Youth Pride charts progress and problems still facing LGBT youth

Between the parade, the drag kings, the rock and hip-hop acts, the fabulous outfits and the competitors squaring off on the Dance Dance Revolution game console, Youth Pride was a non-stop party.

But this year's theme, "Actual Reality," made it a party with a pressing purpose: ending harassment and violence against LGBT youth and empowering them to live healthier lives. As Youth Pride chair Kelly Lydon told the hundreds of youth who turned out on the Boston Common on May 10, reality for many LGBT youth includes harassment, violence and suicide. As an example, Lydon pointed to the recent murder of Lawrence King, the 15-year-old gay California middle schooler who was targeted by bullies for wearing make-up and jewelry to school. He was shot in the head by a 14-year-old classmate in what police believe to be an anti-gay hate crime.

"The actual reality of the GLBT community, especially with youth, is that in Massachusetts and all over America GLBT youth are still committing or attempting suicide. GLBT youth are still being bullied and beaten up. Some, like Lawrence King, are even being killed. ... This is devastating, depressing, and unfortunately very real," said Lydon. "This is the actual reality of the world today. This is why Youth Pride has to happen, to spread hope, and maybe this one day can save a life. In fact, I know it can."

The chanting youth who marched through Boston streets made it clear they are determined to change that reality. Coming as lawmakers consider a bill to add gender identity and expression to the state's non-discrimination and hate crimes laws, there was a stronger focus on transgender rights among the most vocal parade participants than in past years. Following close behind the Duckboat that led the parade, a large group of youth representing the Boston Alliance of GLBT Youth (BAGLY), the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), and the Theater Offensive marched past the State House chanting, "What do we want? Trans rights! When do we want it? Now!" Later in the march another group of youth alternated chants denouncing homophobia and transphobia.

At the post-march festival, Mark Snyder, founder of the activist group QueerToday.com and one of the honorees of this year's Youth Pride, also fired up the crowd's activist spirit. He urged the youth to hold adult activists in the community accountable to progressive values.

"At QueerToday.com I said we believe in direct action and speaking out and forming coalitions, and we think it's important for young people like us to hold the adults in our community accountable, too. If you don't think the adults in our community should endorse pro-war candidates or anti-immigrant candidates or anti-women's rights candidates, let me here you," shouted Snyder, prompting cheers from the audience.

Of course, for all the focus on youth violence and politics, fun was still the first order of business on the Youth Pride agenda. Hundreds of marching youth filled the streets with rainbow banners, rainbow signs (one sign advertised "free hugs"), rainbow costumes, and rainbow umbrellas, the latter of which proved unnecessary after the overcast morning gave way to a warm sunny afternoon. Erica Paszkowski, a sophomore from Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, attended her first Youth Pride decked out in a rainbow-feathered headdress, rainbow leg warmers and face paint.

"I just wanted to dress up. I just wanted to be a giant rainbow. I love to dress up anyway," said Paszkowski.

For the youth from the Lowell High School GSA, the open environment of Youth Pride was a welcome alternative to the conflicts they faced with some of their classmates last month when they held a Day of Silence, an event sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in which students at schools across the country take a one-day vow of silence to draw attention to the silencing of LGBT youth.

"When we had a Day of Silence a lot of people were being unaccepting and people were trying to get people to talk. ... It was just a matter of being disrespectful," said Lowell High junior Alexandra Dinulescu.

Her fellow GSA member Heathur Allard, also a junior, was attending her second Youth Pride. The highlight for her was "the closeness of all the people," she said. "And you never see anybody who's sad here. Everybody's just having a good time and they can be who they are, and it's great."

A.J. Bell, a sophomore at Beverly High School, said he made friends from around the state when he attended his first Youth Pride last year.
"Last year's highlight was indeed making a lot of new friends. I stayed in touch with so many of them, and I'm just like, hey, what's up? It's just all fun," said Bell.

Following the parade the youth returned to the Common for an afternoon of music and socializing, before heading to the BAGLY Prom later in the evening. Among the acts performing on the Common were hometown heroes All The King's Men, who whipped up the crowd with several of their hits. They drew the most enthusiastic reaction from their rendition of NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye," and even though most of the audience had not yet hit puberty when the song debuted in 2000, a surprising number of them sang along.

Of course, no Youth Pride would be complete without the antics of anti-gay activists. Janet Aldrich, an ally of the anti-gay group MassResistance, and at least one other anti-gay activist tried to film the proceedings. In years past MassResistance has posted photos and videos of the event online to enflame their supporters.

Aldrich's efforts were largely thwarted by attendees. During a pre-parade rally Aldrich trained her camera on the speakers, only to have her view blocked by an umbrella-wielding youth. Aldrich then raised her camera into the air on a telescoping pole, but the youth climbed on the shoulders of another attendee and continued to block the camera, forcing Aldrich to bop the camera back and forth to get a shot of the stage. During his remarks onstage Joblin Younger, president of the Friends of GLBT Youth, the non-profit that funds Youth Pride, pointed out Aldrich to the crowd.

"Unfortunately the woman right there in the checkered coat with the camera on the stick, she is part of [MassResistance], I believe," said Younger, prompting boos from the crowd (and at least one audience member to shout, "Off with her head!"). "It's pretty bad. So, I want you to show how proud you are, how happy you are, because you have people who sit on the Massachusetts Youth Pride committee making today possible." The crowd burst into cheering and applause.

As the speaking program progressed more youth joined in the effort to block Aldrich. Someone in the crowd handed the youth holding the umbrella a much larger - and thematically appropriate - rainbow umbrella. Other audience members held up flags, including a rainbow flag, to block the camera. Police stepped in and cleared a small space between Aldrich and the youth, but they allowed the youth to continue blocking her view. The youth counter-protest continued until the end of the speaking program, after which the youth dispersed to line up for the parade.