Full Week of Educational, Cultural and Community Events Mark Fourth Annual LGBT and Allied Pride Celebration this June
The fourth annual North Shore Pride Parade and Festival will take place Saturday, June 20, 2015, in Salem, MA. The theme of this year’s celebration, voted on by members of the community, is Standing Proud Together.
New this year is a week long calendar of educational, cultural and community events leading up to the parade and festival, including a free “lunch and learn” on Monday, June 15, focused on how to make cities and towns more welcoming for LGBT people.
“The mission of North Shore Pride has always been to create unity in our community,” said president and founder Hope Watt-Bucci. “I’m proud to be expanding our educational mission this year by providing an opportunity for local officials and members of the public to hear from dedicated advocates like Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and Mason Dunn of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition about steps we can all take to make our North Shore cities and towns more unified and welcoming for all.”
“With a full week of events including a movie night, interfaith service and more, there’s something for everyone to participate in,” Watt-Bucci added, “It takes every one of us to make change in our communities, and this year we truly are standing proud together.”
The Grand Marshal of the 2015 North Shore Pride Parade is OUTVETS, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring the contributions and sacrifices of LGBTQ Veterans, active service members, and their families. OUTVETS made history earlier this year as the first LGBT organization to officially march openly in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
This year’s entertainment lineup at the festival on the Salem Common includes headliners XELLE (pronounced “XL”). XELLE’s original, high energy songs sound like a delicious mix of Katy Perry, ABBA and The Spice Girls, and they’ve headlined pride festivals in Chicago, San Francisco, New York and more.
XELLE promotes a strong message of self-acceptance and empowerment. They released the song Red Flag as a powerful human rights anthem, in conjunction with the #iRaiseARedFlag online protest to inspire everyone who cares about equality to make their views known and raise their voice against oppression.
Also in our lineup: Adrienne Mack Davis as part of her world tour, local favorites, The DeJas, Rolla, Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket, Sarah & The Wild Versatile, Jenn Lombari and Lucky United.
North Shore Pride is a 100% volunteer run non-profit organization. The annual North Shore Pride Parade, Festival and year-round community events are made possible by the work of countless volunteers, individual donations and the support of community sponsors.
A full calendar of 2015 North Shore Pride events follows below. Complete details, including how to register to march in the parade, be a vendor at the festival, sponsor or volunteer, can be found at www.northshorepride.org.
North Shore Pride Events, June 15 – 20, 2015
Monday, June 15, 11:30 a.m. – Free public Lunch & Learn at The Cabot in Beverly: Making Our Cities and Towns More Welcoming for LGBT people. Panelists include: Mayor Kim Driscoll, City of Salem; Representative Paul Tucker, 7th Essex District; Paul Miller, One Gordon; Mason Dunn, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Sponsored by Montserrat College of Art. Lunch provided by Gulu Gulu/Flying Saucer of Salem.
Wednesday, June 17, 7 p.m. – North Shore Pride Movie Night at the Salem Theater. Presenting the documentary The Case Against 8, with a reception to follow. $5 donation at the door.
Thursday, June 18, 7:30 p.m. – North Shore Pride sponsors the June 18th performance of The Normal Heart at the Salem Theater. Tickets available through Salem Theater.
Friday, June 19, 7 p.m. – Interfaith Pride Service at Tabernacle Congregational Church in Salem. Participating clergy include: the Reverend Joseph Amico, the Reverend Tara Olsen-Allen, Rabbi Mark Newton, Father Silvestre Romero and Wiccan Priestess Helen Cymbala. A reception will follow the service.
Saturday, June 20, 12 p.m. – The fourth annual North Shore Pride Parade will kick off in front of the Salem Post Office on Margin Street, travel down Derby and New Derby Streets to Hawthorne Boulevard, ending at the Salem Common. This year’s parade Grand Marshal is OUTVETS.
Saturday, June 20, 1 p.m. – The fourth annual North Shore Pride Festival will run from 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., with a full schedule of live music including headliners XELLE. Non-profit, community, business, food and arts and crafts vendors will once again be on hand. The full entertainment line up is available at www.northshorepride.org. The festival is free for all to attend and is a family friendly event.
Saturday, June 20, 5 p.m. – The official North Shore Pride After Party will take place outside at Murphy’s Pub on Derby Street in Salem, with entertainment from DJ Andrea. 21+, $5 suggested donation at the door.
The mission of North Shore Pride, Inc. is to promote the general welfare, and enhance the social life of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of the North Shore, and to promote the acceptance of the members of this community by the broader North Shore community. To carry out these purposes, the organization engages in activities designed to promote greater understanding of LGBT issues, educates the members of the LGBT community on issues of importance to them and engages in fundraising activities, partnering with individuals and organizations, in furtherance of its stated purpose.
[From a News Release]
