Amherst’s First Pride Parade and Celebration June 22
Photo:amherstma.gov
Source: amherstma.gov
The first-ever Town of Amherst Pride celebration will take place on Sunday, June 22 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., in downtown Amherst. The event will feature a festive parade, an empowering rally, and a community resource fair.
This inaugural Amherst Pride aims to celebrate the diversity and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community, promote visibility, provide valuable resources, and offer support. It’s a day for everyone to come together, celebrate love, acknowledge identity, and strengthen the bonds of our community.
Event Highlights
Parade: Beginning at 12:00 p.m at the Amherst-Pelham Regional High School (21 Mattoon St), the parade will wind its way through downtown ending at the Amherst Town Common. Parade participants are invited to a sign making session at 11:00 a.m.. Supplies will be provided.
Rally & Celebration: Following the parade, a celebration including a rally and resource fair will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the Amherst Town Common. Speakers, community leaders, and performances will honor LGBTQ+ voices and experiences. Attendees will be able to connect with local organizations and businesses offering support, services, and information.
Sign Making: Community groups participating in the parade will be making signs starting at 11:00 a.m. at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School (21 Mattoon St, Amherst MA 01002). Supplies are provided by event organizers.
The event will feature:
- Approximately 30 community groups participating in the parade.
- Over 50 organizations tabling at the community resource fair.
- Rally Speakers:
- State Representative Mindy Domb
- Pat De Angelis and Mandi Jo Hanneke, Amherst Town Councilors
- Rabbi Deb Kolodny (they/them), Co-Chair of the Human Rights Commission
- Renu Gehring (she/her), Amherst Survival Center Board of Directors
- Genny Beenyn (they/them), Director of the UMass Amherst Stonewall Center
District 2 Councilor Pat De Angelis added, “On June 28th, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village, which sparked a riot. This led to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement known as the Stonewall Riots, which later served as the catalyst for the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Fifty-six years later on June 22, 2025, Amherst will hold its first Pride Parade and Celebration honoring the lives of our LGBTQ+ community members and the contributions they have made to our Town. Let’s hold each other in joy and love while we march together.”
This event is hosted by Amherst Pride Volunteers, the Town of Amherst Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Amherst Business Improvement District.
For more information about Amherst Pride visit www.amherstma.gov/pride or contact Amherst Pride Volunteers at amherstmapride@gmail.com.
Congratulations to the Town, planners and volunteers for this important celebration. I hope that there may be some accommodation for residents who may want to participate but are not able to march or stand for any length of time. There is a substantial senior LGBT+ community in Amherst, and the Senior Center has taken an important first step in holding the monthly Rainbow Coffee hour to facilitate our sense of community. This event is a great opportunity both to celebrate our visibility and to support those who are not ready to become visible but welcome a Town-wide event as an opportunity to experience the joys of community.
I view this as important evidence affirming the Town’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), so important at this moment of national retreat from these great foundations of our social compact.