Sign up for our upcoming events, save the date for our annual Pride celebration and other upcoming events, sign up to volunteer with PIOW and learn about what's happening at our community partners.
We're thrilled about the exciting events shared below and want to remind you to secure your spot while registration is still open! Plus, we have an important save-the-date for our annual Pride Celebration, along with a City of Boston Pride Event and a $pecial di$count for the Big Queer Food Fest 🌈
Beyond events, we're also sharing volunteer opportunities and the latest updates from our Community Partners. There's so much happening, and we can't wait to connect with you soon!
Ensuring Safety for the LGBTQ+ Community Panel
April 17 - Dewitt Center in Roxbury
Legal Protections & Risks
Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director, GLAD Law
Government & Community
Justice Williams, Community Relations Specialist, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement
Shaplaie Brooks, Executive Director, MA Commission on LGBTQ Youth
Healthcare & Well-Being
Jordina Shanks, CEO, Fenway Health
The Black Transgender Experience
Chastity Bowick, CEO, Chastity’s Consulting & Talent Group
Moderator: Dallas Ducar, Executive Vice President of Donor Engagement and External Relations, Fenway Health
Safety is Top of Mind!
In today’s increasingly polarized political climate, LGBTQ+ individuals face rising threats to their safety—both in their workplaces and the communities in which they live. From workplace discrimination and legal rollbacks to the emboldened rhetoric of intolerance, ensuring security and belonging for our community has never been more urgent.
Pride in Our Workplace (PIOW) and the Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation invite you to join a critical panel discussion that will explore the challenges of LGBTQ+ safety from multiple perspectives. This session will bring together thought leaders in law, government, healthcare, and advocacy to examine the systemic risks facing LGBTQ+ individuals today and the actions we can take to protect our rights.
We've arranged an amazing lineup of experts you won't want to miss!
Networking before and after, with panel from 6:30-7:30pm.
We can’t wait to see you there! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to info@piow.org.
PIOW ERG Leadership Summit at Boston Spirit Networking Night
May 14 at Marriott Copley Place
Join Us for the PIOW ERG Leadership Summit at Boston Spirit’s Networking Night!
Calling all ERG and DEI leaders! Pride in Our Workplace (PIOW) is thrilled to host the ERG Leadership Summit in partnership with Boston Spirit’s Annual LGBTQ+ Networking Night on May 14 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.
Panel topics have been announced!
🔹 Navigating the Changing DEI & LGBTQ+ Workplace Landscape - How ERGs Can Stay Resilient Amid Legislative Rollbacks and Corporate DEI Cutbacks
🔹 Making the Business Case for LGBTQ+ Inclusion – How to Align ERG Goals with Company Priorities to Secure Leadership Buy-In and Funding
This exclusive pre-event gathering (5:00–6:30 PM) is designed for ERG leaders, DEI professionals, and workplace inclusion advocates to connect, share best practices, and strengthen their impact.
ERG Leadership Summit 5:00-6:30, followed by Boston Spirit Networking Night
🎟 Tickets: $75 + fees - includes admission to Networking Night
(PIOW sponsor members receive a $25 discount. Promo code will be shared separately)
After the summit, attendees will join the main networking event and keynote panel, where 1,000+ LGBTQ+ professionals and allies will come together for an evening of networking and inspiration.
Boston Spirit event sponsors receive a limited number of complimentary tickets to the summit.
⚡ Capacity is limited to 150 — register early to guarantee your spot!
For more details on sponsorship opportunities, contact publisher@bostonspiritmagazine.com
We can't wait to see you there!
Big Queer Food Fest
We’re thrilled to be partnering with Big Queer Food Fest, a first-of-its-kind, multi-day celebration of LGBTQIA+ chefs, mixologists, food writers, and food lovers — taking over Boston from April 28 to May 4, 2025!
The Grand Tasting — May 3 & 4
The heart of the festival is the Grand Tasting, presented by Food Network. It’s a high-energy, indoor/outdoor springtime block party-style celebration at High Street Place. Featuring unlimited bites and sample sips from over two dozen queer chefs, winemakers, distillers, and culinary creatives, from Boston and around the country. This is the season’s can’t-miss event.
Fierce & trailblazing chef talent includes Jon Kung, Karen Akunowicz, Zac Young, Tatiana Rosana, Rick Martinez, Robert Gonzalez, Arnold Myint, Renee Touponce, Kareem Queeman, plus bites by Tiffani Faison, and many more!
Expect DJ sets, cocktails, delicious food, and fun community vibes — plus guest appearances by Rupaul’s Drag Race royalty Raja, Willam, Miz Cracker & Jujubee.
The PIOW community gets $25 off early admission ticketswith code PIOWBQFF.
Save the date for our annual PIOW Pride Networking Mixer on June 5 at Hogan Lovells. The event will take place in the early evening on Thursday, June 5. Details to follow with registration link in an upcoming newsletter
City of Boston Pride Event at City Hall - June 4
Boston City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana's office has invited the community to join a special Pride Celebration at Boston City Hall on Wednesday, June 4th from 10am to 2pm. PIOW is one of many organizations co-hosting this event, along with a number of our community partners. Check here for more details and join us there.
Volunteer with PIOW
We're actively building our volunteer base and we'd love to have you join. Just visit our volunteer signup form, watch the volunteer information video, and fill in your contact information and area(s) of interest for volunteering.
Community Partner Announcements Check out the latest information and upcoming events
MA LGBT Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 1st Annual Golf Outing on Friday, June 27 at Green Hill Golf Course in Worcester. You can choose to golf, or just join for lunch/networking with DJ and Drag Performers. Sounds like a blast!
Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation - In addition to cosponsoring the upcoming April 17 safety panel, BLU Foundation has other exciting things in store for the community:
Mayor's Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement - Join the MA
Attorney General’s Office, Civil Rights Division on April 9th, 12-1pm, for a webinar on LGBTQIA2S+ Civil Protections in Massachusetts. This training will cover state protections for LGBTQIA2S+ residents in housing, education, healthcare, public spaces, and more, along with how to report civil rights violations and the role of the AGO Civil Rights Division. RSVP hereto receive the Zoom link.
Verna Felton - Celebrate your Mom in style by coming to "Mother Knows Best: A Mother's Day Drag Brunch Fundraiser for Verna Felton"! Join us on Sunday, May 11 at Blend for a fabulous event celebrating all the amazing moms out there. Sit back, relax and indulge in a fabulous brunch, refreshing cocktails and enjoy entertaining performances by the most talented drag queens in Boston.
The History Project - Join How to Do Queer History, , a three-part skill-building course designed to empower participants with the tools to uncover, document, and share LGBTQIA2S+ history. Interested in volunteering? Fill out our volunteer form.
SpeakOUT - Join us on Saturday, April 12th, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Suffolk University for SpeakOUT’s Spring Speaker Training. Whether you're new to public speaking or a seasoned storyteller, this training is designed to help you develop the skills needed to share your story and challenge misconceptions about the LGBTQ+ community.
YW Boston’s Academy of Women Achievers (AWA) Luncheon will be held Tuesday, June 17 from 11:30-1:30 at the Westin Copley Place. AWA is our largest annual fundraiser; it supports crucial work to build a more inclusive Boston, where women, people of color, and especially women of color can thrive.
BAGLY - Join us to March at Massachusetts Youth Pride. Registration is open!
Mass Transgender Political Coalition. Check out MTPC's 2025 Advocacy & Organizing Framework to learn more about priorities and focuses for 2025 and beyond. We've updated our Quick Reference Guides for Legal Name and Gender Marker Changes for both adults and youth in to incorporate changes at the federal level over the past month.
OutstandingLife - The mission of the Outstandinglife.org is to improve the quality of life of LGBTQ older adults. Learn more and join our community here.
Support LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion – Make a Difference Today!
At Pride in Our Workplace (PIOW), we’re building a future where LGBTQ+ professionals can thrive. Through community events, ERG leadership support, and advocacy, we’re driving real change in workplaces across Massachusetts and beyond.
🌈 But we can’t do it without you. Your support helps us expand programming, provide resources, and amplify the voices of those who need it most.
💙 Every donation, big or small, makes an impact. Join us in creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces.
Follow Pride in Our Workplace on social and our website to be the first to see our resources, event updates, and more: LinkedIn. Until next time, stay safe and support each other.
