Pride Week has arrived in Boston, and there’s a lot to be excited about. This year’s Pride festivities mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, widely considered to be the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. To commemorate a half century of LGBTQ history, The History Project has created the Stonewall 50 Project. Stonewall 50 banners and posters have been hung around Boston and Cambridge on buildings where LGBTQ history was made, and we’re thrilled that our 1340 Boylston St. building was selected as one of these historic locations.
Fenway Health’s story began in 1971, just two years after the Stonewall Riots. Motivated by the belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, politically active area residents and politicians opened a one-day-a-week drop-in center in the basement of a building owned by the Christian Science Church. The center was staffed by volunteer medical students dedicated to serving the diverse Fenway neighborhood—a neighborhood that includes many seniors, gays, low-income residents, and students. Reflecting this mission, the founders named the center Fenway Community Health Center.
From the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, to the creation of our groundbreaking AI program, to the founding of The Fenway Institute and the construction of the largest building dedicated to LGBTQ health, through medical advancements, struggles for rights, and victories for equality, Fenway Health is proud to be a part of Boston – and the world’s – LGBTQ history.
The History Project is the only organization focused exclusively on documenting and preserving the history of New England’s LGBTQ communities and sharing that history with LGBTQ individuals, organizations, allies, and the public.
You can find an interactive map of all the Stonewall 50 sites here. We encourage you to check out this important project honoring our community’s vibrant history, and we wish you a Happy Pride!
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