June 8th was Boston’s Pride Festival, capping off the end of an eventful Pride Week. The focal point of the festival was the annual Pride Parade, which turned 49 this year. The route goes from Copley Square to City Hall Plaza, snaking through the Public Garden and closing off streets to car traffic as hundreds of thousands of spectators line the area to get a glimpse of the floats and marchers passing them by.
I had the honor of marching with the AccessAI group, as we collaborated with Boston City Councilor At-Large, Michelle Wu, marching for love and equal access for all (I did mention the AccessAI program in my previous post, if you’re unsure as to what I’m talking about).
My day started before the parade. I was coming from my parents’ vacation home in Maine, meaning I had to take the Amtrak down to North Station. My father and his friends were also going to the Red Sox game that afternoon, so we all traveled in together and parted ways once we got to the T platforms. I took the Orange Line to Back Bay and went to Starbucks, as I’d ended up arriving a little earlier than anticipated. It was there that I got my usual soy iced London fog tea latte, and chatted with two other marchers from a different group where I briefly explained the AccessAI pilot. They jokingly said they’d hold me to fixing all the issues with the T, not knowing that about hour later there would be a derailment on the D Branch of the Green Line.
It was then that I walked down the street and arrived at Clerys Boston, a bar that was open early for us to have brunch before heading over to Copley Square.
It was at Clerys that I met up with the other members of the AccessAI team, some friends, as well as Michelle Wu and her team. It was a great hour or so spent mingling and eating, with copious amounts of food and drink. Those of us marching for AccessAI even got cool matching shirts. Being able to collaborate with her team was a testament to how important it is for everyone, of every ability and orientation, to have equal access to anything from application forms to public transit.
The parade kicked off at around noon, and we made our way down the route. I’ve mentioned before that I have low vision, and I was accompanied by three friends who are completely blind: Two other cane users, and one guide dog user. We had tremendous sighted assistance that made sure we stayed with the group, as the cheering crowds and general ambiance got to be overwhelming at times. But we trudged on, with our rainbow flags and loud voices, making ourselves heard among the 50,000 or so marchers.
We were also fortunate enough that Aira made the parade route and festival an Access Location, meaning we could call in without it going against our minutes. My friend and colleague, Matt, did such a thing — as we were cruising down the parade route, he called up an agent and went live during the experience. While he said it was somewhat difficult to hear due to all the commotion, he did get some valuable information: Namely, the costumes that people were wearing, and how someone walking in front of him looked like they were getting sunburnt.
The energy from everyone was contagious. The spectators were screaming and cheering throughout the whole parade. I had a constant smile on my face from the moment we stepped off — how could you not be happy with the upbeat atmosphere we were in?
We finally made it to the end, after a 2.27-mile trek. It was hot, and my friend’s guide dog gratefully lapped up some water as we stood in the shade. City Hall Plaza was abuzz as it teemed with people: Festival goers and marchers alike intermingled as the parade came to a halt inside the hub. It was almost difficult to know where the parade ended and the festival began, had it not been for the wonderful volunteers corralling everyone.
Though it was a hot and mostly cloudless day, and I (as well as others) did get a nice sunburn, the overall experience was one that I’m going to remember for a long time. Meeting Michelle Wu and her team was an honor, and I really hope we get to march in the parade again next year! A lot of people think you have to be involved in the LGBTQ+ community to attend a pride festival. But I consider myself an ally. Not only is pride about remembering the hardships that the LGBTQ+ community has faced in the past while calling attention to their continued hardships today, the entire point is to advocate. It’s about advocacy and acceptance. Heck, I was standing in City Hall Plaza and thought I was in the way of someone taking a photo. The person trying to coordinate the picture told me to stop apologizing, because “It’s pride!” Everywhere you turned there was a smiling face and a feeling of camaraderie.
If no one fights for what they believe in, then who will?