Nominations Wanted for Pride Parade Marshals, Theme Unveiled

Boston Pride is now accepting nominations for marshals for its 42nd annual Boston Pride Parade on Saturday, June 9.

[Nominate your 2012 marshals]

Nominations will remain open until Friday, Feb. 24, and should reflect the parade’s theme, “Celebrating 30 Years of Worldwide Pride Movement,” which was recently announced.

There are three categories of marshals:

• Grand Marshal
• Honorary Marshal (only given posthumously)
• Celebrity Marshal

After the nomination period ends, Boston Pride will narrow down the field to five finalists for Grand Marshal and Honorary Marshal and put them to a public vote, which will go from March 1-15 on the organization’s website.

Boston Pride is also taking suggestions for Celebrity Marshal but will then select that post internally.

Parade’s theme

The parade’s theme, “Celebrating 30 Years of Worldwide Pride Movement,” honors InterPride, the international association of pride organizers that was founded in Boston in 1982.

Boston Pride was a founding member of InterPride, along with organizations in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.

“We are excited to pay tribute to the pioneers who founded InterPride in 1982 with our parade and festival,” Linda DeMarco, president of Boston Pride, said in a statement. “We are pleased to have a chance to honor that organization’s work and mission. We are also happy that we have the opportunity to honor the revolutionary role that Boston has played in the pride movement.”

Boston has been chosen as the host of the annual World Conference of InterPride this year. The conference will go from Oct. 3-7 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

Registration open, route change

Discounted early registration is now open for the parade.

The parade route will also change this year. However, the new route has not yet been released.

Coverage of last year’s parade

• Photos: Behind the Scenes at the Pride Parade
• Video: In the Crowd at the Pride Parade
• Pride at 41: You've Come a Long Way, Baby