To celebrate the beginning of LGBT History Month, “Portraits of Pride,” a new public photography exhibition, will be on display at the Boston Common beginning October 1, running through October 29. The installation will feature 8-foot portraits of local LGBTQ+ leaders from a variety of backgrounds and industries, shot by world-renowned photographer John Huet (Vogue, Olympics, Nike), and curated by area LGBTQ advocate and community organizer Jean E. Dolin.
This one-of-a-kind exhibit honors the rich history of Boston’s LGBTQ+ community and the many contributions the area’s LGBTQ+ leaders have made to the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights in Massachusetts and beyond.
“Now more than ever, it is essential to tell the stories of LGBTQ+ people and celebrate how far we’ve come. ‘Portraits of Pride’ uplifts our community’s many, many achievements in an artistic, intentional, and public way,” said Jean Dolin, the exhibit’s curator. “I am so proud to pay this tribute to my hometown and amplify the diverse, exceptional voices that make up Boston’s LGBTQ+ community. Massachusetts has consistently been setting the example of championing LGBTQ+ rights – not just for the country, but for the world – with many of those rights being the results of decades of hard work and advocacy. Through this exhibit, I want the public to get to know these champions and the collective history that exists in each of them.”
The exhibition will showcase portraits of Massachusetts’ top leaders in public service, entrepreneurship, business, law, and more, alongside a statement of what pride means to them.
“Boston’s LGBTQ+ community has always been full of trailblazing minds and pioneering spirits. I am so honored to participate in and support ‘Portraits of Pride’ as we commemorate Boston’s rich LGBTQ+ history,” said Elyse Cherry, CEO of BlueHub Capital, whose portrait will be on display. “Supporting communities that are too often ignored or left behind is central to my work leading BlueHub Capital and the Boston Foundation’s Advisory Committee for the Equality Fund. Once again, we are seeing LGBTQ+ rights under attack across our country. It’s important to showcase the many successes of our local LGBTQ+ community and bring our stories out of the margins and into the spotlight.”
The honorees who will be featured are:
• Jonathan Allen, Leadership Brainery
• Michael Bobbitt, Mass Cultural Council
• Mary Bonauto, GLAD
• Shaplaie Brooks, Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth
• Beth Chandler, YW Boston
• Elyse Cherry, BlueHub Capital
• Alia Cusolito, Queer Youth Assemble
• Senator Julian Cyr, Massachusetts Legislature
• Charles Evans, LGBTQ Elders of Color
• John Ferguson, Webster Bank
• Paul Glass, LGBTQ Elders of Color
• Dominic Glaude, Independent Musician
• Arline Isaacson, Massachusetts GLBTQ Political Caucus
• Cheryl Katon, Fenway Health
• David Leonard, Boston Public Library
• Grace Moreno, Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
• Ashton Mota, Youth Activist
• Quincey J. Roberts Sr, The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement
• Connor Schoen, Breaktime
• Grace Stowell, BAGLY, inc.
• Derrick Young, Leadership Brainery
Portraits of Pride will be on view for the public at the Boston Common at the corner of Charles Street and Beacon Street from October 1-29. The exhibition is fiscally sponsored by Nonprofit Incubator and supported by the Boston Foundation, State Street, Eastern Bank, and Leadership Brainery. Orange Barrel Media, a media sponsor, will be promoting the exhibit on its digital outdoor signage across the city