“Not two weeks go by where I don’t hear the word ‘faggot’ or ‘queer’ shouted from a car as I am riding my bike or walking around Billerica,” said Reef. Though Boston has held this for the past 40 years, this was Billerica’s first such event the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Last year the town held its first Pride Week in tandem with Boston’s annual Pride Parade. Organized by 24-year-old Jim Perry Reef, the rally featured an array of speeches and music from local homosexual residents like entertainer Denise Doucette and straight residents like Selectman Bob Correnti and local faith leaders.
Not deterred by the lack of electricity for the loudspeakers or an amplifier for music, the Billerica Gay and Lesbian Pride Committee held their second annual Gay Pride Freedom Rally on Sunday, June 7, celebrating the contributions of the town’s gay and lesbian community. Amidst a sea of rainbow flags blowing in the wind, about 50 Billerica residents and officials gathered on the Town Common to advocate for equal rights for gays and lesbians.