ABOVE: Boston Pride, photo via the organization’s Facebook page.
BOSTON (AP) | The longtime organizer of Boston’s Pride Parade is shutting down after 50 years.
Boston Pride announced its decision to dissolve with a statement posted to its website on Friday. The group had recently faced criticism and calls for action for excluding racial minorities and transgender people.
“It is clear to us that our community needs and wants change without the involvement of Boston Pride,” the group’s Board of Directors wrote in the statement. “We care too much to stand in the way.”
The group’s executive director announced last month that she would resign in response to the complaints about inclusion.
Boston Pride had organized several virtual events in June to honor Pride Month but was forced to cancel the annual parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The advocacy group MassEquality called the dissolution a loss for the community, but predicted that a new organization will take over the work of organizing the parade.
“Boston Pride is bigger than any organization,” MassEquality said in a statement.
