A widely held misconception about the Boston Pride March is that it began the year after Stonewall. But the first March occurred two years later, in June 1971.
Even though there was no March in 1970, several events were held to commemorate Stonewall. For Boston queer activists, the Vietnam War still overshadowed other causes; on April 15, 1970, they joined a large march sponsored by the National Mobilization Against the War in Vietnam. Queer people had marched against the Vietnam War before, but this time they would not be invisible. Carrying banners with their organizations’ names – DOB, the Homophile Union of Boston (HUB), the Student Homophile League (SHL), Gay Women’s Liberation, and the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) – they joined the march from Cambridge Common to Boston Common.
In June 1970, the Homophile Coordinating Council was formed to inaugurate the annual Lesbian & Gay Pride Celebration in Boston.
The first year consisted of a weeklong series of workshops and forums, culminating in a gay dance at the Charles Street Meetinghouse. The flyer “Love is All You Need” stated, “One year ago this week, members of New York’s gay community threw off the yoke of oppression, stood up, and fought back. [The Stonewall Uprising] marked a new trend in the fight for civil rights for homosexuals – not just in New York but throughout the nation.”
Boston’s homosexual community is holding a two-day celebration this weekend.-WBZ anchorman Tom Ellis
Photos and Memorabilia from 1970
LGBTQ Historical Highlights
- The first Gay Liberation Day March is held in New York City.
- On June 28th, the world first organized Gay and Lesbian Pride parade is held in Los Angeles to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
Date: June 27-28, 1970
Theme: Love Is All You Need
Organized by: Eastern Regional Conference of Homophiles Organization
References:
Photo Credits:
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“Love Is All You Need, 1970,” Documented | Digital Collections of The History Project, accessed April 5, 2023, https://historyproject.omeka.net/items/show/879.
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“sunday 26 april, THE GAY LIBERATION DANCE & catfishblack!,” Documented | Digital Collections of The History Project, accessed April 5, 2023, https://historyproject.omeka.net/items/show/878.