City Council celebrates LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

Individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual or allied (LGBTQIA+) in the City of Boston and in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have made, and continue to make, vital contributions to our communities in every aspect in the fields of education, law, health, business, science, research, economic development, architecture, fashion, sports, government, music, film, politics, technology, literature, and civil rights.



The demonstrators, led by Black and Brown transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who protested and rioted in June 1969 following a law enforcement raid of the Stonewall Inn, an LGBTQIA+ club in New York City, rose up and fought against constant police harassment and discriminatory laws that have since been declared unconstitutional. They demonstrated bravery and resilience in what became known as the Stonewall Uprising, and are trailblazers of the ongoing LGBTQIA+ movement for equality and justice.



Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, in particular transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, and especially those who are people of color, face a disproportionately higher risk of becoming victims of violent hate crimes. We have seen at at least 27 violent murders of transgender or gender non-conforming people less than halfway through the year, including our own Jahaira DeAlto of Boston in May, making 2021 the most violent year on record.



The democratic governance of LGBTQIA+ organizations led by, for, and accountable to the needs of the community is of the utmost importance in honoring and upholding the true historic spirit and sentiment of the Stonewall Uprising and the ongoing struggle.



The Council encourages all government agencies, public and private institutions, businesses, and schools to take measures to support and affirm the rights, freedoms, dignity, equal treatment, health, and safety of the LGBTQIA+ community.