The pride parade brings together LGBTQIA+ students and allies during Pride Month each year. On May 30, students and teachers from middle and high schools across Brookline began the annual pride parade at 3 p.m.. On the way, cars honked to show their support, pride flags waved in the wind and songs by LGBTQIA+ artists were sung. The parade arrived at the Brookline Teen Center (BTC) for food, games and a special performance by alum Izzy Heltai.
Catherine Fischer-Mueller, who teaches eighth grade social studies at Florida Ruffin Ridley, said that she loved the sense of unity that she felt when marching on Friday.
“With all of these people coming together and walking through town, with people that are stopping and honking to us and the police that are escorting us, it just felt so warm and loving and friendly,” Fischer-Mueller said.
While physics teacher Julia Mangan did not participate in the parade itself, she got to the BTC early to start grilling hamburgers and hotdogs.
“I love cooking and giving to people. I think for me, the most fun thing is seeing people happy and feeding them with good food,” Mangan said.
Freshman Lara Spitz Sousa said that they think the LGBTQIA+ community is a very welcoming space, despite the prejudices it faces.
“I find that the people are just really wonderful and accepting, and I’ve made so many good friends because of it, even though we definitely have our internal issues and obviously very prevalent external issues,” Spitz Sousa said.
Mangan said that being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community makes people think introspectively about themselves and gives them a greater sense of identity.
“The queer community is just so happy to be themselves. They think really deeply about who they are and who they want to be, and they’re not afraid to change any time they want to,” Mangan said.
Spitz Sousa said that the parade was a really important event for LGBTQIA+ people at the high school, and it brought up feelings of unity and togetherness.
“My favorite thing was getting to just welcome my friends and when people were singing; that was really fun,” Spitz Sousa said.
As a person who did not grow up with a dedicated space for LGBTQIA+ people, Fischer-Mueller said that she appreciates the empathy that she gets within the community.
“In one way, it’s about having people who understand my experience, but also as a 55-year-old person, I did not have this experience,” Fischer-Mueller said. “Getting to see how this generation of young people can grow up with different supports than I had is really remarkable.”
