25th Anniversary of Pride – Pride and Protest

Grand Marshals David Scondras (first openly gay Boston city councilor) and Ann Maguire (lesbian activist and Mayor Flynn’s liaison to the LGBT community) represented what little remained of politics at the Parade.

For the second year, a Pride Week was held, with a Lesbian Pride Party on City Hall Plaza, a Town Hall hosted by noted author Martin Duberman, and a movie at the Hatch Shell.

Only seven speakers were allowed at the post-parade Rally. Jim Bailey and Georgia Ragsdale performed.^[1]

The first corporate float appeared in the Parade – Lotus

Who Took the Politics Out of Pride? flyer (1994)
“Lesbian feminists especially cannot waste this opportunity to educate ourselves and others….”
In this flyer, the Boston Women’s Action Coalition (WAC) react negatively to the Boston Pride Committee’s transformation of Pride into a festive celebration, rather than a political demonstration. Also noticing the lack of women on the Boston Pride Committee, the Boston WAC flyer ask why the Committee was dominated by men. Although gay men and lesbians face many of the same forms of discrimination, differences in culture and concerns and the history of male oppression of women have caused tension between gays and lesbians in many organizations. The Boston WAC formed in 1992 to take direct action on issues relating to the rights of women. It disbanded in 1996. From the Women’s Action Coalition (Boston, Mass.) records.