The riots are widely considered the seminal event to transform the 20th-century fight for LGBT rights in the United States.
#GAY PRIDE RAINBOW UMBRELLA SERIES#
In 1994, Baker fashioned a mile-long version of his flag for the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots - a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the gay community in response to an early-morning police raid at Greenwich Village’s Stonewall Inn, on June 28, 1969. The flags were such a hit, they invited mass production which, due to supply-chain issues, resulted in the contemporary six-striped flag. The first versions of Baker’s rainbow flag, handmade by the artist and friends, were unfurled on Jat the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade. He did so at the urging of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, and his original design included eight stripes. The origins of the first LGBT pride flag date back to 1978, when artist Gilbert Baker - an openly gay man and drag queen - designed a rainbow flag as a symbol of pride for the gay community. Boxxa Vine, who is well-versed in costume design and construction, will be wearing six different costumes in Saturday’s show, in a nod to the modern pride flag.
#GAY PRIDE RAINBOW UMBRELLA PLUS#
“This is the first year we were able to have a sponsor come through and pay for ,” Boxxa Vine said, pointing to other points of interest, including over 100 vendors to stroll through food from Biggins Diggins, Lucia’s Latin Kitchen, Golly Gee Snackery, and Sapata’s Burgers a treasure hunt organized by CozQuest a princess story time and petting zoo plus 20 entertainers from the Berkshires and the surrounding region (including Erinn Furey, a 2004 “American Idol” semi-finalist). at The Pittsfield Common - which, for the first year, will have American Sign Language by Partners Interpreting. “I am everywhere this year!” Boxxa Vine told The Edge, citing her involvement with Berkshire Pride from the beginning, “before we had the first permit to do the first Pride.” This year, she’s serving as the director of entertainment host of Saturday’s post-parade stage show from 12-4 p.m.
In the absence of an in-person ceremony that year (or the subsequent awarding of this recognition to another community member), Boxxa Vine will - among myriad other roles - be the featured speaker at this year’s pride flag raising. Photo: Heather PuntinĬentral to the festivities is Boxxa Vine, a local drag performer who, in 2020, received the Community Change Maker Award for her work making, donating and selling thousands of fabric face masks during the pandemic a portion of the proceeds were directed to local organizations. Boxxa Vine (in red, holding umbrella), with friends at Naumkeag in October 2021. These events are just three in a series of month-long happenings at which 413 residents can show their pride.
on Eagle Street, followed by the annual Berkshire Pride Festival from 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m. On Thursday, June 2 at 12 p.m., Berkshire Pride and Mayor Linda Tyer will assemble on Allen Street for the annual pride flag raising on the steps of City Hall, and on Saturday, June 4, the inaugural Pride Parade will kick off at 11:30 a.m. Two years later, at the City’s inaugural Pride kick-off event, the Progress Pride flag was adopted. The pride flag, with colors reflecting the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender, has fluttered outside Pittsfield City Hall every June since 2017. PITTSFIELD - Flags of all kinds have long been associated with pride the same could be said for rainbows and hope.