)
  
  

• 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Pride Community Reception
  Location: Boston City Hall, 5th Floor, Piemonte Room
  
  

• 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM: Boston City Council Formal Presentation
  Location: Boston City Hall, 5th Floor, Iannella Chamber
  Note: time is approximate, will be during the Boston City Council Meeting
  
  

• 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Pride Community Luncheon
  Location: Boston City Hall, 5th Floor, Piemonte Room

WHO:
Boston City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana,
alongside over 45 Boston LGBTQIA2S+ Community Organizations 

FULL LIST OF CO-HOSTS:

Help by AMG helpbyamg.org

TQNC tqnc.org

Chastity Bowick Consulting & Talent Group chastitysctg.com

The Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence thebostonsisters.org

OUTNewcomers instagram.com/outnewcomers

Pride in Our Workplace piow.org

Pride & Plasma prideandplasma.org

Breaktime breaktime.org

Out in Finance outinfinance.org

Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation lesbigayurbanfoundation.org

MASSNow massnow.org

MA Commission on LGBTQ+ Youth mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-commission-on-lgbtq-youth

The Femmes thefemmesband.com

sweeties sweeties-social.com

The History Project historyproject.org

Transgender Emergency Fund transemergencyfund.org

Boston GLASS jri.org/glass

Jacque’s Cabaret jacquescabaret.com

lesbos - boston’s lesbian newsletter tinyurl.com/2vj94hbz

QTC Boston msha.ke/qtcboston

Pride Sports Boston pridesportsusa.com/boston

The Theater Offensive thetheateroffensive.org

LGBTQ+ Senior Housing & The Pryde lgbtqseniorhousing.org

MRKH Organization mrkh.org

Queer in Cannabis queerincannabis.com

Q Calendar instagram.com/qcalendarboston

SPLASH ZONE instagram.com/thebrookepoole

Lavender Education lavendereducation.com

Planning with a Scorpio ryeandco.com/planning-with-a-scorpio

BAGLY bagly.org

QT Library qtlibrary.org

LGBTQ+ Elders of Color lgbteldersofcolor.org

Greater Boston PFLAG gbpflag.org

Bisexual Resource Center biresource.org/

Boston Gaymers bostongaymers.com/

Ethos ethocare.org/

Stonewall Sports Boston sites.google.com/stonewallsports.org/bos

Boston Mayor's Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement boston.gov/departments/lgbtqia2s-advancement

Boston Prime Timers bostonpt.org/

Boston Theater Company bostontheater.org/

MAP for Health maphealth.org/

Fenway Health fenwayhealth.org

QNEST https://qnest.org/