Boston Dyke March

The Boston Dyke March is a grassroots, non-commercial Pride march held on the Friday evening of Boston's Pride weekend. It gathers at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common for pre-march programming before stepping off. The march is ASL interpreted, masks are required, and an accessibility vehicle is available for people who need a ride along the route.

The Boston Dyke March has been held since 1995 as a non-commercial, intersectional and grassroots alternative to the city's larger Pride events. Its organizers describe a commitment to anti-capitalist, intersectional gender liberation and to lifting up voices that are marginalized both in society and within the LGBTQ+ community. The wider Dyke March tradition began with a 1993 demonstration by the Lesbian Avengers in Washington, DC.

The march is wheelchair, stroller and scooter accessible. Trained volunteers known as the Dyke Patrol walk alongside the crowd to watch out for participants, use de-escalation when needed and report problems to the organizing committee. The gathering also features live music, with volunteer stage runners keeping the band lineup on schedule.

A fire eating ceremony is a longtime part of the event. It honors community members lost to violence and grew out of the deaths of Hattie Mae Cohens and Brian Mock, who were killed when a firebomb was thrown into their apartment in Salem, Oregon. In 2021 the group held a one-time Boston Dyke Fest with music, poetry and fire eating in place of the march. Organizers have said the march will return in 2027.

Dyke Marches are grassroots marches for lesbian, bisexual and queer women and gender-expansive people, usually non-commercial and often held the same weekend as the city's main Pride.

Boston Dyke March has included march and rally.

Boston Dyke March was first held in 1995.

The organizer has not announced dates for 2027 yet. In 2026 it was held June 5, 2026. It usually falls friday evening before the Boston Pride parade in June.