#PRIDEEXTENDED was born as a hashtag used in a thread of tweets from our founder. In these tweets, Mercedes urged the public to value the lives and experiences of Black Transgender and non-binary individuals all year, not just in June.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, she compiled a Redistribution List of various individuals whose needs varied between housing, transportation, food and gender-affirming medical necessities.

In July 2021, we kicked off the First Annual PrideXtended Fest with the Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), WBUR and Boston Center for the Arts. Through this program, we raised money for our first campaign and tangibly supported local artists and entrepreneurs. In 2022, with just two weeks of unpaid promotion and no institutional backing, we raised over $1,300 to assist individuals with the cost of medical necessities. One of our latest milestones, launched in October 2023, is the Transformative Media Series, a monthly series dedicated to the exploration and celebration of media centering Black LGBTQ+ experiences.

Our intention is to center the wellbeing of Black LGBTQ+ individuals with heightened urgency on Black Transgender populations.