In February, references to the words 'transgender' and 'queer' were quietly purged from various National Parks Service websites.
That includes pages dedicated to Boston’s many national parks.
Among the resources that were taken down from Boston’s National Parks was an audio tour of Downtown and Beacon Hill titled “Their Dreams, Their Rights, and Their Love.”
The tour was meant to show how Boston’s LGBTQ+ community has lived and thrived despite oppression and erasure. The tour still exists on the History Project's website, where it was posted after it was removed from the National Parks Service website.
To get a sense of what the "Their Dreams, Their Rights, and Their Love" tour has to offer, The Common met up with Theo Linger, History Project board member and former National Parks ranger; and Meaghan Michel, History Project volunteer and former National Parks ranger.
Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.
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19:02
Things to do in May to help you enjoy Boston's blossoming spring
WBUR's Candice Springer shares three awesome, local events that will get you outside in May. Check them out:
Big Queer Food Fest
Boston Public Art Triennial
WBUR Festival
Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.
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10:40
A march to mark MLK Jr.'s 1965 Freedom Rally in Boston
Local organizers plan to mark MLK Jr.'s historic 1965 Freedom Rally in Boston by holding a march of their own.
Journalist and Historian Dart Adams is the co-chair of Everyone250. The organization's mission is to highlight stories and histories that often get overlooked — especially during celebrations marking America's independence.
Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.
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14:24
Redux: Slow runner? Join the club!
Martinus Evans' doctor told him he either had to lose weight or risk early death. So he took up running - both out of necessity and perhaps a little spite. Evans has since run several marathons. He also founded the Slow AF Run Club, which is an organization meant to inspire and encourage runners of all shapes and abilities.
Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.
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14:32
Local libraries encourage readers to hop on a retro trend: zines
Little self-published booklets known as 'zines' have long been a staple of DIY and counter-culture movements. They have deep roots in underground music scenes like punk. Today, zines are having a renaissance, with more DIY-ers returning to the medium to spread information and stories - as well as to avoid increased censorship.
The Common recently visited the Boston Public Library's Jamaica Plain branch to check out the BPL's zine collection with children's librarian and local punk drummer, Chris Strunk.
Where to find zines in Boston
For the month of April, public libraries across the Boston Area are encouraging patrons to dive into zines with their 2025 Zine Library Crawl. Explore these Boston-area zine libraries to participate, or explore on your own any time.
Boston Public Library Zine Collection
Participating branches include: Central, Codman Square, Connolly, Egleston Square, Grove Hall, Jamaica Plain, Parker Hill, Roslindale, Roxbury,
Framingham Public Library
Harvard University’s Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
MassArt Morton R. Godine Library
School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University’s W. Van Alan Clark Jr. Library
Somerville Public Library (all locations)
Watertown Free Public Library
If you're looking for digital zines, you can also visit the online archive of Cambridge's Papercut Library, a free and volunteer-led collection featuring zines and other media from over 16,000 independent creators.
Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.
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