Saturday marked the official start of Pride Month, and celebrations were underway across Massachusetts on a beautiful sun-filled day.

At the annual flag-raising event in Chelsea, organizers were thrilled about the forecast, saying the weather couldn’t be much better. They say last year it was 42 degrees and raining.

The event, in its 9th year, was orchestrated by former city council member Matt Frank.

Frank says when he was on the city council, he felt it was very important to hold an event recognizing and showing support for people living in and around Chelsea. He said at the time it seemed only Boston and Cambridge were holding events.

The beginning of June means the beginning of Pride Month, and there are so many ways to get festive in the city of Boston. Derek Zagami hit us with some events coming up that will be sure to get you celebrating!

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From rainbow-themed clothing, accessories, food, and most importantly, the flag, Frank says he wants people to be able to be their authentic selves.

He didn’t come out until he was 30 years old because he didn’t feel there was any real presence in his community welcoming the LGBTQ+ community. He says no one should have to live in fear today and not be able to express themselves freely.

“It will save lives at the end of the day. A lot of LGBTQ+ people we’ve lost them. A lot of of them have friends who decided to end their lives or to move or do drastic things and we just want people to know you can live your life here.”

Police are investigating the theft of more than 200 Pride flags in Carlisle, Massachusetts, that occurred just before Pride month – and amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ measures from US legislatures.

In a statement released on Friday, the Carlisle police department announced that it is investigating the theft of the flags, which were taken out of a prominent local traffic circle earlier in the week.

The police said that on 27 May they were notified that the flags, which had been placed in the traffic circle, had been stolen overnight. The flags were last seen on Sunday evening.

“We are taking this very seriously,” the Carlisle police chief, Andrew Amendola, said. He added: “It is unfortunate, as Carlisle is an inclusive community, and we want everyone to feel safe and welcomed here.”

In a statement on Facebook, Travis Snell, chair of the Carlisle select board, which acts as the community’s governing board, said: “Such action and behavior have no place in Carlisle, and our police department is working to identify whoever is responsible and they will be held accountable.”

“On behalf of the town of Carlisle, the Select Board would like to reiterate that Carlisle is an inclusive community that respects its freedoms and the rights of individuals,” Snell added, according to the local news station NBC10.

According to NBC10, people replaced the flags within hours of them being stolen.

Pride month in June is an annual celebration of LGBTQ+ people. It recognizes the 1969 uprising at the Stonewall Inn bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where patrons fomented the modern LGBTQ+ protest and celebration movement by resisting police harassment and extortion.

The theft of the flags comes amid heightened discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities across the US. A poll released by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute in March has revealed that public support for same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ communities has declined.

Support for same-sex marriage has declined from 69% to 67% in the last year, the poll revealed, adding that Americans aged 18 to 29 showed a gradual decrease in support for LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination laws over the last three years. In 2020, the support stood at 83% whereas it dipped to 75% in 2023.

Meanwhile, South Carolina’s Republican governor, Henry McMaster, recently signed a bill into law that bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors, making the state the 25th in the US to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for minors.

So far in 2024, there have been at least 515 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced across the country, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

“While more states every year work to pass laws to protect LGBTQ people, state legislatures are advancing bills that target transgender people, limit local protections and allow the use of religion to discriminate,” the ACLU said. “The ACLU will not stop speaking out against these cruel attacks nationwide. LGBTQ people have a right to live in safety, to thrive and to be treated with dignity.”

Massachusetts has been known as a top state when it comes to education. With colleges like Harvard University, MIT, Boston College, and Emerson to name a few it’s no surprise that Massachusetts gets high marks when it comes to education.

Aside from educational reputation, when it comes to applying to a college there’s no doubt that safety is a high priority but aside from safety on campus what about safety surrounding the campus? Sure it’s great that the campus and culture of the college or university are safe but it’s probably a good idea to know about the safety of the town or city that houses the college.

Massachusetts is Home to Two of the Top Five Safest College Towns in America

Research.com shared a report by Safewise.com ranking the 50 safest college towns in the U.S. There are eight Massachusetts towns on the list. Two of them are in the top five, and one of those towns tops the list.

Wellesley ranks #4 in the top 50 safest college towns in America. Research.com stated the following:

Aside from being among the top 5 safest college towns in the U.S., Wellesley is also among the safest cities in Massachusetts and across America. It is home to the famous Babson World Globe, a 28-foot, 25-ton freestanding giant globe at the entrance of Babson College.

Population: 29,681
Colleges: Wellesley College and Babson College
Undergrad population: 4,753
Violent Crime Rate: 0.4
Property Crime Rate: 4.2

Milton ranks #1 in the top 50 safest college towns in America making it the safest college town in the country. Research.com stated the following:

The city is the fourth safest city in the State and the tenth safest in the entire country. Milton is known for its friendly and hospitable people. It was also voted as among the best places to raise a family in Massachusetts. It is famous for being the birthplace of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

Population: 27,642
College: Curry College
Undergrad population: 2,342
Violent Crime Rate: 0.4
Property Crime Rate: 2.2

Other Massachusetts towns that made the list include the following:

• #14 Beverly
• #16 North Andover
• #25 Bridgewater
• #32 Medford
• #34 Easton
• #49 Waltham