Revere hosted its third-ever Beach Pride on Sunday, with more than a thousand people turning out to bar-hop, shop at a handful of vendor booths and celebrate LGBTQ+ pride with live music and drag performances at America’s first public beach.
To Mizery, a Boston drag diva who lived in Revere for six years and has participated in the celebration each year, Revere’s Beach Pride has changed alongside the city.
“The event has gotten bigger and bigger and also the Revere community has changed dramatically. They now want to be involved, they don’t just want to pass the buck,” Mizery said. “It was nice to see that.”
Revere is one of many Massachusetts municipalities named in a recent state report as places where young LGBTQ+ residents need more assurance of a safe, welcoming space. It’s a shift many in Revere believe is well underway.
Giancarlo Amador, a gay Revere resident, has participated in the event with his company DragShowBoston.com each year. For him, this celebration is the first step in the city’s journey for inclusivity.
“Revere has opened its doors and let the people know that everybody living here is different, but at the same time, everybody respects each other,” Amador said. “With this Pride celebration, we can be ourselves without being judged. I think this is a good start.”
The city of Revere has organized the celebration each year — one with a specific goal, as Steve Morabito, Revere’s director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, explained.
“The objective is to allow community members to be themselves,” he said.
Gia D’Witshes, another drag artist who performed in this year’s celebration, talked about the performance as an art form.
“Drag is the biggest thing I have had in my life — I love to be on the stage with my wig, makeup and heels,” D’Witshes told GBH News in Spanish.
Morabito points out that there is now one gay bar in Revere: La Maquina del Sabor. Several local establishments — Dryft, Fine Line, Mission Beach House and Marriott Springhill Suites — hosted the Pride celebrations this year.
Jesús García Mota, a gay Revere resident who spoke at the city’s Pride flag-raising ceremony last year, sees the annual celebration as positive change — with room for improvement.
“The Pride celebration of Revere is a good opportunity for people to be welcoming, especially in a city that is growing so fast. However, more gay-friendly spaces are needed. It is something to continue working in the future,” García Mota said.
