Simmons Students are excited for Boston’s LGBTQ+ Pride parade to return on June 10. It will be under a new name after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the previous organization’s dissolution in 2021. The parade and festival are scheduled to take place at the Boston Common and City Hall Plaza. 

Boston Pride organization previously ran the parade and Pride Month events. However, following a mass resignation of volunteers in 2021 amid criticism that the organization was not including the trans and BIPOC community, the group disbanded. The new organization, Boston Pride For The People’s (BP4TP) board members includes Simmons University graduate Mel Robinson, who has a B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies.

Rachel Andriacchi is the PR Chair for Simmons University Trans and Nonbinary Collective (TaNC) and a Voice Staff Writer. They said, “[the dissolution] felt almost like a cop-out for the organization to dissolve instead of listening to the community’s concerns and acting on them.”

When asked about their vision for BP4TP, Andriacchi said, “I hope Boston Pride becomes a more accessible space for everyone in the community. I hope it is a place where people can come together and enjoy their time rather than being concerned whether the organization holding the events is considering queer, trans, and BIPOC experiences.”

Kayla Calomo, class of 2026, told the Voice, “I’m really excited that Boston Pride is coming back, especially now that I live here for school. We can go and be ourselves and have representation in Boston.”

Zoe Habel, also in the class of 2026, said, “a lot of things came apart in 2020 among Black Lives Matter, and it sucks that a place for queer folks was one of them, but it shouldn’t be there if it’s not inclusive.” They also shared their thoughts on the new Boston Pride organization. “I’m excited. I know there are many events centered around queer women, which is super cool.”

BP4TP’s mission statement says, “Boston Pride for the People is a volunteer-led organization that plans activities and events that celebrate the rich diversity, culture, and intersectionality of the LGBTQ+ community.” 

According to their website, the new organization will concentrate its events on empowering through community, celebrating the diverse culture, and educating Bostonians on the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people. It also aims to commemorate the Stonewall riots, focusing on the queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color activists who led the movement.

BP4TP’s president, Adrianna Boulin, said in a press release, “The last time we came together, there was a different president, a different governor, a different mayor. The pandemic kept us apart for a long time. Now, all of us are eager to reconnect, embrace each other as a community, and most importantly, have fun.”

The new Pride Month celebration on June 10-11 will include a parade, festival, and block parties. Volunteers can apply on the BP4TP website.