Worcester Pride is Here!
{ Pride Worcester }
Over recent years, Pride organizing in Worcester has undergone several changes. Here’s a look into how Pride Worcester came to be what it is today.
Since the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and the commemorative Pride marches that began one year later, the LGBTQ+ community has been unapologetically advocating for equal and equitable treatment within society. Formal Pride organizing began locally in June 1975. According to LGBTQ+ Worcester FOR THE RECORD, a multi-year research initiative spearheaded by Worcester Historical Museum in partnership with Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and the College of the Holy Cross:
The Worcester Telegram reported that “a film Saturday night and a parade Sunday will highlight the first ‘Gay Pride Week’ in Worcester.” The Metropolitan Community Church and the Worcester Homophile Organization (formerly known as the Worcester Gay Union) organized the parade, extending invitations to gay groups across New England, local social service agencies, supporters from Boston, Providence, and Connecticut, and “anyone who is sympathetic to oppressed minorities.” Approximately one hundred people marched from City Hall down Main Street to University Park, across from Clark University, bearing signs proclaiming Gay Pride, Gay Love, and Gay Power.
Worcester has experienced decades of changes that have seen the creation of safe spaces, increased understanding and allyship, and the growth of Pride into one of Worcester’s largest festivals. This was achieved through the grit and strategic work of each generation’s leaders. They championed the causes of their day and to the best of their abilities brought the movement further along before handing over the baton to the next generation. It was often dangerous and thankless work but it was necessary in order for the community to see changes.
In the Fall of 2019, there were calls from the community to re-imagine Pride and how it was serving the community. Some believed that there should be greater racial diversity in Pride leadership, support for marginalized groups within the LGBTQ+ community, and a return to Pride’s roots in advocacy. At the same time, the Queer Coalition of Greater Worcester was being formed to supplement the work of the historic Worcester Pride Committee.
The Queer Coalition consisted of LGBTQ+-led and owned businesses, individuals, and allies. Its main focuses were on creating opportunities for the various members to be in partnership with each other and to generate greater support through the cross-promotion of events and resources and the creation of a shared year-round calendar.
The historic Worcester Pride decided in 2019 that 2020 would be the last festival that it presented and that a new organization was needed. So once the 2019 Pride Week was over (largest in history attracting over 25,000 to Worcester during the week), the weekly meetings were focused on creating a new Pride. Pride Leadership filed forms with the state to formally dissolve after the 2020 Pride Week. It became obvious in June that there would not be a Pride celebration in September, due to the pandemic, so at that time the Leadership decided to dissolve the organization. 508Pride’s Rush Frazier, along with various community members, then stepped forward to host virtual community town halls, which were attended by scores of people. These were important first steps in which past hurt was voiced, strengths and positives were stated, and visions for a new Pride were put forward. This new Pride would learn from the errors of the previous versions and build upon their many advancements.
In the absence of a Pride committee during the traditional Worcester Pride period in 2020, a flag-raising was organized by Nathan Manna and other members of the community.
In June 2021, as folks were starting to host events again, there was the realization that there still was no Pride Committee to organize Pride. The Queer Coalition, as the only sizable local LGBTQ+ group, stepped forward to organize the Pride calendar despite not having any startup funds. Through the help and guidance of many individuals—like historic Worcester Pride Committee President, Peter Bacchiocchi—and several organizations, seven days of programming and 16 events were presented as the formal Pride Worcester calendar. The organizations that were involved with the planning were 508Pride, APW/SWAGLY, Creative Hub, MassEquality, LGBT Asylum Task Force, Love Your Labels, Neighbor to Neighbor, Queer the Scene, Safe Homes, and Youth Connect Worcester. The calendar included a rally, which had hundreds in attendance and signaled a return to Pride’s roots in advocacy. The name of the period was changed to “Pride Worcester'' due to the incompleteness of the historic Worcester Pride Committee’s wind-down process.
The Queer Coalition continued organizing Pride Worcester in 2022. Over a dozen individuals and representatives of Queer Coalition members regularly attended the open planning meetings. There was a return of the Pride Worcester pageant, produced by Queer the Scene, revamped and held at the JMAC’s BrickBox Theater. The Pride Worcester calendar spanned 10 days and included 33 events. Approximately 10,000 people attended the festival to watch the showcase of performers and visit the 70+ booths—filling Franklin and Portland Streets.
Pride Worcester Today
The current Pride Worcester planning committee is excited to announce that the Pride Worcester Festival, held on Saturday, September 9, has expanded its footprint from years past.
Following the Pride Worcester 2022 season, the decision was made to organize Pride Worcester into a separate entity from the Queer Coalition of Greater Worcester. It allowed even greater focus on diverse representation on the Pride Worcester Planning Committee and the types of events that are placed on the Pride season calendar. The 2023 season has been expanded to 15 days and contains a growing list of over 30 events, which include several youth and sober-friendly events. The Pride Week festivities kick-off Thursday, August 31 with the City Hall Flag Raising from 3–3:30 PM.
The Pride Festival grounds will be twice as large as last year spanning the Worcester Common, Franklin, Portland, and Main Streets. We will have over 150 artisan makers and community partners, over 15 food and beverage vendors, a dedicated youth and family zone, health services, live performances, dancing, community building, and an endless amount of queer joy. The entertainment lineup will be one of the most racially and age-diverse in recent history and will be a close reflection of the local LGBTQ+ community.
Thanks to the dedication of our Youth Programming & Planning Committee and the support of various community organizations, we have been able to plan for the development of a dedicated youth and family space during the Pride Festival this year. This space will be located inside the Worcester Commons and feature a bounce-house, lawn games, snacks, and craft artisan vendors with family-friendly items. We will also have LGBTQ+ youth affirming community partners like SWAGLY, and Safehomes. The evening will wrap up with a free movie night for youth and families after the festival at the Central Mass. YWCA’s parking lot.