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One of the most famous St. Patrick's Day parades in the world just made history.

This was more than 20 years in the making.

One of the most famous St. Patrick's Day parades in the world just made history.

St. Patrick's Day is kind of a big deal in Boston.

It's basically Boston Christmas. Except for Christmas, of course, which is also Boston Christmas. Oh, and Patriot's Day, which is also really popular, 'cause the Sox play at 11 a.m.

The point is, Boston really likes St. Patrick's Day.

For most people, St. Patrick's Day is basically a slightly greener version of the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving — a time to go outside and put on a weird hat and march around in the street. But it turns out, there's actually kindofa sortofa religious component to it.

(Yup. Pretty Catholic.)

And nowhere is this truer than in Boston, with its large Irish Catholic population.

Ever year the Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade is organized by the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, who see the annual march, in part, as a chance to express their faith. But hey, St. Patrick's Day parades are a really good time, so lots of people wanted to join in the fun, including LGBTQ groups.

But for years, when LGBTQ groups in Boston would come to the veterans council and be like...

The veterans council would be like...

This back and forth went on for a long time.

There was even a Supreme Court case about it in the '90s.

(Yup. Pretty Supreme Court-y.)

And the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the veterans council, saying that since they were a private group, they could discriminate if they wanted. Which was a huge downer.

But times change. Seasons turn. Clocks get set forward an hour. There's a time to plant, a time to reap, and the circles and the ages, etc., etc.

And this year, without a big fuss, without fanfare, without even a long-winded explanation, the veterans council took a look in the mirror and thought...

"In 1995, the Supreme Court upheld a ban on gay and lesbian groups, citing free speech rights. The organisers had argued that it violated their Roman Catholic doctrine.

But the Veterans Council changed its position and its commander, Brian Mahoney, is quoted as saying 'who am I to judge?' when asked about the issue of sexual orientation." — BBC

So last weekend, two LGBT groups — OutVets and Boston Pride — marched in the parade. That's one more than marched in New York this year.

As you can see, it went wicked well. And there were lollipops.

It may not be a huge leap forward just yet, but this is how progress is made. One step at a time.

In a weird hat.

Culture

Let's give ourselves a hefty amount of grace for how we used our pandemic 'free' time

Adrian Swancar on Unsplash, Karen K. Ho/Twitter

Just over a year into the coronavirus pandemic, we're finally seeing a light at the end of our socially distanced tunnel. We still have a ways to go, but with millions of vaccines being doled out daily, we're well on our way toward somewhat normal life again. Hallelujah.

As we head toward that light, it's natural to look back over our shoulders at the past year to see what we're leaving behind. There's the "good riddance" stuff of course—the mass deaths, the missing loved ones, the closed-up businesses, the economic, social and political strife—which no one is going to miss.

But there's personal stuff, too. As we reflect on how we coped, how we spent our time, what we did and didn't do this past year, we're thinking about what we'll be bringing out of the tunnel with us.

And some of us are finding that comes with a decent dose of regret. Maybe a little guilt. Some disappointment as we go down the coulda-woulda-shoulda road.

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The Elevate Prize
The Elevate Prize
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Social entrepreneurs have new partner in growing their causes

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The past year has changed the way a lot of people see the world and brought the importance of global change to the forefront. However, even social impact entrepreneurs have had to adapt to the changing circumstances brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic.

"The first barrier is lack of funding. COVID-19 has deeply impacted many of our supporters, and we presume it will continue to do so. Current market volatility has caused many of our supporters to scale back or withdraw their support altogether," said Brisa de Angulo, co-founder of A Breeze of Hope Foundation, a non-profit that prevents childhood sexual violence in Bolivia and winner of the 2020 Elevate Prize.

To help social entrepreneurs scale their impact for the second year in a row, The Elevate Prize is awarding $5 million to 10 innovators, activists, and problem–solvers who are making a difference in their communities every day.

"We want to see extraordinary people leading high-impact projects that are elevating opportunities for all people, elevating issues and their solutions, or elevating understanding of and between people," The Elevate Prize website states.

Founded in 2019 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Joseph Deitch, The Elevate Prize is dedicated to giving unsung social entrepreneurs the necessary resources to scale their impact and to ultimately help inspire and awaken the hero in all of us.

"The Elevate Prize remains committed to finding a radically diverse group of innovative problem solvers and investing unconventional and personalized resources that bring greater visibility to them as leaders and the vital work they do. We make good famous," said Carolina García Jayaram, executive director, Elevate Prize Foundation.

The application process will take place in two phases. Applicants have till May 5 for Phase 1, which will include a short written application. A select number of those applicants will then be chosen for Phase 2, which includes a more robust set of questions later this summer. Ten winners will be announced in October 2021.

In addition to money, winners will also receive support from The Elevate Prize to help amplify their mission, achieve their goals, and receive mentorship and industry connections.

Last year, 1,297 candidates applied for the prize.

The 10 winners include Simprints, a UK-based nonprofit implementing biometric solutions to give people in the developing world hope and access to a better healthcare system; ReThink, a patented, innovative app that detects offensive messages and gives users a chance to reconsider posting them; and Guitars Over Guns, an organization bridging the opportunity gap for youth from vulnerable communities through transformational access to music, connectivity, and self-empowerment.

You can learn more about last year's winners, here.

If you know of someone or you yourself are ready to scale your impact, apply here today.

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