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OUT AND ABOUT
Boston Pride
BY SUSAN RYAN-VOLLMAR

This Friday marks the official start of Boston Pride, when the Rainbow flag will be raised over City Hall Plaza in a ceremony attended by Boston mayor Tom Menino. Boston Pride, a weeklong celebration of all things gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender-queer-etc., culminates in a march through the city June 14. For the last five years, Aandre Davis has organized the festivities. The Phoenix spoke with Davis this week.

Q: What’s new this year?

A: We’ve actually rented a JumboTron to make it easier for people to see the parade. Everyone in our community isn’t 25 or 26 hanging out on Tremont Street with a red cup watching the parade. We’re trying to say [that] if you are somewhat elderly or disabled, to some effect you can still watch the parade.

Q: What? You think a JumboTron is only good for the elderly or the disabled?

A: No! Not at all! We decided, let’s be more expansive for anyone who wants to take it easy and watch the parade. To the best of my knowledge we’re the first Pride in the country to have a JumboTron. A lot of people have children. This makes it easier. We’re going to have a play area just for kids on the Boston Common so they can play and the parents can watch the parade. We’re trying to add a lot of different variety to the week.

Q: What else is going on?

A: We’re having a Boston Pride Gay Idol contest. We have 10 finalists. We held open auditions this past Saturday and Sunday and people came and they sang. It was the most memorable event we’ve had in a long time. A five-member panel — excuse me. [Aandre pauses and tells someone with him how to unlock a door; he’s trying to organize one of many last-minute meetings] Where was I? The panel is going to select the next round June 12 at Club Café. The winner will perform live on stage at the festival.

Q: You seem pretty busy. How are you doing?

A: I’m absolutely out of control. The groups in the parade have been confirmed, so now I’m getting last-minute calls. I’m doing press interviews. Walk-throughs with the city on the Common. I’m meeting with sponsors. It’s all about phone calls, vendors, parade participants, and things like that.

Q: What’s your favorite part of Pride?

A: When it’s over! No, actually, I think my favorite part of Pride is probably the flag raising. I think it is absolutely tremendous that we live in a city that will raise the gay-pride flag over City Hall and that it will be sponsored by our mayor.

Q: You’ve been doing this for five years now. Has it gotten any easier?

A: In some respects it’s easier. You know the terrain. But I think every single year something will happen that you don’t plan for. Anytime you’re dealing with 130 marching groups, 100 groups on the Common, you’re trying to add value to your sponsors, you’re trying to add value to the city in particular, anything can happen. The biggest thing I’ve learned is to stay calm. A week from this coming Monday is June 16, and no matter what it’ll all be over — so you just roll with it. No problem is too big for us to solve. We can always get around it and fix it.

Boston Pride kicks off Friday, June 6 at noon on City Hall Plaza with a flag-raising ceremony hosted by Boston mayor Tom Menino. On Saturday, June 7, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and Women’s Rainbow Chorus will perform at Faneuil Hall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Tuesday, June 10 the Pridelights Tree-lighting Ceremony takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Boston Center for the Arts on Tremont Street; the ceremony will be followed by a Jazz Café until 1 a.m. On Wednesday, June 11, the Boston Pride Idol Contest takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Vapor, 100 Warrenton Street, Boston. On Saturday, June 14, the Pride parade and festival begin at Copley Square at noon. For a complete list of events, visit www.bostonpride.org

Issue Date: June 6 - 12, 2003
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