The eighth Annual LGBTQ Pride Flag raising ceremony will return to East Boston’s Piers Park in-person on Friday after being forced to hold a remote ceremony during the height of the pandemic last year.
Organizers Celeste Hewitt and Josue Espinoza will join Massport, Eastie elected officials and members of the local LGBTQ community to raise the ceremonial flag at 6 p.m. on Friday.
“Last year we were virtual and this year we’re back to in-person with a virtual option for those who are taking their time venturing back out to public events,†said Hewitt. “We also added a “Post-Pandemic Picnic†to the program and we are encouraging people to come down to the flag raising, bringing some food and stay a while to enjoy the weather and the community.â€
Espinoza will be the keynote speaker and address some of the challenges the LGBTQ community and the community as a whole faced during the pandemic with a focus on healing, community and equity as we move closer to normalcy.
“We just didn’t know where we would be at this point in the pandemic and it was tough to plan not knowing what the guidelines were going to be,†said Hewitt. “But people want to be engaged so we’re glad that the restrictions have been lifted enough that we can kind of come together as a community after this harrowing year we’ve had on all fronts.â€
With June as the official LGBTQ Pride Month, local residents have been coming together since 2014 to build and strengthen a sense of community for local LGBTQ residents.