Pride, Resiliency, and Recovery: Monthly Observances for June

This Month, we jointly spotlight LGBTQ Pride and PTSD Awareness Month.

LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH

Every year in June we take time to spotlight and celebrate Boston’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Nonbinary community and its resilience.  This resiliency has unfortunately been tested over the last year across the country, with gender affirming care bans and cuts to health grants affecting LGBTQ populations.   The ACLU provides a regularly updated map that tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the country, much of it targeting gender identity, education, and school “duty to report” policies.  We encourage friends, family, and allies of members of this community to stay aware and informed of what impact these attacks have and will continue to have. 

Alongside acknowledging these struggles, however, June is still a month to celebrate pride and strength in the LGBTQ community with local and statewide gatherings and events.   Below are a variety of resources and events dedicated to empowering, supporting, and celebrating, along with educational opportunities for those who want to learn more.

• Boston Pride: The iconic Boston Pride Parade and Festival is scheduled for June 6, as always celebrating education, empowerment, and the commemoration of historic struggles and achievements. Visit the official site for event details, donation opportunities, and volunteer information.  A map of the march route is also linked here.
• Boston Public Library: We Are Pride. Each year, the BPL curates an updated Pride book list and hosts a variety of events, readings, and activities in celebration of LGBTQ+ stories and voices.
• Bay Windows Pride and Community Events: This community organization lists many more events, block parties, and marches across June.
• Eventbrite paid local events: A list of additional events including themed cruises, restaurant and bar celebrations, and more.
• The History Project: Dedicated to preserving and sharing Boston’s LGBTQ+ history, The History Project maintains an extensive archive and hosts regular community events centered around historical education and engagement.
• The Trevor Project: A nationally recognized organization offering critical support for LGBTQ+ youth, which includes crisis counselors, peer community spaces, educational resources, and more.
• Greater Boston Suicide Prevention Coalition: Offers a comprehensive support page with links to health services, community programs, trans peer networks and support groups, and political advocacy groups.
• Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY): Provides essential resources for LGBTQ+ youth, including housing assistance, clothing assistance for job interviews, healthcare access, and community support.  Explore their health and wellness programs here, and their community center services here.
• Fenway Health: Serving the LGBTQ+ community since 1971, Fenway Health provides inclusive medical and mental health care, research, community support, and a regularly updated blog with news and resources.
• GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): A local legal advocacy organization offering legal support, updates on LGBTQ+ rights, and educational resources.
• City of Boston – Mayor’s Office for LGBTQ+ Advancement: The city’s event page for pride month 2026.

PTSD AWARENESS MONTH

June is also National PTSD Awareness Month, an observance dedicated to raising awareness about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and how to access treatment and other resources.  Many people in their life have the misfortune of experiencing a traumatic event.  PTSD is a condition that can affect anyone who has experienced trauma; this often includes military veterans and first responders who experience and bear witness to violence, but also includes general survivors of physical and sexual abuse and violence.   

According to statistics gathered over the last two decades, 12 million adults in the U.S. have PTSD during a given year, and approximately 6% of the U.S. population will experience it at some point in their lives.  PTSD diagnosis rates have also increased by more than 30% between 2000 and 2020.  

 While physical and mental pain and distress after a traumatic event is normal, people may be diagnosed with PTSD when symptoms persist six months after an acute event and begin to interfere with aspects of daily life. Common symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, emotional numbness, and more.  Despite its prevalence, the condition often carries stigma and misunderstanding, which can still prevent people suffering from seeking the help they need.

Whether you are a trauma survivor of a family member or loved one seeking education, support and education resources are listed here:

• NAMI Resource Center PTSD Guide: The national association for Mental Illness provides a thorough introduction to PTSD, how trauma is defined, how the condition is diagnosed, and recommendations for seeking assistance and support.
• US Department of Veteran’s Affairs PTSD Center: A leading national resource for PTSD, with education, assistance on finding providers, and more. Their Boston branch offers connections to comprehensive mental health care services, including programs for military sexual trauma, depression, and anxiety, with some services available even without VA health care enrollment. 
• 998 Helpline:  The premier national suicide prevention hotline, available 24/7
• RESTORE Center at Boston Medical Center: Offers evidence-based mindfulness and cognitive behavioral treatments for PTSD. 
• Home Base Program: An MGH affiliated program for military veterans and their families, centered around PTSD and grief.  

Mental Health Provider Directories

Employees, family members and retirees may always also feel free to reach out to the Employee Assistance Program for counseling from licensed professionals and referrals to mental health and community resources.  From all of us, have a wonderful June.