Boston’s late Mayor Thomas M. Menino has been named honorary marshall for the city’s 45th annual Boston Pride Parade, which will be held on Saturday, June 13.
In a March 26 press release, Boston Pride’s President Sylvain Bruni said:
“Mayor Menino was a longtime friend of Boston Pride and a tireless ally of the LGBT community, ensuring that our city was both a safe and inclusive place to live and work. Boston Pride will always be grateful for his friendship and proven leadership.”
Boston Pride also announced the line-up of its 2015 grand and parade marshalls:
Grand Marshals
Erica Kay-Webster, a resident of Marstons Mills, Mass., is a veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion, is one of the most celebrated transgender women for her continued devotion to human rights advocacy through the Foundation for International Justice and development of Promise Place School, a residential school for homeless LGBT youth.
David V. Bermudez, of Cape Cod, is a member of the Stonewall Veterans’ Association. David, a lifelong LGBT rights advocate, became the first Stonewall Rebellion veteran to be legally married in a same-gender marriage on the 35th anniversary date of the Stonewall Rebellion.
Samuel Brinton, of Washington, DC, has been a crusader for making conversion therapy for minors illegal. A Recent MIT graduate, he has given talks to Google and the United Nations as part of the #BornPerfect campaign. In 2014, Samuel spoke to the Annual World Conference of InterPride, the international association of Pride organizers, to bring the spotlight on the devastating impact of conversion therapy and urge Prides around the world to join the fight against this practice.
Parade Marshals
Ellyn Ruthstrom, of Melrose, Mass., is a writer, editor and spokesperson for the Bisexual Resource Center. Ellyn honorably served for ten years as Board President of the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC), the oldest U.S. bi-specific national organization that raises awareness about bisexuality, produces resources and provides support to the bisexual community. In 2013, Ellyn co-facilitated the first White House Roundtable on Bisexual Issues and initiated the founding of the Bisexual Leadership Roundtable, a networking space for bisexual activists and writers across the U.S.
Woody Glenn, of Somerville, Mass. helped found what was then the East Coast Bisexual Network and went on to help it become a 501©3 and eventually change its name to the Bisexual Resource Center. His early leadership also helped establish the Boston Bisexual Men’s Network and helped to make Boston one of the most supportive and vibrant bisexual cities in the country.
Boston Pride produces “events and activities to achieve inclusivity, equality, respect, and awareness in Greater Boston and beyond. Fostering diversity, unity, visibility and dignity, we educate, communicate and advocate by building and strengthening community connections.”
