Mayor Siddiqui and the LGBTQ+ Commission Celebrate Pride Month and Bring Live LGBTQ+ Performances to Starlight Square

June is Pride Month, a month in which Cambridge celebrates and honors the LGBTQ+ community and its diversity. This year, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui has partnered with the City’s LGBTQ+ Commission to host two live performances at Starlight Square on Saturday, June 12, 2021.

At 1:30pm, artist Bren Bataclan will entertain children of all ages with his interactive art. Bren is a local, gay artist who sends paintings to individuals around the world with a note, which reads, “This painting is yours if you promise to smile at random people more often.” Bren will be creating similar works of art, focusing on celebrating our diversity and exploring creativity with Cambridge’s youngest residents.

Following Bren at 3:30pm, musicians Taína Asili and Evan Greer will perform for older audiences. Taína is a New York-based Puerto Rican singer, filmmaker and activist carrying on the tradition of her ancestors, fusing past and present struggles into one soulful and defiant voice, and Evan will perform high energy, radical queer riot-folk music and workshops for liberation.

It is important for residents to come together and celebrate the freedom to be their authentic selves. During Pride Month, we also celebrate the long history of LGBTQ+ activists -- many of whom were trans* women of color -- who fought to dismantle prejudice and advocate for equal rights. The City of Cambridge is proud to be an ally and supports LGBTQ+ staff, residents, and families locally and beyond.

“Pride is a time where we come together as a community and celebrate the rich history and diversity of the Pride movement, and our collective fight for equality,” said Mayor Siddiqui. “I am excited for us all to safely celebrate together and be part of this year’s Pride celebrations at Starlight Square.”

“COVID prevented the annual Pride March and Pride Brunch from happening last year, and it has delayed this year’s celebrations until October, but we still wanted to do something to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride on Saturday, June 12th,” said Bill Barnert of the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission. “We have organized two great shows at Starlight Square to provide a space for residents to come together and celebrate.”

In addition to live entertainment, the City of Cambridge will be refreshing its rainbow benches outside of City Hall, re-painting the crosswalks at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Inman Street in colors to represent the Trans Flag, the Pride Flag, the Bi Flag and the People of Color Pride Flag. Cambridge City Hall will also be lit up in rainbow colors from June 1, 2021- June 12, 2021.

The Starlight Square performances are co-sponsored by the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, the Arlington LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission, LexPride, the Somerville LGBTQ Liaison, the Arlington Center for the Arts, & the Museum of Science. The performances on June 12th will be recorded and available on the LGBTQ+ Commission’s YouTube channel.

For more information or questions, please contact Adelina Atamer, Community Outreach Manager for Mayor Siddiqui at aatamer@cambridgema.gov or Bill Barnert at LGBTQPlusCommission@CambridgeMA.gov.