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Recently, the church became designated as “open and affirming” by the UCC (United Church of Christ), a status that is given to churches that undergo a full and comprehensive process of LGBTQ inclusion. In the 1980s, Old South responded to the AIDS epidemic by offering healing sessions and group counseling, hosted both in the church and in the private homes of members. Despite being one of the city’s oldest landmarks, the church has actively responded to today’s social and cultural needs by working as a resource center for all Bostonians. The Old South Church, located on Boylston, has stood at the heart of historic Back Bay for 350 years. Today, the Old West Church proudly supports social organizations ranging from Black Lives Matter to contemporary LGBTQ advocacy networks, taking a strong stance in favor of human rights in the face of a widespread, darker history of religious intolerance. Legal Advocates & Defenders group as it began its mission to bring legal aid to Boston’s marginalized communities in the late 1970s, a project it continues to this day. The church was a frequent meeting place for the G.L.A.D. Nearly a hundred years later, in 1970, the Old West Church became one of the first Boston churches to open its arms to the LGBTQ community, serving as a meeting spot for the city’s fledgling queer organizations and hosting a range of supportive and informative events, from teach-ins to support groups. In the late 18th century under the direction of its staunch abolitionist minister, Cyrus Bartol, the church was a stop on the Underground Railroad. For hundreds of years, the Old West Church has served Boston and its Beacon Hill community through acts of social service. Standing adjacent to the Otis House, home of the Boston Preservation Alliance and Historic New England, stands the Old West Church, a Federal-style masterpiece designed by Asher Benjamin and built in 1806. In recognizing where these places stood and by educating others about their importance to American history, we can trace the social geography of Boston’s LGBTQ heritage and perhaps become inspired to preserve other non-traditional yet culturally significant spaces. Many of us, even with connections to the LGBTQ communities in and around Boston, are unaware of our city’s rich and vibrant history when we walk past vacant or gentrified buildings or lots where these establishments once stood, it is easy for us to unconsciously erase important American history from our collective minds. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, many of Boston’s most beloved and important historically queer spaces have been demolished, abandoned, or repurposed.
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From bars to churches, from libraries to law firms, the importance of physical space to marginalized groups has had an immense impact not only on the ways that Boston’s LGBTQ communities have organized, but how they’ve built culture upon foundations of strong heritage. As Pride month draws to a close, we’re spotlighting some of the historical places in and around Boston that comprise this city’s rich and vibrant LGBTQ culture. The architecture of a community goes far beyond buildings.