Boston Pride Shows Solidarity With Black Lives Matter By Shifting Focus This June
BOSTON (CBS) -- The colors of the rainbow fly high above City Hall Plaza in Boston. But look closely, and you'll notice it's not your typical LGBTQ Pride flag.
The "Unity Flag" includes white, light blue, pink, black and brown colors representing transgender individuals and people of color within the LGBTQ community.
"I feel like being black and trans it's great to see," said Dominic Glaude, of Boston.
Glaude said the inclusive flag is a small step in the right direction. "It's like 'Hey we're together,' and that's what really matters -- to respect the lives of all," he said.
Glaude is one of the many in the gay community turning out to support Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd.
Normally, the Pride parade would have marched down Tremont Street on Saturday. But it's not happening this year because of the pandemic.
Boston Pride is now shifting it's attention to support Black Lives Matter. Boston Pride President Linda DeMarco tapped into her network to find the special flag. It's on loan from Pittsburgh Pride.
"It's a symbol of our togetherness. It's a symbol of us working together to stem the tide of racism and injustice, and we need to do that," DeMarco said.
"Pride is love, Pride is freedom and I stand in solidarity with my LGBTQ friends and family and all the community members," said Danny Rivera, of Boston.
Similar flags are now being hoisted up around the city, including at the State House. Boston Pride plans to design its own flag for the City for 2021.