Latest news with #Pascucci-Ciampa
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘It's pride': All She Wrote Books bookstore breaking societal barriers in Boston
Christina Pascucci-Ciampa is the owner of All She Wrote Books along Washington Street in Somerville and her journey isn't what you might expect! 'What I had noticed is that there are so many great independent book stores here, but as far as like their queer section or feminist sections it's usually like the same five like stories or the same five authors and I am like there has to be more,' said Pascucci-Ciampa. Pascucci-Ciampa tells Boston 25 News she's always been an avid reader. Her journey started with her own personal collection, but in 2020 All She Wrote Books came to life and opened its first location along Assembly Row in Somerville. In 2023, after being displaced, they moved to a new location along Washington Street. With two years at this location, she says every step has been worth it. 'For me personally, as someone who's always wanted to find herself in a book or see herself in books or see others that maybe I didn't necessarily know of or understand and building that empathy for those that maybe are different than me. Those are the lessons I learned from books,' said Pascucci-Ciampa. All She Wrote actually started as a popup bookstore and at the height of the pandemic, Christina says they became a resource —connecting the community in ways she says she is still grateful for, six years later. 'Sometimes those conversations can be the most healing and the most beautiful and this is what this space creates for that aside from obviously books and representation,' she said. 'Do people want that. Do people want to see this out in the world? The answer was a resounding yes and so that kind of gave me the fuel to do and to kind of do this.' The store will host its second annual Pride Book Fair on June 28! For more, visit their website. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Some corporations are pulling back from Pride. Boston LGBTQ+ organizations are trying to adapt.
Write to us at . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT A rainbow flag But if it looks like Pride Month as usual, a backlash is brewing beneath the surface. As the Trump administration targets transgender Americans, scrubs words like 'orientation' and 'identity' 'Whether or not they're scared of any retribution or whether or not they just don't want to be noticed, we know that there's a lot of reasons why companies are pulling back,' said Alexandria Eberhardt, executive director of the Advertisement The pullback from Pride reflects a broader shift in how corporations are approaching politics in President Trump's second term. As today's newsletter explains, the changes are forcing LGBTQ+ organizations to adapt — and causing some to question how much they can rely on companies in the future. Advertisement A changed landscape For Christina Pascucci-Ciampa, the run-up to Pride Month is usually the busy season. Pascucci-Ciampa owns But when I spoke to her last week, Pascucci-Ciampa was working on just one. 'We are definitely seeing a downturn,' she said. Eberhardt has seen a similar slowdown. The LGBT Chamber currently has 45 corporate partners, she said, down from more than 50 before the 2024 presidential election. 'These are organizations that have been with us for years, that have stood in parades and worked with our businesses,' Eberhardt said. The pullback echoes a nationwide trend. After Trump won, Target, McDonald's, and other companies eliminated DEI policies. (Some, such as Costco, refused to do so.) Some big companies have declined to sponsor Pride events in Companies are free to decide whom to give money to, and maximizing profitability generally means trying to avoid consumer backlash. The conservative boycott of Bud Light after it partnered with a transgender influencer in 2023 has become a cautionary tale. Advertisement But for Eberhardt, the element of choice is part of what makes the pullback painful. 'You have so many options and you've chosen us for so many years because allegedly you believed in us, and now you don't,' she said. 'It absolutely feels like a betrayal.' Some of the current climate stems from the administration, which has sought to ban trans people from the military, removed books about LGBTQ+ issues But the country also seems to be experiencing a broader backlash to LGBTQ+ rights. Most Americans Another way? The pullback has some Boston LGBTQ+ organizations reevaluating their reliance on corporate munificence. 'It's an absolute learning moment,' Eberhardt said. Some were already there. The eschew corporate money. 'We think that corporations historically have not supported our community, and we see that today,' Hamel said. Instead, the Dyke March relies on donations, small grants, and merchandise sales to fund its annual Pride event, which Hamel said costs around $16,000. Advertisement But what works for some may not for others. The Mass. LGBT Chamber connects businesses with the banks and companies that can help them grow. And as both Eberhardt and Pascucci-Ciampa emphasized, plenty of companies remain eager to partner. Yet the economic pressures are real. The chamber's partner corporations pay dues, and a sustained pullback could hurt its ability to support local businesses. Eberhardt is looking to diversify the chamber's revenue. Pascucci-Ciampa is also seeking new partners — 'businesses who put their money where their mouth is' — that share her store's values even in hard times. For many LGBTQ+ groups and allies, the moment has also bred solidarity. As Pascucci-Ciampa put it, 'We're not going to get through these tougher times unless we build community, unless we are there for each other, and unless we build each other up.' Related story: Across New England schools, queer proms offer 🧩 7 Across: 87° POINTS OF INTEREST Illustration of a building that would replace a parking garage between Fenway Park and the Massachusetts Turnpike. Morris Adjmi Architects, Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects, Gensler Boston and Massachusetts Future digs: The Red Sox and its partners are planning a seven-story office building Market Basket: The ouster of CEO Arthur T. Demoulas means his sisters control the grocery company. But they Karen Read retrial: The presiding judge Millionaire-plus tax: The state's tax on residents with income above $1 million is tied to inflation, meaning that the amount you have to earn to be taxed BPS crashes: The family of an 8-year-old boy severely injured by a city school bus last year Trump administration Hiked: Trump abruptly doubled US tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50 percent. ( Abortion rights: The administration revoked Biden-era guidance that directed hospitals to provide abortions if needed to medically stabilize women in emergencies. ( Symbolism: An ICE agent who participated in last week's raid on Martha's Vineyard had a tattoo of a symbol Disillusioned: Trump's erratic approach to the Russia-Ukraine war has Breaking with precedent: Unlike his recent predecessors', Trump's new portrait features no smile and no American flag in the background. ( Trans rights: Federal prisons must provide hormone therapy to trans inmates while they challenge an executive order that would restrict access to the treatments, a judge ruled. ( Closer look: Asian American and Pacific Islanders are Massachusetts' fastest-growing demographic. A new survey shows how their support for Trump's deportation efforts Performance art: Sales of subscriptions to the Kennedy Center fell 36 percent after Trump took it over, costing the DC arts center over $1.5 million. The center denies it. ( The World Israel-Hamas war: Gaza health officials accused Israeli troops of killing 27 people near an aid site. Israel's military called the number 'exaggerated' and said it fired to 'drive away suspects.' ( South Korea: Voters elected Lee Jae-myung, a liberal, as the country's president six months after the previously elected president declared martial law, leading to his impeachment and ouster. ( The Netherlands: The Dutch government collapsed after a far-right party withdrew from the governing coalition over migration policy. ( BESIDE THE POINT ❤️ Love letters: He said she gives 'Disney princess energy.' 👂 Eavesdropping: That AI-note taker in your morning meeting can be inaccurate ― and its summaries aren't as private as you might think. ( ☕ Wide awake: If one cup of coffee a day is good for you, 🦖 Prehistoric parkway: From theme parks to gas station mascots, the roadside dinosaur has been a piece of Americana since the 1930s. A podcast set out to discover who's responsible for them. ( Advertisement 🎨 Dazzling display: See how the Northern Lights 🌋 Feminism, circa 79 AD: What was life like for women in Pompeii? A new exhibition at the archaeological site explores. ( 🍽️ Tuck in: Devra First rounds up Thanks for reading Starting Point. NOTE: A 🎁 emoji indicates a gift link. A $ is a subscription site that does not offer gift links. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
